Getting into a top school like Stanford: MAKING YOURSELF STAND OUT

Hi everybody!

So there seems to be a lot of hype about how everyone needs to have a certain SAT score, and a perfect 4.0, or at least close to it.

But the fact is, it's just not all about those standardized numbers. Top schools like Stanford (and, arguably, especially Stanford) are looking for something that makes an individual just that- an individual. They are looking for that special something that sets a prospective student apart from all the other masses. Remember, admissions counselors have to read thousands upon thousands of applications from perfectly qualified students, who all have amazing grades and test scores.

My advice?

MAKE YOURSELF UNIQUE.

If there is one thing that is the most important overall the other factors, it is probably the essay. In that short 500 words, you have to make yourself stand out from the masses of other students. Make it so you as an individual person can be heard through that essay. What is it you do that makes you stand out from everyone else? Because remember, not only do nearly all applicants have very grades and test scores, they also have volunteered x number of hours, done y number of clubs, and participated in z number of activities.

So what is it that makes you you?

Well, that is a question only you can answer. For me, it was personal obstacles in my life (family-related, financial, and living situation difficulties) and how I overcame them and how they did not hinder my academic success, while for most it would've.

So your homework, current underclassmen, is to think of a character-defining moment or event or activity. Then you can write about that whatever it is, and show your true character by demonstrating how it relates to that thing. My past does not hinder nor obstruct me; it has simply shaped me into who I am. I have a friend who got in who wrote about how she wore a certain hair braid for a long time in her life, and then when she had to get it cut out she was worried no one would recognize her, because she wouldn't be her. (She went on to say how this showed how she viewed herself, and how she thought the world viewed her, and what she learned about self identity.)

And please just remember, top schools receive so many applications, that sometimes someone who seems to be the perfect all-around student may not get in. If that is you, don't be discouraged. If you don't think that's you, if you think you won't make the cut, APPLY ANYWAY. I did. And I got in. This time last year, I thought I would be going to a local community college because of a number of reasons. Stanford was not even in my wildest dreams. Then I went through a lot of changes, and long story short, I went for it. I encourage everyone to as well.

Make yourself stand out. The sky is not the limit, either, as the sky is so limiting. Get out of the atmosphere, and see where you land when you shoot for the stars.

General Advice dealing with the Various Events leading up to and including Admit Weekend

If you have a chance to go to Admit Weekend, do it.

Phase I: Initial Acceptance
So you've gotten into Stanford. Congratulations! Ever visited the campus before? Admit Weekend is the perfect opportunity. Let's say you've gotten several acceptance letters from good colleges around the world, so you happen to be unsure of your ultimate choice. What better time is there to experience residential life firsthand? Who knows, you may be hooked upon arrival...

Phase II: Travel Expenses & Schedule Conflict
Wait a minute... Admit Weekend is when? A good week before AP tests? The same weekend as prom? Hmm... seems like a bit of trouble, don't it? And how do you get affordable plane tickets and accommodations on such short notice? Don't worry, its much more manageable than it sounds. Stanford has a grant that will reimburse you for some travel expenses if you demonstrate financial need, up to $500 as of right now. As for the Prom you have on that Saturday, you may want to start heading home that Friday night. Trust me, the two days at Stanford will still be worth it.

Phase III: Stuff to Bring
Don't bring more than a carry on. That's all you'll need. Be sure to check the official recommended list for your year before you pack. And whatever you do, be certain to bring shoes that you can walk miles in comfortably. Unless you figure out how the Marguerite shuttle works within about 5 minutes of arrival, you'll be walking everywhere (unless your RoHo borrows a bike for you to use).

Phase IV: The Plane Ride (assuming that you don't live nearby/are driving there)
Take a nap.

Phase V: Admit Weekend
I pity the student that doesn't have a basic idea of what they want to do when they arrive. There is a vast multitude of events going on simultaneously, and a short time to do it all. You may even want to play a game of fugitive with some of your fellow ProFros. It is simply impossible to sum up everything that actually happens during Admit Weekend in one post, so I'll sum it up with one word: Amazing.

This experience may be a highlight for years to come. Personally, I found it to be on of the best weekends of my life (and the busiest - I went to  prom that very Saturday). It is the perfect opportunity to meet future potential future classmates and explore your future home. Enjoy it!

