My College Essay (NYU)

The room is quiet. No sound could be heard except rain drops hitting the external part of my window. I'm lying on my bed, feeling enervated. I'm currently in a war with my fever. I suddenly hear foot steps outside of my enormous door. The foot steps finally terminate and the door to my room starts to open. The sight of the person is obscure, because of the gloomy background. As the man ambles closer, the scene seems clearer. A tall man is walking toward me. It is my father. My father had come to bring me a book to read while I was fighting the flu. The dust on the book covered up the title, creating an ambiguous vision in my eyes. I slowly removed some of the dust off of the book and read the title. It said, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger.

The scene above took place when I was in the eighth grade.

Having read the book twice, once in eighth grade and once in my Junior year of high school, I feel that I have a true understanding of Holden Caulfield and that, in turn, he has influenced me. His story and individualistic outlook on life has, in a way, influenced the way that I live my life and go about dealing with events and issues that I face.

A common issue facing everyday people like myself is giving a positive first impression. When meeting and being introduced to new people, one quality that I always appreciate is a person's ability to be genuine. I am often bothered by a person who acts differently than they really are, which I think is a quality that I have become more aware of because of Holden. Holden, as opinionated as he is, has a...