© 2026 ABC News

Williams said her experience offers a lesson for future students applying to colleges.

“Just write about what’s reflective of you and then if they want you they’ll accept you and know that they want you personally,” she said. “Try to be creative and think outside the box but just do what comes naturally too.”

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Lifestyle/girl-yale-penning-essay-papa-johns-pizza/story?id=47765374","legacySlug":"/news/story/girl-yale-penning-essay-papa-johns-pizza-47765374","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"15:32","publishDate":"06-01-2017","updatedTime":"19:48","updatedDate":"06-01-2017","socialImage":{"alt":"Carolina Williams, of Brentwood, Tennessee, was accepted to Yale University after writing an essay about her love for Papa John's pizza.","credit":"Courtesy Carolina Williams","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Lifestyle/HT-Carolina-Williams1-MEM-170601_16x9_992.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/1/2017 15:32:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":47765374,"headline":"Student's pizza essay helps her get into Yale","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA_Yale pizza essay_170601","description":"Carolina Williams said she has loved Papa John's since she was a little kid.","duration":"0:50","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/06/170601_vod_orig_yale_pizza1_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["137668594","137597685","137597683"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"October 29, 2026","headline":"Top general removed from position for lack of confidence, source says","section":"News","slug":"/video/137668594","id":"137668594","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Top general removed from position for lack of confidence, source says","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Top general removed from position for lack of confidence, source says","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261029_gma_scott_pentagon1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 27, 2026","headline":"Powerful king tide waves hit both coasts","section":"News","slug":"/video/137597685","id":"137597685","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Powerful king tide waves hit both coasts","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Powerful king tide waves hit both coasts","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_zee_tides3_712_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"October 27, 2026","headline":"All eyes on Israeli election","section":"News","slug":"/video/137597683","id":"137597683","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: All eyes on Israeli election","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: All eyes on Israeli election","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/261027_gma_rivers_israel2_708_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Student's pizza essay helps her get into Yale","description":"Carolina Williams said she has loved Papa John's since she was a little kid.","duration":"0:50","uploadDate":"06-01-2017","publication":"06-01-2017","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/06/170601_vod_orig_yale_pizza1_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2017/06/170601_vod_orig_yale_pizza1_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/girl-yale-penning-essay-papa-johns-pizza-47765374"}},"playlist":[{"id":"137680927","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137443017","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137471181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137220313","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137234817","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137147457","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"137132187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945841","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136945748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136930796","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136874802","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136841854","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136766868","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136694294","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136682772","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136631130","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136644492","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136623234","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136614308","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Student's pizza essay helps her get into Yale","pubTime":"11:32","pubDate":"06-01-2017","modTime":"15:48","modDate":"06-01-2017","taxonomyTags":"none","id":47765374,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Student's pizza essay helps her get into Yale","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA_Yale pizza essay_170601","videoId":47765374,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/girl-yale-penning-essay-papa-johns-pizza-47765374"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/47765374","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/47765374","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};