~Eric Wilson

  PS: Try eating a sandwich from Ike's!

Pursue what you love, but don't necessarily love what you pursue

Stanford tries to get to know you as a person. No, but seriously. They do. The best advice I can give you is to use this to your advantage. If you are someone whom has yet to apply to colleges, you may be thinking that this advice is banal, trite, and contrived. If you are someone whom already has, you know precisely what I'm talking about.

After 'finishing' the Harvard and Dartmouth applications, I scrounged the internet to see if I had actually completed the application. Their 'supplements' were anything but supple. They were a few questions, if that. As I clicked the submit button I couldn't help but feel like I had just had a one-night stand. I’m a guy…I’m not supposed to care about that sort of thing, but I couldn't help but scream in my head, “ DON'T YOU WANNA GET TO KNOW ME FIRST?!?!?!??!?!”

The University of Pennsylvania seemed most interested in whether my family was in any way connected to the school. Major turnoff.

Princeton and Yale had finely crafted applications, but Stanford’s just seemed to be even more personal.

I felt that through the Stanford application I was going to tell the admissions board whether or not I was a fit for the school. I got the sense that at every other university, the admissions board was going to tell ME whether I was a fit or not.

Supposedly this is a confession blog...right?! So here’s mine:

Stanford students are known for their fervent passion. Demonstrated passion was likely the deciding factor in many of my classmates’ applications. Unfortunately, I made the rookie mistake of having my passion become my obsession. After I was physically injured and no longer able to play football or track competitively, I had to find a new outlet to satiate my ambition (I hope you read this diatribe and learn something from it). My friend and I created an algorithmic trader. Essentially, this program parsed data real time from the NYSE and ran it through a series predetermined quantitative tests in order to determine the valuation of a specific stock from a self-created list. In non-nerd, that means we basically used math in order to predict stock prices. I started out with a few hundred dollars...before I knew it I had a few thousand....ten thousand....fifteen.... twenty-five....fifty..... Seventy-five thousand dollars…

Jewelry. All the food in the world. Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren suits. Parties in Malibu every weekend. I was making it rain. I thought I was God. My friends thought I was God. My ego grew exponentially in accordance to the figure in my bank account. Even if you took the derivative of my ego, it wouldn’t have phased it. We are talking e^x status here. I did whatever I wanted. Never cracked a book senior year and still managed straight As.

I was the F**king man, right? A baller and a shot caller. I was living the dream. Young money, right? Disregard females, acquire currency, RIGHT? No... I wasn't 'the man'. In fact, I couldn't have been further from it. To be honest, I wasn't even a 'man'.

I was sitting in the middle of a party in Malibu on a Saturday night, but I was lonely. Surrounded by people, but I was alone. Like any other teenager who feels alone in a social situation, I pulled out my phone. No new text messages. Huh. That’s weird. I always have at least ONE. I checked my conversation history with my girlfriend…I was going to ask her, “What’s up sweetie?” Huh! Something must be wrong with my phone! It says the last message between us was two month ago. Being the inquisitive individual I am, I checked the other people I talk to the most. My history says I haven’t talked to them in at least a month! That’s ludicrous! Then it hit me. I had blocked them. Yes. I had blocked everyone who was “bothering” me. I blocked my girlfriend. I blocked my best friend whom I have known for my entire life. I blocked my own mother. I blocked them from contacting me because they “interrupted” me getting real time stock data. Think about that for a second. I blocked everybody in my phone who actually meant something to me in pursuance of paper that has nothing but perceived value. The only people left in my phone who were unblocked were as superficial as the motives I had become an embodiment of. I dropped my phone. The screen shattered. I picked it up and stared into the screen. I saw my broken life, morals, and most importantly—my broken heart staring right back at me. But she didn’t break my heart. I broke it.

About now you’re probably wondering, “Why did I just read this harangue? This guy is just a narcissist! I don’t care about his life story! All he cares about is himself! HOW IS THIS EVEN GOING TO HELP ME GET INTO STANFORD?”

