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High School Student With 5.1 GPA Wrote A SpongeBob Essay And Was Rejected By Every Ivy League University Despite Being #1 In His Class

He tried to stand out and it worked — just not in the way he intended..

By John Sundholm — Written on Apr 07, 2023

Getting into college seems to be getting harder and harder with each passing academic year, and when you're a kid trying to get into the Ivy League, it can feel nigh on impossible. 

One student on TikTok with a sterling academic resume, Gideon Trenary, wanted to be sure he stood out from all the rest of the applicants, so he went out on a limb with a hilariously eye-catching and unique application resume.

It definitely worked—but not at all in the way he expected.

A high school valedictorian wrote an essay about Spongebob to stand out on his Ivy League college applications.

Sure, he's #1 in his class and has a GPA that would make even many over-achievers hang their heads in shame. But in today's cut-throat college application landscape, that's often not enough. So what better way to stand out than an essay titled "My Life As a SpongeBob Episode," right?

RELATED:  'Gifted' Student With 4.0 GPA Calls Herself A 'Failure' After Being Rejected From All California Universities

The student's college essay was about how his parents' divorce shaped his life, told via characters from 'SpongeBob Squarepants.'

In his video, Trenary said that he used the SpongeBob essay, in which SpongeBob was a stand-in for himself, to apply to every Ivy League university as well as several other elite schools, like MIT and Duke.

"Late at night in the small town of Bikini Bottom," the essay begins, "SpongeBob lay awake in his room, covering his pet Gary's ears from the rageful screaming coming from downstairs, a common occurrence in his home." The essay goes on to tell of the acrimonious divorce between "Mama Cookie" and "Papa Cookie" and how his parents' fighting ended up "hindering his relationship with the both of them."

Trenary goes on to detail in the essay how "Mama Cookie" eventually rejected him, forcing him to live with "Papa Cookie" and "his alcholic girlfriend" and "pulling him away from his twin sister." Referring to himself as SpongeBob, Trenary then revealed how his devastating family situation inspired him to succeed in school and his future life.

"As the house quieted down, his head ran miles, plotting a future, a successful one, far from his home," Trenary wrote. "As he drifted to sleep, he told himself I will never be nothing."

The details revealed in the essay are truly heartbreaking, and it is inspiring that Trenary was spurred on by them rather than deterred by them, as so often happens to children who grow up in adversity. But suffice to say the Ivy League did not see it that way.

RELATED:  Highschooler With 4.1 GPA Explains Why She Thinks She Was Rejected From 'Every College She Applied To'

The student was rejected by every Ivy League school, despite having a 5.1 GPA and being at the top of his class.

Months after sharing his SpongeBob essay, Trenary took to TikTok again to share his college application results. And boy was it a bloodbath.

Logging into the website Common Application, which aggregates college applications into one site, he checked through all his different applications, and one-by-one, he was rejected by every Ivy League school. Harvard, Columbia, Brown—they all passed.

"Just give me something, guys," Trenary pleaded at his computer screen in his video. Not even the non-Ivies, schools like Duke, MIT and Rice, accepted him. "Dude, I must have done something seriously wrong," Trenary lamented.

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Some data show that it genuinely is harder than ever to get into college.

Despite some evidence showing the contrary in recent years, an  analysis by Education Next , an education research firm, showed that it's not just people's perception—it really is harder than ever to get into universities nowadays, especially the Ivy Leagues.

Partly, it's due to the vastly higher percentage of high school students applying to college today compared to previous eras—not only has college attendance been on a steadily rising  upswing since 1980 , but as Education Next points out, "the U.S. population has increased almost 50 percent over this time...but places like Yale aren’t admitting 50 percent more students than they were in 1980."

With this flood of applications have come even more selective colleges. Education Next found that "with just a few exceptions, [average] median SAT scores for the most selective institutions... increased by 93 points" over the last thirty years.

And with some highly selective schools like Stanford reporting historically low admissions rates... well, it's no wonder students like Trenary feel like they have to swing for the fences to get their application in front of the right decision-makers.

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TikTokers were pretty sure they knew why Trenary was rejected by every Ivy League, and they definitely dragged him for it. 

"This is why," one commenter sniped in the comments of Trenary's TikTok video in which he read his SpongeBob essay. "It did not work," another quipped, while one person deadpanned, "bro what prompt was this supposed to answer?"

But experts say that Trenary might not have been totally off-base with his wacky essay. As the tutor and college admissions expert in the video below reveals, "quirky," "random," or "cool" features of an application can help get students noticed. 

Sadly, it didn't work for Trenary, but some on TikTok couldn't help but look on the bright side. "So sorry you didn't get in. But FR you have a bright future." And one person urged Trenary to put a positive spin on his rejections. "Make them all regret their decisions," they wrote. 

RELATED:  Woman Promises To Pay For Adopted Sister's College Tuition But Refuses To Pay For Her Biological Brother

John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.

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A US-based student's Spongebob essay got her into nine universities in the USA

Writing a college admissions essay can be difficult but it doesn't mean it can't be fun and successful.

USA-based student Kalissa Persaud wrote her college admissions essay on Spongebob and got into prestigious institutions the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC).

In fact, she got into a total of nine universities, including Howard University, which she ultimately chose because it allowed her the flexibility to go on auditions as a theater student.

Kalissa is now 21 years old and graduating from Hunter College with a major in theater and a minor in English, but she decided to look back on her college essay on TikTok with the social media prompt, "drop the essay."

According to Buzzfeed , more than 7 million people tuned in with her TikTok post generating 1.4 million likes as of writing.

In her TikTok post, Kalissa read her essay in 2:50 minutes.

"If I had to estimate, I'd say I've watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times. I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero," she began.

"It's no secret that the setup of the SpongeBob SquarePants show is bizarre," she said, adding, "One could choose to criticize the ridiculousness of the show or simply indulge in the absurdity of it all. I indulged."

"There were no rules in the episodes. The opportunities were limitless. It showed me that my imagination could run wild and, more importantly, being able to access my imagination was a meaningful skill," she said.

"Seeing these zany scenarios planted a seed in my brain at a crucial development stage, which in turn made me a more creative person," she added.

"SpongeBob has been a driving force in shaping the person I am today in more ways than I thought," she continued.

"SpongeBob may be responsible for my passion for acting. After all, being an actor requires confidence and imagination — two things of mine that were greatly developed through watching SpongeBob."

"In the words of Mr. SquarePants himself, 'I'm ready!'" she said. 

Amazing or what?  — LA, GMA Integrated News

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College graduate shares SpongeBob essay that got her into USC and UCLA

When it comes to applying to colleges, there are few tasks more daunting than writing admissions essays — and this TikToker may have crafted the most creative one yet.

Kalissa Persaud ( @kalissapersaud ), a TikToker with 36,400 followers and 6.7 million likes, recently took to the digital platform to share her essay that earned her acceptances at two competitive colleges.

“OK, this is the SpongeBob essay that got me into USC and UCLA.”

She begins by outlining the estimated number of times she’s watched the hit Nickelodeon series.

“If I had to estimate, I’d say I’ve watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times. I’ve watched The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie more than a hundred times.”

Kalissa then explains the impact the Bikini Bottom resident has had on her life.

“I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero.”

She continues, “Hearing chuckles and seeing contorted faces when I declare this is inevitable, but nonetheless, I say it with the utmost confidence and candor every time. And why shouldn’t I? I’ve devoted 13 years of my life to this sponge.”

At just 4 years old, Kalissa reveals she would run into her apartment and “beg my grandma to let me watch SpongeBob instead of her melodramatic Bollywood movies .”

She then acknowledges that while the animated television show is absurd, it brought her great comfort growing up.

