<p>Someone told me once that this one guy responded to the essay question "Tell us about something you truly value." with the following:</p>
<p>Brevity.</p>
<p>Now that's risky. But apparently it worked out for him. Take the risks you feel will help you out and the risks you feel you NEED to take. Don't take a risk at a safety.</p>
<p>Someone at my school responded to the Princeton essay asking about your favorite quote and why by saying, "Less is more."</p>
<p>He got in.</p>
<p>At this rate, it seems that everyone knows of something like this, and admissions officers everywhere are getting quite tired of it. </p>
<p>Here's one that my 9th grade English teacher told us:</p>
<p>A student applied to an Ivy League school...</p>
<p>The essay question was something like "What is the craziest thing you have ever done?"
The response was blank, except for "This" in the center of the page. </p>
<p>He got in.</p>
<p>I would agree that a good number of these are urban legends, or at least exaggerated, gradually created by worried applicants wondering what to write. Wouldn't it be nice if it was true, though?</p>