And I’m about to tell you…Patience Padawan…

Intellectual passion and dedication are closely intertwined with another concept: desire to change the world we live in for the better. In retrospect, I realize how many days of school I called myself out of because I thought there would be a lot of market movement, and I wanted to be in on the action. I realize that every day I would sprint to my car to get home in time to trade while completely disregarding my friends/girlfriend. Looking at the mountain of empty energy drinks in my room, I understood how many all-nighters I pulled in order to adequately analyze the numbers. I realized that I completely disregarded every other extracurricular activity that I had been involved in prior to investing. I rededicated myself to cancer awareness groups as well as Alzheimer’s awareness groups, groups that I had a devout dedication to because so many people in my family had been afflicted. I rededicated myself to tutoring underprivileged students for free. I rededicated myself to teaching students sportsmanship through an after school camp. All of those things I was doing prior to investing. Was I wrong in my original path? Yes, but I changed it accordingly. I got my friends back. I got my life back. But I'll still never forget what I missed. I forgot my anniversary. I forgot my mom's birthday. Two events that I will never be able to makeup for. Two things that act as scars moving into the future. Why wasn't I a man? Because I shirked responsibility...I gave up the things that truly matter to me.

What you have to realize is Stanford is truly looking for intellectual passion. They are looking for people who have mental dedication to a cause or causes. Most importantly though, they want people who are problem solvers and can adapt to a situation. They want you to have a positive impact on the world, but they can tell in a heartbeat if it is a feigned attempt in order to get into a good college. Pursue what you love, but don't necessarily love what you pursue.

A LOT of people stress over GPA and scores when it comes to getting into elite colleges. Let me make this VERY, VERY clear: Grades and scores are a PREREQUISITE to BEING COMPETITIVE at these schools. No one has ever gotten into Stanford solely because of his or her GPA/score(s), nor will anyone ever get in on solely on that criterion. And that's why I love Stanford. Trust me… a perfect ACT score wasn't what got me into Stanford.

I know a lot of you dream about getting into just one top school, but the truth is a good number of you will end up having more than one than one excellent option. I ended up getting a likely letter from both Cornell and Duke. I truly thought I was going to one of those schools. On that fateful March 29th , I won the lottery. I got into every Ivy I applied to. I didn’t tell a soul—not my parents—not any of my friends—not even my girlfriend. I turned off my phone and hopped into my car. I kept it to myself…because I needed to think. And I didn’t want to make anyone feel badly about not getting in. When I need to think, I drive around aimlessly. Especially at night. So I found myself sitting on the beach at 3 am…looking up into the stars and at the moon and I started ruminating. I came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter where I picked, all that mattered is that I would be happy. After I read that magnificent email on March 30th, I knew in the bottom of my heart that Stanford would be my future home. You may not realize it, but where you belong will reveal itself in one way or another to you. Just like when it revealed itself to me on that fateful Saturday night in Malibu.

-Anonymous

Why? Because I’m so embarrassed of my actions

International Student represent! Winnie's Version

Greetings to whoever is reading this post right now : )
I am a graduate from a public high school in Taiwan.
I lived in California(on Stanford campus, to be exact) and zone 6 London for the first 7-8 years of my life; for the past 10 years I have been living in Taipei.

I play in competitive marching band, draw computer graphics, toured Europe, China, Korea with a semi-professional choir, and I play around with math competitions now and then.
I am a sci-fi and fantasy nerd, I was late for school around 30 times last semester, and I occasionally undertake weird projects in my room(such as sew 2 meter tall plushies, build lomo cameras) and drive my parents crazy.

In the future I hope to post about international student life at Stanford,
 as well as tips on how to manage entirely different curriculums that don't even use the same language (and still have a life.)
I'm sure there are a lot of high schoolers around the world that also dream of studying in an Awesome American University, but shrink back at the thought of doing work meant for two students living on different continents.
I wouldn't lie and say it's going to be easy, but it's definitely doable and not as daunting as it sounds!

