There
is
no
approach
more
hackneyed
than
opening
with
a
quotation.
The
ones
we
see
at
EssayEdge
are
almost
always
just
marginally
clever
expressions
of
the
most
obvious
lessons
about
hard
work,
persistence,
and
fulfilling
one's
dreams—often
barely
relevant
to
the
rest
of
the
essay.
Occasionally
someone
will
find
a
quote
that
is
worth
a
pause,
but
even
then
the
reader
will
not
be
impressed.
The
very
sight
of
quotation
marks
at
the
beginning
of
your
essay
might
elicit
a
cringe
or
sigh.
The
admissions
committee
wants
to
know
what
you
have
to
say.
If
you
find
some
fascinating
quotation
by
another
person,
using
it
will
not
make
your
case
for
admission
any
more
compelling.
In
fact,
an
impatient
reader
might
simply
write
you
off
as
unoriginal.
Neither
does
quoting
a
philosopher
or
Shakespeare
make
you
appear
well
read,
because
anyone
can
open
Bartlett's
Familiar
Quotations
to
find
something
that
sounds
smart.
Finally,
even
quoting
your
grandmother
or
some
other
relative
has
been
done
too
many
times
by
now.
This
is
not
to
say
that
you
should
not
use
dialogue
if
you
are
describing
a
particular
episode,
but
anything
that
sounds
like
an
aphorism
is
only
going
to
add
triteness
to
your
essay,
no
matter
how
perfectly
your
life
illustrates
that
theme.
EssayEdge
Extra:
Opening
with
a
Quotation?