“Being myself has never been an issue for me, but believing in myself was, especially in my first year of high school,” she admits.

“I was stuck in a rut. I felt mediocre all the time. Whenever I thought of any scenario, my mind made a list of every little thing that could go wrong even if it was completely irrational.”

Luckily, thanks to the SpongeBob SquarePants episode in which the titular character serves a ridiculous amount of customers on his first day as a fry cook, Kalissa had a crucial realization.

“If SpongeBob could serve a thousand anchovies on his first day, I could definitely try and gain some lost confidence back.”

After acknowledging that SpongeBob may be responsible for her passion for acting, Kalissa concluded her unique essay with a quote from the iconic, optimistic sponge himself.

“In the words of Mr. SquarePants himself, ‘I’m ready!'”

Kalissa left a disclaimer in the comments, noting that she graduated from college “like two weeks ago” and had written this essay when she was 17.

“WAIT GUYS I GRADUATED COLLEGE LIKE TWO WEEKS AGO I WROTE THIS WHEN I WAS 17 IM 21 NOW JUST AN FYI,” she wrote in early February.

With 7.1 million views, 1.3 million likes and over 8950 comments, Kalissa’s essay has earned immense praise for its heartfelt message.

“Your writing??? Impeccable. And I love how proud you are at the end aahhhh,” gushed @yahvim .

“The transition from SpongeBob to high school was smooth asl,” commended @mikarasc .

“You’re so iconic,” wrote @vilcreates .

Dan Povenmire, an animator who worked on SpongeBob Squarepants during its run, also commented on the video.

“I so wish Steve Hillenberg was still with us. I would have sent him this and he would have been proud,” he wrote, in reference to the late SpongeBob creator.

As far as creative college admissions essays go, this is definitely one deserving of major praise.

In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News — follow us here !

The post College graduate shares SpongeBob essay that got her into USC and UCLA appeared first on In The Know .

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Woman gets accepted to multiple colleges with essay about spongebob squarepants.

You wouldn’t necessarily associate SpongeBob with college, right? We are just making sure that we are not alone in that assessment.

If you have ever applied to college before, you know that the essay writing part is arguably the most annoying. It can be so hard to come up with the right words to say. That’s what makes this story such a hilarious one.

This college graduate decided to utilize the best possible source material for their essay and it worked like a charm.

Kalissa Persaud (she goes by @kalissapersaud on TikTok) shared her story and we cannot stop laughing to save our lives. When she shared the essay that got her accepted to USC and UCLA, we lost it. “OK, this is the SpongeBob essay that got me into USC and UCLA,” she begins in her video and she is not kidding.

She starts by sharing some facts about herself with the audience. For starters, she has spent a great deal of time watching the show. “If I had to estimate, I’d say I’ve watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times. I’ve watched The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie more than a hundred times.” It all makes sense to us now.

“I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero,” she read. She wasn’t done there either. “Hearing chuckles and seeing contorted faces when I declare this is inevitable, but nonetheless, I say it with the utmost confidence and candor every time. And why shouldn’t I? I’ve devoted 13 years of my life to this sponge.” At least she is honest!

When she was four years old, she says that she used to “beg my grandma to let me watch SpongeBob instead of her melodramatic Bollywood movies.” Good thing Grandma was so willing to comply, right?

She knows that the show is absurd but it was a comfort thing for her. “Being myself has never been an issue for me, but believing in myself was, especially in my first year of high school,” she went on to say. “I was stuck in a rut. I felt mediocre all the time. Whenever I thought of any scenario, my mind made a list of every little thing that could go wrong even if it was completely irrational,” she continued.

She hear her entire essay, be sure to check out the video below:

@kalissapersaud Replying to @waitingfordhoom4 one of my favorite pieces i’ve ever written☝️ it’s important to be yourself in your applications! enjoy enjoy enjoy! #😎 #fyp #fyp #usc #ucla #spongebob #collegeessay #collegeessaytips #college ♬ original sound – kalizzle🤹🏽‍♀️

She concluded the paper with words from Mr. Squarepants himself: “I’m ready.”

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This Girl's College Admissions Essay About "SpongeBob" Changing Her Life Is Going Viral, And It's Inspiring For All Creative Minds

Kalissa Persaud's college admissions essay not only got her into UCLA and USC — it was also viewed over 7.1 million times on TikTok, touching on both nostalgia and the impact our favorite kids shows still have on us today. "It showed me that my imagination could run wild."

BuzzFeed Staff

This is Kalissa Persaud , a 21-year-old college graduate who recently looked back at her acceptance into top performing schools like University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). And though getting into one of these schools — which have admission rates of about 9% and 12% , respectively — is quite the feat, it's her admissions essay that has people talking.

View this photo on Instagram

Earlier this month, when Kalissa read her college admissions essay on TikTok , over 7.1 million people tuned in for what would be an unexpectedly heartfelt ride that discussed the impact shows from our childhood have on who we become as adults.

@kalissapersaud Replying to @waitingfordhoom4 one of my favorite pieces i’ve ever written☝️ it’s important to be yourself in your applications! enjoy enjoy enjoy! #😎 #fyp #fyp #usc #ucla #spongebob #collegeessay #collegeessaytips #college ♬ original sound - kalizzle🤹🏽‍♀️

"If I had to estimate, I'd say I've watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times," Kalissa's college admissions essay begins. "I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero."

"Hearing chuckles and seeing contorted faces when I declare this is inevitable," she admits. "But nonetheless, I say it with the utmost candor and confidence every time. And why shouldn't I? I've devoted 13 years of my life to this sponge."

Kalissa goes on to recall her earliest memories of watching SpongeBob — when she was 4 years old and would return from school, immediately begging her grandmother to change the channel from Bollywood movies to her fave yellow sea creature. Then, to her grandmother's dismay, she'd belt out the theme song and perform — moments that, in hindsight, fueled her dreams of becoming an actor.

"It's no secret that the setup of the SpongeBob SquarePants show is bizarre," she reads in her video. "A sea sponge, a starfish, and an octopus (ironically named Squidward) are neighbors; a crab has a whale daughter; and the antagonist of the show is an evil genius zooplankton with a computer wife. One could choose to criticize the ridiculousness of the show or simply indulge in the absurdity of it all. I indulged."

"There were no rules in the episodes. The opportunities were limitless. It showed me that my imagination could run wild and, more importantly, being able to access my imagination was a meaningful skill," she said.

"Seeing these zany scenarios planted a seed in my brain at a crucial development stage, which in turn made me a more creative person."

"Being myself has never been an issue for me, but believing in myself was. Especially in my first year of high school. I was stuck in a rut. I felt mediocre all the time. Whenever I thought of any scenario, my mind made a list of every little thing that could go wrong, even if it was completely irrational."

"I thought back to the first episode of SpongeBob in which a swarm of anchovies came to feast at the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob is seeking employment as a fry cook. He keeps calm amongst all of the anchovy chaos despite it being his first day, and efficiently serves Krabby Patties. I questioned when I became so doubtful. If SpongeBob could serve a thousand anchovies on his first day, then I could definitely try to gain some lost confidence back," she reasoned.

"SpongeBob has been a driving force in shaping the person I am today in more ways than I thought," she said. "SpongeBob may be responsible for my passion for acting. After all, being an actor requires confidence and imagination — two things of mine that were greatly developed through watching SpongeBob. 

I look forward to further developing these things throughout college and the rest of my life. In the words of Mr. SquarePants himself, 'I'm ready!'" 

In addition to receiving major points for nostalgia, nearly 9,000 people flooded Kalissa's comment section with praise for her essay's voice, originality, and emphasis on the value of kooky children's programming that doesn't always need to "make sense" to matter.