Academics
I am fairly certain about majoring in Mathematics with an Art and Computer Science double minor:
from this you can probably gather that I don't have the faintest idea of a potential career.
I don't really mind though- I've recently chanced upon the term "intellectual magpie", and even though it probably has a negative meaning, it sums up my academic interests pretty nicely.
I have geniune interest in modern physics, international relations, humanitarism, architecture and the arts, but Mathematics and Visual Arts win over those fields by a margin, so.. ; )


Why I chose Stanford
My case is different from most people; I had only seriously considered MIT and Stanford. If I hadn't gotten into either, I would've probably stayed in my own country. Mainly because I was drawn to the flexibility of choosing courses, the sheer awesomness of the faculty and the sheer abundance of resources, and that Stanford and MIT seemed to have a sort of intellectual freshness and creativity that the prestigious but old(?)Ivies lacked- but that's just my opinion.
Then, Stanford ranked slightly higher in my mind due to non-academic reasons such as the weather and the Band.
(I'm a hardcore marching band fanatic, and even though LSJUMB isn't what you'd expect when you hear the term marching band, damn they are amazing.)
Also, as I mentioned in the beginning, my parents left Taiwan for grad school at Stanford when I was 2 years old, and I spent a large part of my childhood on campus, so that's another more personal reason.
I ended up being admitted to Stanford via SCEA-single choice early action, and it was an easy and almost instantaneous decision for me. I am sure I made the right choice, and I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences with you in the future!

SLZ101: Intro to Samantha

Hi, I'm Samantha! I was accepted to Stanford REA at 5:06 PM on Friday, December 9, 2011 while at school studying for Science Olympiad. It was, needless to say, amazing. My friends who were with me at the time later said that I looked like I was having a stroke from sheer excitement. Anyway, I'll follow the trend of my peers and post a bit about my academic profile.

SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

I recently graduated from a public high school in suburban Minnesota. My former school has about 2200 students and typically sends about 1-2 kids per year to a HYPSM (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT) school or equivalent. Most students attend the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

I was also captain of my school's Science Olympiad team and we've been to nationals three times and state champions twice (both of which were reflected in my application; we came in second my senior year and did not go to nationals). I was also captain of my school's quiz bowl and knowledge bowl teams and we've been to the NAQT national tournament in Atlanta once (though that happened after I applied). I was also captain of my school's math team, but I was made captain after I applied. I also did colorguard and debate for two years each and was a member of my school's NHS chapter.

After I applied to Stanford but before I was accepted, I created a Science Bowl team with three of my friends and we made the state playoffs, though we did not win the state tournament. Stanford called my school and asked for my first quarter grades and anything I had done in the school year sometime after I applied, so they knew about SciBowl.

I've also done biology research at the Philippines chapter of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) (I was an intern for two weeks last summer), Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) (I developed my own experiment on the effects of ethanol on developing zebrafish), and Carleton College (I developed my own experiment on the correlation between rank of olive baboons and longevity).
I'm also 15 years old (SIXTEEN in less than a week!). I don't know how my age affected my application, if at all, but it's just something you may want to consider while looking at my academic profile. Another curious thing about me is that I won a game show when I was 10. It was so long ago that I doubt it was relevant to my application, but it's on my resume, so I thought I'd mention it here.

I was going to put something about my essays here, but this post is long enough already. I'll write about essays later.

FUTURE PLANS
I hope to major in something science-y, probably biology-related. After college, grad school is definitely happening - possibly a Ph.D., possibly an M.D., or even both (Ph.D.-M.D.)! I don't really know. Medical research seems like a plausible career for me, but who knows? I could spontaneously decide to become a baker.
...Except that would never happen, because I baked and frosted a cake with my sister within the last couple days and it was exhausting and stressful. I don't see a future in the culinary arts for me.

CHOOSING STANFORD

Funnily, I also seriously considered Harvey Mudd and Johns Hopkins as my top picks throughout my high school career. I was actually ready to apply to JHU early decision when my counselor asked me if I would have any regrets. I then realized that yeah, I would regret not applying to Stanford. I had heard about the culture and the stellar academics, but the culture was what sold me. I wanted a more laid-back (or, as they say, "chill") atmosphere than the ominous "work yourself to death" atmosphere East Coast schools seemed to give off (disclaimer: I know some people thrive in this atmosphere; it just didn't feel right for me); I also wanted a school that had a strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) program as well as a strong humanities program. So I applied to Stanford REA (Restricted Early Action - you can only apply to one school REA, but if you're accepted you can apply to more schools Regular Decision) and, when I was accepted, decided not to apply to the other 13 schools on my list. I haven't regretted it one bit. I was also accepted to a couple of 'safety' schools. However, the 'safeties' I applied to I was completely prepared to go to. I did not think that I would get in to that good of a school, and I was absolutely convinced that Stanford would reject me. In short, I got very, very lucky.

