50 Successful Harvard Application Essays

S
HANG 
W
ANG
The Dollar Menu Epiphany
The other day, I was presented with a grave predicament. It was late afternoon and I was ravenous. I
had missed lunch due to band lessons, and my stomach did not enjoy being ignored for ten hours. As I
finished running errands for my mom, I noticed the local McDonald’s ahead, and was drawn to it
like … well, like a hungry guy is drawn to a restaurant. As I walked inside, Dollar Menu posters on
the wall for the McDouble and the McChicken seized my attention. Both meals called out to me, each
arguing for its superior delectability, making my mouth water in anticipation. However, I could not
choose between the two courses. No, that day, I wanted both. I was so starved that I knew I could
stomach both savory selections. So I strode boldly up to the counter, ordered both, and savored how
the flavors of the McDouble and McChicken blended together to make one of the most satisfying
meals I have ever enjoyed.
As I sat there with both orders easily devoured, I realized that this situation provided a perfect
solution to a dilemma that had plagued my mind since the onset of college applications: What would
my college major be? Ever since kindergarten, I had been gripped by the ideas (however vague they
were) of both medicine and law. I guess the powers of healing and justice have always infatuated me.
As the years passed, my fascination in both areas grew as I began to accumulate intimate knowledge
of the human body and the legal system. In high school, my appetite for medicine and law became
even more ferocious. My course schedule, extracurricular clubs, and even my summers were piled to
the breaking point with activities concerning my two passions and I was able to stomach these
“burdens” because my love for medicine and law made me invincible to fatigue. Yet, I had always
thought that I would have to give up one of these passions in college. However, with this McDonald’s
experience, I began to realize that perhaps I could handle both, so long as I maintained my desire.
On the drive home, my thoughts blossomed into maturity. I thought how choosing a career in one
field over the other would be as cruel as selecting a McDouble over a McChicken. I could not simply
select one without filling myself with regret. Therefore, I decided right there to split my time in
college between biology and political science, and to lay off the impossible choice of limiting myself
to one passion until later down the road. I was not shying away from a tough decision, but was rather
avoiding closing any doors of opportunity before they had been thoroughly tested. My dream to
enjoy a perfect blend of my passions is becoming increasingly realistic with the growth of
multidisciplinary fields today, and I do not wish to deprive myself of such a possibility with
premature judgment. I know enormous amounts of energy will be needed to make my vision become
reality, but as long as my desires for medicine and law do not wane, I know I can complete any
journey I must undertake. Years from now, I look forward to enjoying a double meal at McDonald’s

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(or perhaps some healthier alternative), while relishing a career that blends my two loves of medicine
and law in perfect harmony.
REVIEW
Shang’s essay is unconventional right from the beginning. A McDonald’s Dollar Menu does not seem
like the type of place for an epiphany, but Shang manages to tie his extravagant McDonald’s lunch to
his personal life in a humorous but genuine way. Though the writing is occasionally over-the-top—
with phrases like “my thoughts blossomed into maturity” or “blends my two loves of medicine and
law in perfect harmony”—there is no doubt that the author is passionate about these fields. After
reading this essay, there is also little doubt that Shang knows what he wants to do with at least the first
few years of college, and that assuredness is difficult to get across in an essay without sounding
arrogant.
There is really only one line of argument in this essay, but it is a relief that the author does not
waste page space trying to squeeze in his high school accomplishments. Shang mentions that he had
filled his plate in high school with “activities concerning my two passions,” but there are no forced
references to specific club names or honors received. Because the goal of the essay is to convince the
reader that Shang is a driven student who has two strong interests, the economical use of plotline and
description draws attention to Shang’s fluent writing and his apparent determination to study both
biology and political science. The essay itself reflects Shang’s ability to argue, and through the
simple organization of his words, Shang reveals an important aspect of being a lawyer or a doctor—
to cut right to the chase.
Shang also inserts subtle and amusing puns into his essay. He writes that his “appetite for medicine
and law became even more ferocious,” and that he looks forward to “relishing a career” that
combines the two areas of study. So, while some would prefer to have their cheese on the side, Shang
has served up an enjoyable essay.
—Virginia Marshall

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