Stanford Essay Practice

Personal Essay

Please write an essay (250 words minimum) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below. This personal essay helps us to become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.

Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate button below.

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. (civic-commitment, civic-engagement, community partnerships, complex relationships between students, teachers, schools, businesses, foundations, nonprofits, and the larger community...
economy (housing), terrorism, (define your terms: who, what, where, when, why, how...)

Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
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.
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.
Topic of your choice.

Profile Questions
Consider the Audience...
What do they want to hear?
Say it.

Please respond to the following questions so we can get to know you better. Respond in two lines or less, and do not feel compelled to answer using complete sentences.

Name your favorite books, authors, films, and/or musical artists.	The Da Vinci code, The five people you meet in heaven Characters left in your response 247
What newspapers, magazines, and/or websites do you enjoy? www.alternativenewsresource.org	The Oregonian, New York Times, digg.com, Forbes, entrepreneur.com Characters left in your response 235
What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?	Dealing with the economic problems of the decreasing dollar value. Characters left in your response 234
How did you spend your last two summers?	I spent my last summer working at IBM in Beaverton Oregon. The summer before that I did volunteer work around the Portland-metro area, such as at Medical Teams international and OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) Characters left in your response 77
What were your favorite events (e.g., performances, exhibits, sporting events, etc.) this past year?	Characters left in your response 300
What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed or participated in?	Characters left in your response 300
What five words best describe you?	Characters left in your response 300

Short Essays

In addition to your Common Application essay, please respond to the following three questions. Your responses must be at least 250 words but should not exceed the space provided.

Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. (an active mind) Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.	Characters left in your response 1800
Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. What would you want your freshman roommate to know about you? Tell us something about you that will help your roommate -- and us -- know you better.	Characters left in your response 1800
Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you.	Characters left in your response 1800

Personal Essay

Profile Questions Consider the Audience... What do they want to hear? Say it.

Short Essays

Profile Questions
Consider the Audience...
What do they want to hear?
Say it.