So, I hope my voice is somewhat unique in this lovely group of people! I chose FroSoCo (Freshman-Sophomore College) as my #1 pick for a dorm, so hopefully I'll be able to give some insight into how that works this fall. I also have a lot of theories about how college admissions works and am always happy to give advice about the college application process.

And if you read all of this:

Expect to see more of me in the future,
Samantha

Stanford 2016 - Avi Edition.

Hey readers of this awesome blog - whoever you are! I'm a new contributor - a fellow member of the class of 2016 who wants to share with you my experience of getting to this point - being a part of the Cardinal family for four years!

  Who is this new guy? I just graduated from Whitney High in Southern California, ready to take on the world. I'm active in a lot - I love the water. I swim, play water polo, and dragon boat (a sport similar to crew but uses more of the upper body and abdominal muscles to pull the boat - there is also a dragon head at the front of the boat, making us that much cooler). I'm a drama techie, soundboards and cameras are second nature to me, and I like being behind the scenes. I love history, biology, and filmmaking - and I will talk to people about the most random things because I really like to talk about random things. Yeah, I just like talking :)

  What do you want to go into? I'm honestly not sure. I love biology, history, film - for the longest time I've wanted to become a filmmaker, but bio research looks extremely exciting. I want to be on the forefront of something cool I guess. I think I'll just take the next two years to figure out exactly what I want.

 Outside of the desk, I led my life by one philosophy - Do what I want to, and enjoy whatever it is. I liked doing many things, and I really like being busy, so these two parts of me went pretty well together. I've been a member of the High School broadcast team since I was a sophomore, became Executive Producer my junior year. I have been swimming since freshmen year, dragonboating since my sophomore year. Key Club was a small passion of mine until I realized that it was less about service and more about a resume for most people, so I left that. I did robotics for two years, went to world championships this year. I started the history bowl team at my school and helped send two teams to nationals. I was an All-State Sound Director, and went to DC for the congressional academy. I feel like I just wrote the activities part of my common app again :D

  Why did I choose Stanford? I didn't really have much difficulty choosing Stanford. By mid march, I had a college acceptance streak. I got into all the UCs, USC, and Northwestern. I was riding high, and was pretty happy. But then on March 28th, I faced my first outright rejection from Princeton, and was deferred to spring for Berkeley. I wasn't necessarily devastated, but I was saddened. I assumed I would be going to UCLA and let the next couple of days come. I got waitlisted for Brown and UChicago, so I wasn't even expecting Harvard or Stanford. Then, at a swim meet on March 30th, I heard a buzz. I checked my email and found out that there was an email from Stanford Admissions. I opened it with half of my team watching me, and... Well, you know. I got in. I was exhilarated. I broke my record for backstroke that day, and stayed on a high that lasted for a pretty long time. Stanford has been a dream school for me. I loved the campus, I love the faculty, and I loved the weather (THIS IS IMPORTANT). I'm a pretty avid biker as well, so the size of the campus never scared me. I actually chose Stanford right away - sent in my deposit the next day. I was a Cardinal as soon as I could be. I wrote a lot, and I would be surprised if you read all of this. But I do plan to write more about being a Class of 2016 member - hopefully we all can show you how great a place this will be. :) ~Avi

How I Came to Stanford (Eric Edition)

This is a bit about how one night I found myself running out of my room, screaming at the top of my lungs.

My Personal Introduction
I am a graduate of a large Houston area high school. I love to think, love to learn, and do whatever seems fun at the time (like paintball).

Academics
I plan on majoring in Geophysics, working towards a Master's degree (Doctorate's if I feel like it later). I plan on having a career involving energy production, natural gas specifically.

Why I chose Stanford
The decision process was quite slow in the beginning. Back in middle school, when we had no idea what college really was besides (so we thought) what smart people do to get smarter, I just though about whatever school was nearby. I moved around often, state to state, so my decision would go from UNC to USC to Duke to Harvard, to Texas Tech, to whatever school I heard about at the time. My mother, I think, mentioned Stanford one time in passing, a few days after I entered 9th grade if I remember correctly. This was still before I considered colleges in any depth. In 10th grade, I started looking into college more. I had decided Stanford was going to be on my list, but was still wondering about the University of Chicago, or USC, both of which I have cousins currently in attendance. By 11th grade, I had shortened my list to five schools, eliminating all Ivy league considerations because of the weather.When the fateful day came that I received the Stanford acceptance email, I didn't think twice about finishing the Chicago application. By then, I was sure it was where I wanted to go.