When speaking to BuzzFeed about her decision to focus on SpongeBob instead of more typical essay topics, Kalissa shared that she was applying to schools with theater programs where she could earn a bachelor's degree in acting, and the character is responsible for her passion. "SpongeBob encouraged, and continues to encourage, me to be the best version of myself: to be courageous, imaginative, curious, bold, passionate, and caring (even if to a fault)," the 21-year-old said. "Once I got the idea to write about the show, nothing else I had brainstormed really made sense."

In the end, kalissa's essay earned her entry to usc, ucla, pace university, fordham university, purchase college, binghamton university, queens college, hunter college, and baruch college, which she says felt like "a scene out of a coming-of-age movie.".

This past January, she graduated from Hunter College with a major in theater and minor in English.  

Though USC and UCLA were tempting offers, Kalissa shared, "I chose to go to college at a commuter school in NYC because it gave me the flexibility to keep auditioning professionally while still working toward my degree. College is really what you make of it, and in the last 3.5 years, I was able to exercise my audition muscle, make connections within the industry, and even book a commercial ."

As for the future? She said, "Post-grad life is uncharted territory for sure, but whatever comes next, 'I’m ready.'"

If you'd like to keep up with kalissa, you can follow her on tiktok and instagram ., share this article.

A College Essay On Spongebob Helped One Student Gain Admission To Prestigious Schools

Kalissa Persaud’s college admissions essay has gone viral on TikTok, with over 7.1 million views. What’s interesting about her essay is her discussion of SpongeBob SquarePants as the catalyst for her passion for acting. Kalissa believes that childhood shows can shape one’s adult life, as is evident in her life. Let’s delve deeper into the impact of childhood shows on adult lives.

Childhood shows can have a lasting impact on one’s life. They not only entertain us but also teach us valuable life lessons. As we grow up, the characters and stories that we grew up with can influence our personalities and careers.

@kalissapersaud Replying to @waitingfordhoom4 one of my favorite pieces i’ve ever written☝️ it’s important to be yourself in your applications! enjoy enjoy enjoy! #😎 #fyp #fyp #usc #ucla #spongebob #collegeessay #collegeessaytips #college ♬ original sound – kalizzle🤹🏽‍♀️

One of the most significant takeaways from Kalissa’s college essay is the importance of imagination. As a child, Kalissa embraced the absurdity of SpongeBob SquarePants, recognizing that it allowed her imagination to run wild, making her more creative. Being imaginative is an essential skill that can help people succeed in many fields.

Confidence is a vital trait for success in life. Kalissa attributes her passion for acting to SpongeBob SquarePants, as the character embodies confidence, a trait that is essential for actors. Childhood shows that emphasize confidence can help children grow up with a belief in themselves.

Kalissa’s essay emphasizes the value of unconventional children’s programming, such as SpongeBob SquarePants. Not all children’s programming has to make sense, as sometimes the most absurd shows can be the most impactful in shaping our adult lives.

A college admissions essay is an opportunity for students to showcase who they are and what they believe in. Kalissa’s essay is a testament to the power of self-expression, as she wrote about a topic that she was passionate about. The essay helped her gain admission to several top-performing colleges.

Kalissa’s passion for acting was the driving force behind her college essay. Following one’s passion is crucial for success and fulfillment in life. Kalissa’s story shows that by pursuing what one loves, they can achieve great things.

Kalissa graduated from Hunter College with a major in theater and a minor in English, but her future is uncertain. Post-grad life can be challenging, as it’s a time of transition and change. Kalissa is optimistic about the future and ready for whatever comes next, knowing that post-grad life is unpredictable.

Kalissa Persaud’s story shows that childhood shows can shape one’s adult life. Childhood programming can help develop essential skills such as imagination, confidence, and creativity. College admissions essays are a tool for self-expression, and following one’s passion is essential for success and fulfillment in life. Kalissa is ready for whatever comes next and can be followed on TikTok and Instagram.

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US-based Student Latches On SpongeBob Squarepants For College Essay

Kalissa’s spongebob squarepants college essay has gained million views on tiktok.

Writing a college admissions essay can be intimidating and difficult. But it doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun and personal, which was what USA-based student Kalissa Persaud probably had in mind when she wrote about SpongeBob Squarepants for her college essay.

Persaud’s reflection on the famed Nickelodeon animation that is set under the sea landed her a slot into prestigious institutions such as the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). With stiff admission rates of about 9% and 12%, respectively for both aforementioned universities, Persaud’s feat was especially lauded on TikTok because she also got into seven other universities.

Now a college graduate, Persaud posted on TikTok to look back and read her heartfelt admission essay last February 2023. The video that discussed the impact of childhood shows on how people become adults has since gained 9 million views and 1.8 million likes as of this writing.

@kalissapersaud Replying to @waitingfordhoom4 one of my favorite pieces i’ve ever written?? it’s important to be yourself in your applications! enjoy enjoy enjoy! #? #fyp #fyp #usc #ucla #spongebob #collegeessay #collegeessaytips #college ? original sound – kalizzle?????

The SpongeBob Squarepants college essay

Persaud’s viral TikTok post ran for 2:50 minutes which she started from the beginning, that is, from when she started watching the famous sea sponge. 

“If I had to estimate, I’d say I’ve watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times. I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero,” she began.

“It’s no secret that the setup of the SpongeBob Squarepants show is bizarre,” she said, adding, “One could choose to criticize the ridiculousness of the show or simply indulge in the absurdity of it all. I indulged.”

Persaud went on to recall her earliest memories of watching SpongeBob — when she was 4 years old and would return from school, immediately begging her grandmother to change the channel from Bollywood movies to her favorite yellow sea creature. Then, to her grandmother’s dismay, she’d belt out the theme song and perform—moments that, in hindsight, fueled her dreams of becoming an actor.

“There were no rules in the episodes. The opportunities were limitless. It showed me that my imagination could run wild and, more importantly, being able to access my imagination was a meaningful skill,” she said.

As someone who had issues believing in herself, Persaud recalled how she had the tendency to overthink. How she felt mediocre all the time and “Whenever I thought of any scenario, my mind made a list of every little thing that could go wrong, even if it was completely irrational.”

After this, she discussed which aspect of the show resonated with her.

“I thought back to the first episode of ‘SpongeBob’ in which a swarm of anchovies came to feast at the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob is seeking employment as a fry cook. He keeps calm amongst all of the anchovy chaos despite it being his first day, and efficiently serves Krabby Patties. I questioned when I became so doubtful. If SpongeBob could serve a thousand anchovies on his first day, then I could definitely try to gain some lost confidence back,” she reasoned.

She wrapped up her letter by highlighting how SpongeBob has been a driving force in shaping the person that she is and her passion for acting.

“After all, being an actor requires confidence and imagination — two things of mine that were greatly developed through watching SpongeBob. I look forward to further developing these things throughout college and the rest of my life. In the words of Mr. SquarePants himself, ‘I’m ready!'” she wrote.

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• Sep 5, 2023

I LOVE the SpongeBob Essay

From time to time on this blog, we'll be reviewing existing college applications essays and writing about what works and doesn't work. We review three tiers of essays: 'bad,' 'medium,' and 'good,' and evaluate each essay within that tier.

Today we'll be reviewing the SpongeBob essay that Kalissa Persaud read over TikTok earlier this year. The essay earned her admissions to UCLA and USC. We've transcribed her video below.

Our rating: GOOD essay in the GOOD tier

I love this essay!! This essay confuses some students. It has a relatively simple style, doesn't use any literary devices, and the subject matter isn't particularly profound. It doesn't mention the author's academic pursuits, or explain their triumphs over adversity.

