"Exploring the Complexities of Money: College Essays Reflect Chaos, Injustice, and Joy"

The New York Times has published teenagers' college application essays about money, work, social class, and related topics for the past 10 years. This year, four writers explored questions such as how to handle parents making a drastic change in their income, how to earn money and why, what can be learned from physical money, and how to process the coexistence of riches and poverty. While there are no easy or correct answers, asking these difficult questions is an important step in understanding one's place in the world.