Applying to an Ivy League school can be a daunting task for any high school senior. To make it more fun, a teen from Brentwood, Tennessee, wrote about her love of pizza in one of the essays she wrote for her application to Yale University.
ABC News reported that when Carolina Williams found out she was accepted into the New Haven, Connecticut, school in March, she received notes from the university's admissions team that singled out her essay about Papa John's pizza. It was one of nearly 10 essays she submitted in her application.
“It really tickled me that they specifically commented on that one because there were a ton of essays,” Williams told ABC News. “I think it stood out because it was just very genuine and reflective of me and it was kind of taking a risk, I guess.”
AL.com reported that the reviewer of Williams' application was especially amused at her essay and said as much in her acceptance letter.
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“As someone who kept trying to read books for fun on top of thousands of applications this winter, I really loved your essay on reading 100 books in a year and I laughed so hard on your pizza essay,” the reviewer wrote. “I kept thinking that you were the kind of person that I would love to be best friends with. I want you to know that every part of your application stood out in our process and we are thrilled to be able to offer you a spot at Yale.”
Williams wrote in her essay that ordering pizza at the chain when she was younger “made me feel grown-up” and that the slices “evoke feelings of independence, consolation, and joy.”
USA Today reported that Papa John's founder John Schnatter offered Williams gift cards, a pizza party for her dorm, free pizza for a year and an internship.
Family and friends were so amused that they encouraged her to share the essay on Twitter, where she posted it on May 9.
Despite the warm response from the admissions team, Williams will be attending Auburn University in Alabama in the fall with a $72,000 scholarship over four years. Williams plans to study business and economics.
Luckily for Williams, Auburn has a Papa John’s on campus.