And it doesn't have to! Students are often confused about what admissions essays are for . They don't have to be about ANY of the things I mentioned above. The only thing an admissions essay has to do is tell the reader who you are. The reader should come away with an understanding of what you're like and what's important to you. And this essay has personality in spades. Here's how it begins (underscores are mine):

If I had to estimate, I'd say I've watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times. I've watched the SpongeBob SquarePants movie more than a hundred times. I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero.

Hearing chuckles and seeing contorted faces when I declare this is inevitable. But nonetheless, I say it with the utmost candor and confidence every time. And why shouldn't I ? I've devoted 13 years of my life to this sponge.

I love this show of defiance. Forget what SpongeBob looks like on an admissions essay -- the author knows that SpongeBob isn't cool to talk about in real life. And she doesn't care. There are plenty of adults with less confidence in their quirks.

My earliest memories of watching SpongeBob are from when I was just four years old. Upon arriving home from pre-K, I would run into my apartment and beg my grandma to let me watch SpongeBob instead of her melodramatic Bollywood movies. Of course, she would always cave in.

I'd prance around my living room and screech the infectious lyrics at the top of my lungs as it poured out of my surround sound system. During these performances, my grandma would massage her temples . Every day, I would learn new vocabulary, new jokes, and new ways to annoy SpongeBob's grumpy neighbor Squidward.

I love this imagery. I can see this exact image, down to the grandmother massaging her temples. I feel like I know exactly who this person is -- loud, excited, and unafraid to show her passions. I feel like being friends with her would be a lot of fun.

It's no secret that the setup of the SpongeBob SquarePants show is bizarre. A sea sponge, a starfish, and an octopus (ironically named Squidward) are neighbors; a crab has a whale daughter; and the antagonist of the show is an evil genius zooplankton with a computer wife. One could choose to criticize the ridiculousness of the show or simply indulge in the absurdity of it all. I indulged.

Again, a great show of confidence. I love that this person so thoroughly knows who she is. Also a great descriptive summary of the show.

In one episode, SpongeBob and Squidward drive a rock to deliver pizza to a customer. In another episode, SpongeBob draws a picture of himself that comes to life. There were no rules in the episodes. The opportunities were limitless. It showed me that my imagination could run wild and, more importantly, being able to access my imagination was a meaningful skill.

Seeing these zany scenarios planted a seed in my brain at a crucial development stage, which in turn made me a more creative person.

Being myself has never been an issue for me, but believing in myself was. Especially in my first year of high school. I was stuck in a rut. I felt mediocre all the time. Whenever I thought of any scenario, my mind made a list of every little thing that could go wrong, even if it was completely irrational.

I thought back to the first episode of SpongeBob in which a swarm of anchovies came to feast at the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob is seeking employment as a fry cook. He keeps calm amongst all of the anchovy chaos despite it being his first day, and efficiently serves Krabby Patties. I questioned when I became so doubtful. If SpongeBob could serve a thousand anchovies on his first day, then I could definitely try to gain some lost confidence back.

Here we get to the essay's thesis: SpongeBob the show demonstrated to the author what was possible, and she tried to apply that ethos to her own life. Here, we're told why SpongeBob MATTERS. The show wasn't just some fun childhood diversion. In this show, anything was possible, encouraging the author to live her life more expansively. I think this is a great takeaway from the motif of SpongeBob as a whole, and a great explanation of who the author is.

If there's one criticism I have of the essay, it's that the first two paragraphs here ("In one episode...") don't line up with the following two paragraphs. Did SpongeBob make the author more creative, or did it make her more confident? She does a decent job of explaining how the show made her more confident, but a less great job explaining how the show made her more creative. It's a muddied point to include both.

SpongeBob has been a driving force in shaping the person I am today in more ways than I thought. SpongeBob may be responsible for my passion for acting. After all, being an actor requires confidence and imagination — two things of mine that were greatly developed through watching SpongeBob.

I look forward to further developing these things throughout college and the rest of my life. In the words of Mr. SquarePants himself, 'I'm ready!'

Great ending.

Is this the best, most well-written essay ever? No. But it's a fun read, and it tells me exactly who the author is. I have no real criticisms aside from the minor point about the creative / confidence confusion.

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This Girl's College Admissions Essay About "SpongeBob" Changing Her Life Is Going Viral, And It's Inspiring For All Creative Minds

Kalissa Persaud's college admissions essay not only got her into UCLA and USC — it was also viewed over 7.1 million times on TikTok, touching on both nostalgia and the impact our favorite kids shows still have on us today. "It showed me that my imagination could run wild."

BuzzFeed Staff

This is Kalissa Persaud , a 21-year-old college graduate who recently looked back at her acceptance into top performing schools like University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California (USC). And though getting into one of these schools — which have admission rates of about 9% and 12% , respectively — is quite the feat, it's her admissions essay that has people talking.

View this photo on Instagram

Earlier this month, when Kalissa read her college admissions essay on TikTok , over 7.1 million people tuned in for what would be an unexpectedly heartfelt ride that discussed the impact shows from our childhood have on who we become as adults.

@kalissapersaud Replying to @waitingfordhoom4 one of my favorite pieces i’ve ever written☝️ it’s important to be yourself in your applications! enjoy enjoy enjoy! #😎 #fyp #fyp #usc #ucla #spongebob #collegeessay #collegeessaytips #college ♬ original sound - kalizzle🤹🏽‍♀️

"If I had to estimate, I'd say I've watched every episode of SpongeBob SquarePants at least eight times," Kalissa's college admissions essay begins. "I speak candidly when I say SpongeBob is my hero."

"Hearing chuckles and seeing contorted faces when I declare this is inevitable," she admits. "But nonetheless, I say it with the utmost candor and confidence every time. And why shouldn't I? I've devoted 13 years of my life to this sponge."

Kalissa goes on to recall her earliest memories of watching SpongeBob — when she was 4 years old and would return from school, immediately begging her grandmother to change the channel from Bollywood movies to her fave yellow sea creature. Then, to her grandmother's dismay, she'd belt out the theme song and perform — moments that, in hindsight, fueled her dreams of becoming an actor.

"It's no secret that the setup of the SpongeBob SquarePants show is bizarre," she reads in her video. "A sea sponge, a starfish, and an octopus (ironically named Squidward) are neighbors; a crab has a whale daughter; and the antagonist of the show is an evil genius zooplankton with a computer wife. One could choose to criticize the ridiculousness of the show or simply indulge in the absurdity of it all. I indulged."

"There were no rules in the episodes. The opportunities were limitless. It showed me that my imagination could run wild and, more importantly, being able to access my imagination was a meaningful skill," she said.

"Seeing these zany scenarios planted a seed in my brain at a crucial development stage, which in turn made me a more creative person."

"Being myself has never been an issue for me, but believing in myself was. Especially in my first year of high school. I was stuck in a rut. I felt mediocre all the time. Whenever I thought of any scenario, my mind made a list of every little thing that could go wrong, even if it was completely irrational."

"I thought back to the first episode of SpongeBob in which a swarm of anchovies came to feast at the Krusty Krab, where SpongeBob is seeking employment as a fry cook. He keeps calm amongst all of the anchovy chaos despite it being his first day, and efficiently serves Krabby Patties. I questioned when I became so doubtful. If SpongeBob could serve a thousand anchovies on his first day, then I could definitely try to gain some lost confidence back," she reasoned.

"SpongeBob has been a driving force in shaping the person I am today in more ways than I thought," she said. "SpongeBob may be responsible for my passion for acting. After all, being an actor requires confidence and imagination — two things of mine that were greatly developed through watching SpongeBob. 