That's the basic story, compressed as well as I think I could. Just one piece of advice: try to be courteous to your neighbors. They might be distressed by the sound of an entire apartment's occupants screaming in unison.

~Eric Wilson

We're expanding!!!

Hi all!

So I've used our Stanford 2016 Facebook group to reach out to some of my fellow classmates, and the blog will have new admins joining soon!  They'll be sharing their backgrounds and experiences with admission as well!

Stay tuned!

An Interview? But it's not a job...

I know I should write one more post about admissions before I actually can start talking about other things (after acceptance, personal experiences after moving in, why Stanford is awesome, etc.).  So now is a good time to talk about my admissions interview.

I'm going to put this out there right away.  DO ONE.  Here's why.

For me, doing an interview was the natural choice.  As I briefly touched on in my last post, I'm a face-to-face sort of a person.  I express myself much better orally and verbally than I do in writing.  I decided I was going to go to whatever lenghths necessary to get interviews...which really meant driving.  I went 77 miles (one way) to my Duke interview, 54 miles one way to my Harvard interview, and 60 miles one way to do my Yale and Princeton interviews (which were about an hour apart).  For me, it seemed worth it.

By the time I got to my Stanford interview (my 5th and final interview), I was "practiced" and prepared.  Plus, instead of driving all the way to the Twin Cities or some hoity toity private school, my Stanford interview was in the next town over (about a 15 minute drive from home), in the local Caribou Coffee that I frequent a couple times a week...I was in my element.

Before I continue my story, here's my general overview of college interviews as a whole--what happens, and what to do.

• College interviews generally have two components: you tell the interviewer about yourself, and they answer any questions you have about the college.  Your interviewer will likely state this upfront at the beginning of the interview.
• That being said, come with four sets of information mentally prepared:
• General information about your activites that highlights your passion and accomplishments (don't feel as if you have to blurt out everything...spend the bulk of your time on what's most important to you).
• Any big achievements that you've had in the time between when you submitted your application and your interview (for example, I mentioned my standing as a National Merit Scholar, which I didn't know for sure at the time I applied).
• Any special academic passions or reasons you want to pursue a specific major.
• Specific questions for your interview about the college and their experiences there (Interviewers often volunteer because they love the school, and are eager to discuss their stories...they often have a great picture of what makes their school special and what makes it stand out from any other colleges).  If you have any unanswered questions about the college's culture, this is the time to ask them!
• Interviewers have a form to fill out and send in to the admissions office, so they typically will ask about test scores/GPA/class ranking, as well as what you do with your time and your goals.
• Your interviewer will likely take notes for their report.
• Interviews can be set up in a variety of locations...I had two at a school, one in an office at a college, and two at coffee shops.  If you are at a coffee shop, the interviewer will probably offer to buy you something (take advantage of the free drink, and THANK THEM!).
• Dressing up is good, but obviously find a suitable outfit...it's not school, but it's not prom either.  I believe I wore a pencil skirt, flats, and a nice shirt to all of my interviews.  Looking professional pays off.
• An obvious sense of self-confidence goes a LONG way.  Eye contact, a firm handshake, and body language say as much as any words coming out of your mouth.  Also, don't be afraid to be proud of your accomplishments.  Don't be cocky, but also graciously accept any compliments you receive.
• If your interviewer asks where else you're applying, answer...but otherwise it probably isn't a great idea to spend time talking about other schools.
• An interview is about the only time you'll have to informally talk about exactly why you're applying to Stanford (or whichever school you're interviewing for).  It's the best time to show that you've done your research, and to directly communicate why you are attracted to Stanford (or wherever) and why it is a good fit for you.  I talked about how I was keeping a very open mind about my college admissions, but that I knew that even if I didn't go to Stanford for my undergrad, that I'd definitely apply for grad school because of the wonderful reputation of their graduate biology and genetics programs.  That went a long way with my interviewer.

