<ol>
<li><p>Delete this:
“The intimacy was akin to that of scholar and original text, your depth as a person is astounding! To be honest, I must confess I had already dreamt of a rosy future together, one filled with late nights and long discussions over the Gothic era and the ethical stage of Kierkegaard, we would watch the sunset together and spend every Christmas snuggled in blankets. Eventually we would get older, I would become a well-educated corporate lawyer and you would enrich yourself within the domain of human knowledge.”</p></li>
<li><p>Also, delete any reference to puns or mail, replacing those references with communicative methods used by X College/University.</p></li>
<li><p>Add a few similarly-toned, cohesive sentences about X College/University concerning the future of the relationship in the open area left by step 1.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>And boom, a generic “Why X College/University?” essay.</p>
<p>Honestly, if Rohan visited UChicago three times, I would expect more specifics. However, the style is excellent and consistent (although he needs to learn to use semicolons), the idea is refreshing if not original, and he at least seems very excited about UC. </p>
<p>Even if you use the same basis for your essay, I’m sure the adcoms won’t mind. I bet at least a few essays with similar structures landed in the admissions office this year alone; past years may have seen tens of essays along these lines. If you send in a strong, Chicago-specific essay, then there won’t be any need for comparison on their part or reason for you to worry about having plagiarized or stolen an idea.</p>
<p>DISCLAIMER: There are lots of people who could give better advice than I on this subject.</p>