Chinese Student's Essay On Ramen Got Him Into College

Momofuku's David Chang and New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells have been known to champion the virtues of a good bowl of ramen. Chang's been doing it since the early days of Momofuku Noodle Bar, and Wells' coverage of 'Ramen's Big Splash' resulted in such an increase in attention for the highly praised Mu Ramen located in Queens, that the restaurant was forced to take a temporary break from business.

But do either of these men have the same passion as the Chinese high school student whose eloquent essay on instant ramen recently earned him a spot at the University of Rochester? Maybe not.

The student, identified as Wang, his surname, is a senior at Fuzhou No. 1 Middle School in the Fujian province of China. Wang, who first tasted instant ramen from a local brand in Singapore, claims to have tasted nearly every flavor of instant ramen available in Asia.

Wang posted his acceptance letter on Sina Weibo, a Chinese social media network with features similar to Facebook and Twitter.  

The letter reads, in part: "The counselors recommended that you be admitted in part after reading about your enthusiasm for ramen noodles. The committee and I are confident you will both stand out and grow stronger as part of the Rochester family."

Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.