Hi guys! So this is one of the prompts for Princeton:
Using a favorite quotation from an essay or book you have read in the last three years as a starting point, tell us about an event or experience that helped you define one of your values or changed how you approach the world. Please write the quotation, title and author at the beginning of your essay.
I have a quote I want to use but it’s from a speech, not a book or essay. Do you think it’s ok if I use it, or should I find a quote from a book or essay, as stated?
It does not say a “published” essay. Theoretically, you could have been impressed by something a classmate wrote. There is definitely an implication that it ought to be verifiable material. If the speech was recorded/reported and you have a URL, I would be reasonably comfortable [not totally] using it. Could you find a more mainstream quote and bring this one in as part of your essay?
I think the point is they want to know about something you have actually “read” by an “author” as stated, not something you heard spoken. Since they are also very specific about formatting with the quote, title and author at the beginning, it looks like they are also looking for who can follow instructions. I would stick with exactly what it says.