I look forward to further developing these things throughout college and the rest of my life. In the words of Mr. SquarePants himself, 'I'm ready!'" 

In addition to receiving major points for nostalgia, nearly 9,000 people flooded Kalissa's comment section with praise for her essay's voice, originality, and emphasis on the value of kooky children's programming that doesn't always need to "make sense" to matter.

When speaking to BuzzFeed about her decision to focus on SpongeBob instead of more typical essay topics, Kalissa shared that she was applying to schools with theater programs where she could earn a bachelor's degree in acting, and the character is responsible for her passion. "SpongeBob encouraged, and continues to encourage, me to be the best version of myself: to be courageous, imaginative, curious, bold, passionate, and caring (even if to a fault)," the 21-year-old said. "Once I got the idea to write about the show, nothing else I had brainstormed really made sense."

In the end, kalissa's essay earned her entry to usc, ucla, pace university, fordham university, purchase college, binghamton university, queens college, hunter college, and baruch college, which she says felt like "a scene out of a coming-of-age movie.".

This past January, she graduated from Hunter College with a major in theater and minor in English.  

Though USC and UCLA were tempting offers, Kalissa shared, "I chose to go to college at a commuter school in NYC because it gave me the flexibility to keep auditioning professionally while still working toward my degree. College is really what you make of it, and in the last 3.5 years, I was able to exercise my audition muscle, make connections within the industry, and even book a commercial ."

As for the future? She said, "Post-grad life is uncharted territory for sure, but whatever comes next, 'I’m ready.'"

If you'd like to keep up with kalissa, you can follow her on tiktok and instagram ., share this article.

Another Word

From the writing center at the university of wisconsin-madison.

#essayhack: What TikTok can Teach Writing Centers about Student Perceptions of College Writing

By Holly Berkowitz, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

There is a widespread perception that TikTok, the popular video-sharing social media platform, is primarily a tool of distraction where one mindlessly scrolls through bite-sized bits of content. However, due to the viewer’s ability to engage with short-form video content, it is undeniable that TikTok is also a platform from which users gain information; whether this means following a viral dance tutorial or learning how to fold a fitted sheet, TikTok houses millions of videos that serve as instructional tutorials that provides tips or how-tos for its over one billion active users. 

That TikTok might be considered a learning tool also has implications for educational contexts. Recent research has revealed that watching or even creating TikToks in classrooms can aid learning objectives, particularly relating to language acquisition or narrative writing skills. In this post, I discuss  the conventions of and consequences for TikToks that discuss college writing. Because of the popularity of videos that spotlight “how-tos” or “day in the life” style content, looking at essay or college writing TikTok can be a helpful tool for understanding some larger trends and student perceptions of writing. Due to the instructional nature of TikToks and the ways that students might be using the app for advice, these videos can be viewed as parallel or ancillary to the advice that a Writing Center tutor might provide.

A search for common hashtags including the words “essay,” “college writing,” or “essay writing hack” yields hundreds of videos that pertain to writing at the college level. Although there is a large variety in content due to the sheer amount of content, this post focuses on two genres of videos as they represent a large portion of what is shared: first, videos that provide tips or how-tos for certain AI tools or assignment genres and second, videos that invite the viewer to accompany the creator as they write a paper under a deadline. Shared themes include attempts to establish peer connections and comfort viewers who procrastinate while writing, a focus on writing speed and concrete deliverables (page count, word limit, or hours to write), and an emphasis on digital tools or AI software (especially that which is marked as “not cheating”). Not only does a closer examination into these videos help us meet writers where they are more precisely, but it also draws writing center workers’ attention to lesser known digital tools or “hacks” that students are using for their assignments.

“How to write” Videos

Videos in the “how to” style are instructional and advice-dispensing in tone. Often, the creator utilizes a digital writing aid or provides a set of writing tips or steps to follow. Whether these videos spotlight assistive technologies that use AI, helpful websites, or suggestions for specific forms of writing, they often position writing as a roadblock or adversary. Videos of this nature attempt to reach viewers by promising to make writing easier, more approachable, or just faster when working under a tight deadline; they almost always assume the writer in question has left their writing task to the last possible moment. It’s not surprising then that the most widely shared examples of this form of content are videos with titles like “How to speed-write long papers” or “How to make any essay longer” (this one has 32 million views). It is evident that this type of content attempts to target students who suffer from writing-related anxiety or who tend to procrastinate while writing.

Sharing “hacks” online is a common practice that manifests in many corners of TikTok where content creators demonstrate an easier or more efficient way of achieving a task (such as loading a dishwasher) or obtaining a result (such as finding affordable airline tickets). The same principle applies to #essay TikTok, where writing advice is often framed as a “hack” for writing faster papers, longer papers, or papers more likely to result in an A. This content uses a familiar titling convention: How to write X (where X might be a specific genre like a literature review, or just an amount of pages or words); How to write X in X amount of time; and How to write X using this software or AI program. The amount of time is always tantalizingly brief, as two examples—“How to write a 5 page essay in 2 mins” and “How to write an essay in five minutes!! NO PLAGIARISM!!”—attest to. While some of these are silly or no longer useful methods of getting around assignment parameters, they introduce viewers to helpful research and writing aids and sometimes even spotlight Writing Center best practices. For instance, a video by creator @kaylacp called “Research Paper Hack” shows viewers how to use a program called PowerNotes to organize and code sources; a video by @patches has almost seven million views and demonstrates using an AI bot to both grade her paper and provide substantive feedback. Taken as a whole, this subsect of TikTok underscores that there is a ready audience for content that purports to assist writers in meeting the deliverables of a writing assignment using a path of least resistance.

Similarly, TikTok contains myriad videos that position the creator as a sort of expert in college writing and dispense tips for improving academic writing and style. These videos are often created by upperclassmen who claim to frequently receive As on essays and tend to use persuasive language in the style of an infomercial, such as “How to write a college paper like a pro,” “How to write research papers more efficiently in 5 easy steps!” or “College students, if you’re not using this feature, you’re wasting your time.” The focus in these videos is even more explicit than those mentioned above, as college students are addressed in the titles and captions directly. This is significant  because it prompts users to engage with this content as they might with a Writing Center tutor or tutoring more generally. These videos are sites where students are learning how to write more efficiently but also learning how their college peers view and treat the writing process. 

The “how to write” videos share several common themes, most prevalent of which is an emphasis on concrete deliverables—you will be able to produce this many pages in this many minutes. They also share a tendency to introduce or spotlight different digital tools and assistive technologies that make writing more expedient; although several videos reference or demonstrate how to use ChatGPT or OpenAI, most creators attempt to show viewers less widely discussed platforms and programs. As parallel forms of writing instruction, these how-tos tend to focus on quantity over quality and writing-as-product. However, they also showcase ways that AI can be helpful and generative for writers at all stages. Most notably they direct our attention to the fact that student writers consistently encounter writing- and essay- related content while scrolling TikTok.

Write “with me” Videos

Just as the how-to style videos target writers who view writing negatively and may have a habit of procrastinating writing assignments, write “with me” videos invite the viewer to join the creator as they work. These videos almost always include a variation of the phrase— “Write a 5- page case analysis w/ me” or “pull an all nighter with me while I write a 10- page essay.” One of the functions of this convention is to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the viewer, as they are brought along while the creator writes, experiences writer’s block, takes breaks, but ultimately completes their assignment in time. Similarly to the videos discussed above, these “with me” videos also center on writing under a deadline and thus emphasize the more concrete deliverables of their assignments. As such, the writing process is often made less visible in favor of frequent cuts and timestamps that show the progression toward a page or word count goal.