I'd never met my interviewer before that day.  He bought me a drink, and we sat down and talked for about an hour and a half.  Honestly, it didn't seem as long as it actually was.  I intruduced him to chai tea lattes, and he introduced me to TED (honestly, how did I not know about that before??????).  I shared with him my interests and outlook on life, and he smiled, took notes, and carried on a good conversation.  He said that he thought I'd be a perfect fit for Stanford.

I knew my interview had gone well, but I didn't know how well until much later.  My interviewer called me about a week after I'd gotten my acceptance letter to congratulate me.  At that point, he told me that out of the 5 students he'd interviewed, I was the only one that he recommended.  In addition, he felt so strongly that I should be admitted to Stanford, that he wrote an additional letter to the dean of admissions on my behalf.  Without that recommendation, I don't know if I would have been accepted.

Moral of the story, say yes to college interviews!  You never know how much impact a positive first impression can have. :)

The Application

The first step of getting in to Stanford is applying.  So let's talk about that application!

First, let me share a little bit of my experience with the application.  I will be the first to admit that I'm not a writer.  I like science and numbers.  And above all, I love speaking.  If I'm going to get my ideas out, I'd prefer to do it face to face.  However with college applications, there isn't much of a choice.  Secondly, I'm a procrastinator.  Big time.  I honest to god arrived at my friend's New Year's party at 11:59 because I was submitting college applications.  I didn't finish and submit the Stanford application until the next evening, just hours before it was due.  In fact, I wasn't even entirely certain that I was going to finish it.  But I did, thank God.  Personally, I found the hardest part of the application was crafting rich and meaningful essays that fit in the spaces provided...I always write long essays and papers, so my personal challenge was paring down my essays so they fit in the online forms without being truncated.

The Common App (commonapp.org) is definitely the way to go when applying to Stanford (I actually don't know if you can apply without using the common app.  Anywho...everything was online, and I only had to fill out my personal and extracirricular information once for all the schools that I was applying to, and then I completed an additional supplement form for each application.  Sweet and time saving deal.

Now, onto the actual content of the application.  Much of it is pretty standart--possible major, test scores, information about extracirricular involvement, some family information, etc.  The essay questions are obviously the most work intensive portion, and require the most thought.  There were two essays that went along with the common app, and the rest were part of the Stanford supplement.  Here are the essays questions, their lenght parameters, and a little bit about what I wrote about for each.

Common App Short Essay: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracirricular activities in the space below.  (1000 character maximum)
I wrote about my experiences in 4-H! :)

The main common app essay has 6 choices to choose from:
1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
This is the one I chose.  I wrote about my experiences with my dogs--how showing and breeding shaped me as a person, and inspired my academic and career goals.
2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
6. Topic of your choice.

Stanford Supplement

The Stanford Supplement first asks for a little additional personal information (Social Security #, whether you have ever applied before, regular/early decision, and whether you have any siblings also applying.

Next, there were several questions that simply asked you to list some of your preference in a couple lines (no need to use full sentences).  All have a maximum of 300 characters.
Name your favorite books, authors, films, and/or musical artists.
What newspapers, magazines, and/or websites do you enjoy?
What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?
How did you spend your last two summers?
What were your favorite events (e.g., performances, exhibits, sporting events, etc.) this past year?
What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
What five words best describe you?

Then, there were the short essays...at least 250 words, but not exceeding the space provided (2000 characters).
Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.
I wrote about my experiences at Lac du Bois (French camp, part of the Concordia Language Villages), and how it not only helped me grow lingually, but shaped my cultual outlook.

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate - and us - know you better.
I framed this essay around my Facebook profile.  I stated how important I believe the pictues on someone's profile are, and described some of the most important moments and pictures on my profile.  I went on to talk about how Facebook, more than just being a biography and a photo album, is a way to connect people, and how I couldn't wait to connect with m roommate!

What matters to you, and why?
I reworked a speach I'd written on scholarship for my school's NHS induction.  I talked about how keen intellect and academic curiosity not only benefits the individual scholar, but also society as a whole.

The rest of the supplement is pretty simple stuff.  They ask you to list all the alumni in your family (I didn't have any, don't worry.  It doesn't seem very important), agree to the honor code, and agree to the additional instructions.  And that's it!

Good luck to anyone who may be a future member of Stanford '17...I believe that you can start your application in about a month!