One of the most common effects of “with me” videos is to assure the viewer that procrastinating writing is part and parcel of the college experience. As the content creators grapple with and accept their own writing anxieties or deferring habits, they demonstrate for the viewer that it is possible to be both someone who struggles with writing and someone who can make progress on their papers. In this way, these videos suggest to students that they are not alone in their experiences; not only do other college students feel overwhelmed with writing or leave their papers until the day before they are due, but you can join a fellow student as they tackle the essay writing process. One popular video by @mercuryskid with over 6 million views follows them working on a 6000 word essay for which they have received several extensions, and although they don’t finish by the end of the video, their openness about the struggles they experience while writing may explain its appeal. 

Indeed, in several videos of this kind the creator centers their procrastination as a means of inviting the viewer in; often the video will include the word in the title, such as “write 2 essays due at 11:59 tonight with me because I am a chronic procrastinator” or “write the literature essay i procrastinated with me.” Because of this, establishing a peer connection with the hypothetical viewer is paramount; @itskamazing’s video in which she writes a five page paper in three hours ends with her telling the viewer, “If you’re in college, you’re doing great. Let’s just knock this semester out.” One video titled “Writing essays doesn’t need to be stressful” shows a college-aged creator explaining what tactics she uses for outlining and annotating research to make sure she feels prepared when she begins to write in earnest. Throughout, she directly hails the viewer as “you” and attempts to cultivate a sense of familiarity with the person on the other side of the screen; in some moments her advice feels like listening in on a one-sided Writing Center session.

A second aspect of these “with me” videos is an intense focus on the specifics of a writing task. The titles of these videos usually follow a formula that invites the viewer with the writer as they write X amount in X time, paralleling the structure of how-to-write videos. The emphasis here, due to the last-minute nature of the writing contexts, is always on speed: “write a 2000- word essay with me in 4.5 hours” or “Join me as I write a 10- page essay that is due at 11:59pm.” Since these videos often need to cover large swaths of time during which the creator is working, there are several jumps forward in time, sped up footage, and text stamps or zoom-ins that update the viewer on how many pages or words the writer has completed since the last update. Overall, this brand of content demonstrates how product-focused writers become when large amounts of writing are completed in a single setting. However, it also makes this experience seem more manageable to viewers, as we frequently see writers in videos take naps and breaks during these high-stakes writing sessions. Furthermore, although the writers complain and appear stressed throughout, these videos tend to close with the writer submitting their papers and celebrating their achievement.

Although these videos may send mixed messages to college students using TikTok who experience struggles with writing productivity, they can be helpful for viewers as they demonstrate the shared nature of these struggles and concerns. Despite the overarching emphasis on the finished product, the documentary-style of this content shows how writing can be a fraught process. For tutors or those removed from the experience of being in college, these videos also illuminate some of the reasons students procrastinate writing; we see creators juggling part-time jobs, other due dates, and family obligations. This genre of TikToks shows the power that social media platforms have due to the way they can amplify the shared experience of students.

To conclude, I gesture toward a few of the takeaways that #essay and #collegewriting TikTok might provide for those who work in Writing Centers, especially those who frequently encounter students who struggle with procrastination. First, because TikTok is a video-sharing platform, the content often shows a mixture of writing process and product. Despite a heavy emphasis in these videos on the finished product that a writer turns in to be graded, several videos necessarily also reveal the steps that go into writing, even marathon sessions the night before a paper is due. We primarily see forward progress but we also see false starts and deletions; we mostly see the writer once they have completed pre-writing tasks but we also see analyzing a prompt, outlining, and brainstorming. Additionally, this genre of TikTok is instructive in that it shows how often students wait until before a paper is due to begin and just how many writers are working solely to meet a deadline or deliverable. While as Writing Center workers we cannot do much to shift this mindset, we can make a more considerable effort to focus on time management and executive functioning skills in our sessions. Separating the essay writing process into manageable chunks or steps appears to be a skill that college students are already seeking to develop independently when they engage on social media, and Writing Centers are equipped to help students refine these habits. Finally, it is worth considering the potential for university Writing Center TikTok accounts. A brief survey of videos created by Writing Center staff reveals that they draw on similar themes and tend to emphasize product and deliverables—for example, a video titled “a passing essay grade” that shows someone going into the center and receiving an A+ on a paper. Instead, these accounts could create a space for Writing Centers to actively contribute to the discourse on college writing that currently occupies the app and create content that parallels a specific Writing Center or campus’s values.

Holly Berkowitz is the Coordinator of the Writing and Communication Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She recently received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also worked at the UW-Madison Writing Center. Although she does not post her own content, she is an avid consumer of TikTok videos.

Using TikTok for Your Academic Papers? Make Sure to Consult Other Sources

Information on TikTok is more interactive than what you find from a Google search. But ensuring the accuracy of that information is crucial to using TikTok to support your studies.

Currently, more than 50% of four-year college students in the United States use TikTok videos for help with their homework. Students responding to the Intelligent.com survey noted they use TikTok mostly for help with math, English, and art (compared to other subjects). More than 34% of the survey’s respondents said they also used the platform to help complete their college application essays .

TikTok has become the go-to search engine for Gen Z. The content is interactive and, as a result, often more engaging than traditional web articles. For many students, this makes what they learn on TikTok stick more than, say, reading from a textbook with outdated stock images.

However, while there is space for TikTok in academia, it should not be the only source — or even the first source — you turn to for research. Here are some tips on how to use TikTok for academics in ways that support (instead of skewing) your learning.

Viral TikTok Videos as One Part of the Research Process

Like Wikipedia, TikTok makes it easier to find information. But while Wikipedia articles often cite sources, TikTok creators are not in the habit of including references.

That means it is on you to fact-check the information you find on TikTok to ensure its accuracy. This can be tricky, as TikTok is designed to keep you consuming content on the platform. You need to leave TikTok and consult other sources — a key part of the research process.

Viral TikTok videos can certainly be one part of your research process. For example, you may use TikTok as your first step in the process to get more information about a particular topic. Watching videos on TikTok may give you context for which additional questions to ask and the information you need to fact-check via other means, whether that is using a traditional search engine and consulting articles on Google or visiting the library.

The number of likes or views on a video or the number of followers a creator has is not an indicator of trustworthiness. Misinformation and disinformation are rampant across social media, including TikTok. Part of your job as a student is to gain the skills needed to analyze a source and verify information with other sources.

You also need to know what your professors expect and understand your university’s policies.  There continue to be privacy concerns around the use of the app within the United States. In fact, Dr. Casey Fiesler, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, has discussed the topic on her TikTok channel.

Some universities, including Auburn University and the University of Mississippi, among others, have banned access to the app on their networks. You can still, of course, access the app on campus, but not via on-campus Wi-Fi.

Expanding Your TikTok Videos Search

The TikTok algorithm is wildly effective — if you like being shown more of the same type of content that you want to see. Videos are curated to your interests and, very quickly, it knows exactly what you like.

While that makes for a seemingly great user experience, it also means you are only seeing the world through a very small frame. Take a step back, and there is an entire world you are missing. 

While the TikTok creator community is diverse, it does not mean that the videos you are served are diverse.

Scott Helfgott, vice president of academic affairs at Shorelight, recommends searching for opposing views to see what comes up. There are multiple perspectives to any event, and Helfgott encourages students to gather as many perspectives as they can.

This ensures that you are exposed to different cultures, perspectives, and experiences you might not see if you do not break out of the algorithm and what the algorithm is programmed to show you.

“You cannot rely on one TikTok video as a source of truth,” he says. “The video appears on your page because the algorithm knows you want to see specific content based on your history. There is another side of it.”

Understanding TikTok’s limitations and potential pitfalls will help you know when it is appropriate to use TikTok for academic purposes and when it is not. “Do your research before you accept what a person is telling you as truth — you do not know if the source is qualified,” stresses Helfgott. 

According to a recent Intelligent.com survey , 65% of students believe the information on TikTok is “somewhat” accurate, while 17% believe it is “very accurate.”

Knowing whether the information is accurate or not will not come from research on the platform. It requires getting off TikTok and verifying the facts: go to the person’s LinkedIn profile, verify their bio, and confirm that this is a real person who is qualified to speak on the topic. 

When Is it Appropriate to Cite TikTok Videos? 

You may have certain classes where it is appropriate to use and cite TikTok videos as part of your assignment.

Ask your professors whether it is appropriate to use both traditional and new sources. “I have not heard of many professors accepting TikTok in isolation, without another source,” shares Helfgott. “It is up to the professor to decide whether they accept TikTok as a source, and this is evolving all the time.”

Helfgott recommends using TikTok to help develop writing and research skills, but not necessarily citing TikTok videos as a source unless doing so is appropriate for your assignment. “There typically needs to be something that you cite in addition to the TikTok video,” he says.

For example, a marketing course may have you look at how businesses are using TikTok to reach their customers. Are they connecting with their target audience? Are they selling too much in a way that turns their audience off? You can evaluate whether their TikTok advertising efforts are effective or not.

Writing courses, particularly courses like writing for the web or humor writing, may also have you spending time on TikTok for class. Part of the appeal of TikTok — and why some videos do so well — is because it is far more entertaining than content on other mediums. 

Screenwriting and film courses may have you practicing writing scripts for TikTok videos. How can you tell a story in just a few seconds? (The sweet spot for TikTok videos is currently between 15 and 60 seconds .) Can you keep people engaged for a 10-minute story (the longest length currently allowed on TikTok)?

Even when it is appropriate to use TikTok videos for research, Helfgott stresses the importance of fact-checking. He points out that as artificial intelligence continues to improve, almost everything can be fake. Helfgott mentioned a video that combined footage of US President Biden with a completely fake speech that he never made. The video matched the speech to his mouth movements in a way that was hard to tell whether it was fake.

“With any research, including TikTok, you need to go to a lot of sources,” Helfgott explains. “You cannot rely on one individual or one type of source. You need multiple sources, multiple perspectives.”

If you are using TikTok as part of a course, you need to know how to cite the source and give credit to the creator. Both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) have updated their style guides to include a format for citing TikTok.

Using TikTok to Support Your Learning

Rather than being a source you cite for classwork, TikTok instead can be a great way to supplement your learning. It combines visuals, audio, and text all in one place. And you may even find your professors are sharing content on the platform, too!

You can find videos on how to manage your time, how to write different types of essays, how to write a thesis statement, and more. It can be a great way to refresh what you learned in class. There are also videos that dig into specific math problems and English-language nuances.

For example, Andrea Holm has a master’s in technology in education and has spent years as an English teacher and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. Her videos offer bite-sized tips on one specific element of the English language, such as explaining the word “the” and how to use it.

For math, there are channels like Free GCSE Maths Teacher that break down algebra problems and other math concepts into quick videos, such as solving algebraic fractions . Watching how a problem is broken down step-by-step can be a great way to reinforce math concepts you are learning in the classroom.

There are even celebrity academics on TikTok, like Neil deGrasse Tyson who explains concepts like energy and how stars are born on his channel.

Helfgott also points out that you can use TikTok to find out about certain classes and majors, too. For example, you can search things like “What does a data analytics major do” and find videos on data analytics. You can also use it to find opportunities for things like summer internships or top firms for internships in a particular location. 

When to Move from TikTok to In-Person Support

While TikTok can help offer quick tips that help you improve study habits, time management, and productivity, you can also receive that same support in person. 

In-person support gives you a deeper, more comprehensive experience for improving study habits or getting the academic support you need. Plus, programs are tailored to your specific needs so you can ensure you are getting the right support. 

Helfgott urges students to take advantage of professors’ office hours. Office hours are designed to give you answers to questions or additional help, whether you run out of time in class or feel more comfortable talking with your professor one-on-one.

Similarly, Stanford professor Tom Mullaney, who posts on TikTok as firstgenprofessor , regularly shares videos about navigating college courses and campus life overall — reinforcing the idea that while it’s great to begin on screen, nothing compares to in-person connections. 

On TikTok, you can certainly find tons of videos on topics like resume writing and elevator pitches. That is a great way to get information before you take a first pass at writing your own resume, cover letter , and more. But you can also get one-on-one support on these materials. Experts can review your resume, help you with interview practice questions, and offer networking tips so that you are putting your best foot forward. (Shorelight’s career development services do just that, with resume and interview preparation help, assistance with internship and job searches, and more.)

Advisors can also help you navigate course selection and connect you with on-campus resources that can further support you. For example, Shorelight’s Accelerator programs offer both academic support and career development services . You can get English-language support , along with tutoring and mentoring. 

Whichever university you decide to attend in the US will also have tutoring centers for writing, math, and languages. These centers can give you the one-on-one support you need from both experts and peer mentors who can help you review specific math problems or work with you on key elements of essay writing , for example.

Career centers are another great resource. Here, you can have confidence in the counselors’ credentials, Helfgott points out. These professionals have a master’s degree and are qualified to support your career search. “You can interact with them personally and build a relationship,” says Helfgott. “That is not going to happen when you are watching three- to five-minute videos from a stranger who may be unqualified to give advice.”

The advantage of working with experts on campus is that the university has vetted the person who is working with you.

Lastly, Helfgott offers one additional word of caution: “You may start on TikTok for academic reasons, but then you might go down a rabbit hole of non-academic content a few minutes later.” Set a timer for yourself so, if you find yourself watching cat videos, you can get back on track.

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A University of Chicago admissions department employee sent a TikToker a handwritten, illustrated note in response to a personal essay she wrote

• A TikToker went viral showing off a handwritten note she received from UChicago admissions.
• The letter came in reply to a personal essay she wrote about the meaning of "meep."
• She said she was inspired to say "meep" by the Muppet Beaker when she was a child.

A TikToker said she received a handwritten note from the University of Chicago's admissions department because of a personal essay she wrote, and viewers are obsessed.

For the essay, which the creator shared in her slideshow video , she was asked to "describe something vestigial," which refers to how some attributes or structures (like the human appendix) are retrained through evolution despite losing most or all of their original purpose.

The TikToker wrote about the word "meep," which she said she began saying when she was four years old, inspired by the orange-headed Muppet Beaker, who uttered meep as a catchphrase.

In her essay, she described how the gibberish phrase became a "somewhat vestigial presence" in her life as she kept saying it throughout her childhood and adolescence, despite leaving other kid tendencies behind. But she says it's not fully vestigial because it's still very useful to her.

She never fully defined her version of "meep," but she explained it as a kind of meaningless exclamation she makes in certain silly or stressful situations, like when she's surrounded by grumpy students during AP studying season.

"In these moments I know that there is no form of human expression—no word, no gesticulation, no fake cough, no interpretive dance—that could better capture the feeling I wish to convey than meep," she wrote.

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She went on to describe how she bonded with another girl in an AP Physics class who had a similar tic: saying "murp." She said the murper led her to probe the appeal of "meep" deeper, and she theorized that it's because saying this phrase appeals to a universal human desire to not think super hard sometimes, to just be like a child and "live by the rules of nonsense."

Insider reached out to the TikToker, @standout.search, for comment.

The handwritten note from Eloise Hyman, formerly UChicago associate director of admissions, congratulated her on being accepted into the class of 2022, and said she was "so glad" she decided to attend the school. The letter included an illustration of the muppet Beaker saying "Meep!"

"I really loved your extended essay on the vestigial meep — and hope you don't mind my attempt at drawing Beaker myself!" Hyman wrote.

In a comment emailed by UChicago, Hyman said UChicago college admissions sometimes sends a handwritten note to incoming students to welcome them.

"Our application essay prompts are a unique tradition that help us find those intellectually curious high schoolers who will thrive on campus," Hyman said. "The prompts allow for diverse ideas and perspectives to be represented, which the 'meep' essay demonstrates perfectly."

The video received over half a million views and was packed with comments saying this was the cutest thing they'd ever seen, and praising the TikToker's essay as the best they'd ever read. Responding to a comment, the creator said she spent months working on the essay.

"I usually cringe out at reading others' essays, including mine, but this one… this one hit the spot," one user said.

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Lydia Polgreen

Columbia, Free Speech and the Coddling of the American Right

By Lydia Polgreen

Opinion Columnist

​​​​As a journalist, you usually go to the front line to find the news. But sometimes the front line finds you. This happened to me not once but twice on Thursday, as an epic battle over freedom of expression on college campuses unfolded from one end of Manhattan to another.

The first was when I happened to be on the campus of Columbia University, speaking at a class. While leaving the classroom, I came upon a tent camp that had sprung up on one of the campus’s lush lawns. It was, as college protests often are, an earnest but peaceful affair. A few dozen tents had been pitched, and students hung a sign reading “Gaza solidarity encampment.” Their tactics were a mild echo of those of an earlier generation of students, who effectively shut down the campus in April 1985 to demand that Columbia divest from South Africa — protests that were in turn an echo of the 1968 student takeover of the university amid the broad cultural rebellion against the Vietnam War.

On Thursday morning the students marched in a circle, their chants demanding that Columbia divest from Israel in protest of the ongoing slaughter in Gaza, in which around 34,000 people — more than 1 percent of Gaza’s population — have died , most of them women and children. The protesters were taking up a good bit of space and making a fair bit of noise. They were, according to the university, trespassing on the grounds of the school they pay dearly to attend. But they didn’t seem to be targeting, much less harming, any of their fellow students. The campus was closed to outsiders; the protest seemed unlikely to escalate. I took in the scene, then hopped on the subway to get back to my office.

I was stunned to learn, less than an hour later, that Columbia’s president, Nemat Shafik, had asked the New York Police Department to clear the camp, which had been established less than 48 hours earlier. What followed was the largest arrest of students at Columbia since 1968.

I knew that I would run into those students again: I live a block from the headquarters of the N.Y.P.D., where protesters are often booked and processed. Since Oct. 7 there have been regular demonstrations on my block as pro-Palestinian activists await the release of their friends. When I got home from the office, a huge crowd had already gathered.

Most of the students I tried to talk to did not want to be interviewed. Some had harsh criticisms of mainstream media coverage of the war in Gaza. Others were afraid that being associated with the protest movement could harm their career prospects. (These are Ivy League students, after all.) But eventually, many told me of their determination to keep protesting for a cause they feel is the defining moral challenge of their lives.

A quasi-encampment quickly sprung up down the block from my apartment, where students waited for their friends to be released. It took on a festive air: There were plenty of pizzas and boxes of doughnuts, cases of Gatorade and bottles of water. People guzzled coffee and used hand warmers to stave off the unusually chilly mid-April air as dusk approached. I didn’t see a drop of alcohol or smell a whiff of marijuana, usually an omnipresent scent on the streets of Lower Manhattan. I spotted a man braiding a woman’s hair into tidy pigtails. People bedded down on towels and blankets, settling in for a long wait.

The students were especially angry about the email they had received from Shafik, which, in the bureaucratic language of academic officialdom, informed them that their classmates were about to be bodily dragged from campus by police officers in riot gear: “I have always said that the safety of our community was my top priority and that we needed to preserve an environment where everyone could learn in a supportive context,” she wrote.

Shafik wrote to the N.Y.P.D . requesting that officers clear the quad, declaring the protests “a clear and present danger” to the university. If there was danger, the police seemed to struggle to find it. In remarks reported by The Columbia Daily Spectator , the Police Department’s chief of patrol, John Chell, said that there were no reports of violence or injury. “To put this in perspective, the students that were arrested were peaceful, offered no resistance whatsoever, and were saying what they wanted to say in a peaceful manner,” he said.

For the students I spoke to, the invocation of safety was especially galling because the arrests themselves were an act of violence, and the fact that many students reported receiving emails informing them that they were suspended and temporarily barred from their dorms, effectively rendering them homeless.

“The only violence on campus was the police carrying people away to jail,” one student told me. “It was an absolutely peaceful protest. Last night we had a dance circle. There has been nothing aggressive or violent.”

Others told me they felt Shafik’s message was clear and chilling.

“Some people have space to have pain,” one student at the protest outside police headquarters told me. “Others don’t get to have pain.” She said Muslim students, along with Arab and Palestinian students of all faiths, had been unfairly targeted on campus, describing an incident in which a private detective showed up at the dorm room door of a Palestinian American student.

Another student chimed in: “There is no hearing in Congress about Islamophobia.”

The previous day, Shafik had prostrated herself before the bad faith brigade that is the Republican-led House of Representatives. In testimony before the House’s education committee, Shafik seemed determined to avoid the fate of two other Ivy League presidents whose shaky performances led to their ousters. She intimated that she would not hesitate to discipline pro-Palestine professors and students for speech, and suggested that using the contested chant “from the river to the sea” could be cause for disciplinary action on its own.

In a world where almost any kind of advocacy on behalf of Palestinian self-determination risks being interpreted as antisemitism or a call for the destruction of Israel, her statements cast quite a pall. Her actions on Thursday drew instant rebuke from professors and other defenders of free speech on campus.

Columbia’s president seemed to believe that Republican Ivy League opportunists like Elise Stefanik would be satisfied with her willingness to throw students under the bus. Fat chance. On Thursday The New York Post reported that pro-Israel groups were unimpressed: They hired trucks with mobile billboards urging her to resign. “We’re here to help you move,” the billboards read.

I am old enough to remember when our public conversation was preoccupied with the coddling of college students, their unwillingness to confront hard truths and their desire for safe spaces, shielded from challenging ideas. Many of the voices who for years ridiculed the safety concerns of Black, brown, Indigenous and queer students are notably silent as an iron-fisted university leader sends in cops in riot gear to arrest college students for passionately engaging with political life and taking a stand on an important moral issue. If our richest universities, cosseted by tenure and plumped with their ample endowments, cannot be citadels of free speech and forums for wrestling with the most difficult ideas, what hope is there for any other institution in our country?

The right-wing culture war on America’s campuses has been unfolding for some time. Recently, legitimate concerns about rising antisemitism have helped push those forces into an uneasy alliance that threatens all kinds of speech. University administrators, trembling in the face of their powerful trustees and MAGA politicians, have fallen into a trap in which they must be ready to call in the troops at the slightest sign of discord involving politics they deem dangerous in the name of “safety.” These forces are an existential threat to the long tradition of free assembly in American universities.

But these students are not going to go quietly.

“The more they try to silence us, the louder we get,” one Columbia graduate student told me.

Late into the night on Thursday, despite the bone-deep cold, the crowd outside police headquarters remained thick, whooping and cheering as each batch of arrested students was released. Back on campus, dozens more students had already taken up residence on a neighboring lawn in Columbia’s quad, daring the university to try again.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Lydia Polgreen is an Opinion columnist and a co-host of the “ Matter of Opinion ” podcast for The Times.