Applying to Stanford is unlike applying to some of the other universities in that you would apply to the college rather than a specific program or major. Therefore, what the essay demands from its applicants is also slightly different in that you don’t have to know what you want to study to be accepted. Aside from the Common App essay, Stanford has 3 long response prompts (100 - 250 word count) from which the applicant will choose one to write. Additionally, it also has 5 short response prompts (25 word count). Most of these supplements are where you can show your personality! We’ll first walk through statistics, then prompts and sample essays.
STATISTICS - CLASS OF 2025
Remark on the statistics: I don’t find Stanford’s statistics to be much different from other top universities in the United States. Like other universities, Stanford admits more students from Early Action in comparison to the Regular Decision round. But Stanford does not release statistics on this comparison anymore. On another note, use the statistics only as the benchmark as to how you would compare to the students that got accepted. However, also keep in mind that if you’re 10 points below the middle 50% of the acceptance score - it doesn’t mean that you will not get accepted. Always keep in mind that those statistics are only part of the picture.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The application process consists of the following materials: Transcript, SAT/ACT score, Extracurricular Activities, Essays, and Letter of Recommendation. There are other factors, but they are less bearing than the ones mentioned previously (interview, legacy, etc.). While there are other components, we’ll be zeroing in on the essay component. I approached my essay writing by using my biographical essay to stay in line with my narrative and the persona I was trying to put forth to the admission committee, but I used my supplements to show my thoughts and interests that may not have fit well into the other parts of my application. So, it’s worthwhile to think about the message you want to convey to the admission committee and use your essays in a manner that lets you effectively communicate this message.
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
I applied through the QuestBridge National College Match, so my biographical essay prompt is slightly different than for Common App. Nonetheless, the take-home message is the same - you need to build a cohesive narrative for the reading committee. It is not possible to write about your entire life on the application, nor should you attempt to do this. Instead, focus on topics of identity as they often make for a powerful essay. Who are you? Why are you the way you are? At first, it may seem like an odd question. But remember, the heart of the question is the following: why should they admit you among so many other equally qualified students? You should first have an answer to this and let it guide your essays. It's a plus if you cast this exploration of your identity in a creative manner.
PROMPT
We are interested in learning more about you and the context in which you have grown up, formed your aspirations, and accomplished your academic successes. Please describe the factors and challenges that have most shaped your personal life and aspirations. How have these factors helped you to grow?
SAMPLE ESSAY
Fourth grade. First time in America. I know I am next on the attendance sheet when I see my teacher’s eyebrows scrunched, attempting to pronounce my name correctly. “Akriti?” Ms. Hughes calls out. “How do you say your name, dear?” I quickly formed the most comfortable pronunciation of my name: “Aa-cree-di.” But indeed, I have lied. She might as well have asked who I was, and I told a one-dimensional lie. I did not have a clue who I was.
My elementary days blended amid my struggles to put my ideas into words. I had personified this struggle as “Aa-cree-di.” But the phantom of “English” always lured in the back of my head. I would often indulge myself in the fictitious fantasy of speaking English with no “ums” or the need for translation. The manifestation in my head of learning English not only brought about compounding satisfaction but also left me feeling like I owed myself to learn the language of the land in which I lived. It was not that I had sudden willpower to do hard work. But there was the idea of something greater looming around, hinting that I should not learn for the sake of learning but something else. I had not grasped the concept of self-improvement in fourth grade. Nonetheless, I saw it as a moral obligation. I still do.
This systemized aspect of my identity, mentality, and motivation began to grow into “Aa-cree-di” at school. Not only that, but the message of having a purpose rather than doing something for the sake of it resonated with me. I had created Aa-cree-di for the ease of other people trying to pronounce my name, but through it, I developed myself into the values I upheld, ultimately finding myself.
But as I grew closer to the person I was at school, I drew farther from the person I was at home, Aak-ree-tee. Aak-ree-tee felt less like me, and more like someone, I had to be. My two identities felt like opposites confined within the same body.
At home, amid the subtle patriarchal, and sexist remarks, Aa-cree-di would have spoken up. But Aak-ree-tee walks around eggshells, passively diffusing through the toxic air of ignorance, wishing to remain invisible. She closes her eyes, forming wrinkles at the corner at conservative comments about society and one’s role in it.
I can understand my family’s stance. They moved from a homogenous community to a place where they felt the impact of living as a minority. They are not able to assimilate well with anyone except other Nepalese, and this casts everyone else under the bucket of "other." This seemingly incomprehensible group of people was the unknown, and the fear of the unknown is natural. Soon enough, Aak-ree-tee became a persona similar to that of a ghost, passively living so as to not cause trouble. Whereas Aa-cree-di was burning inside with motivation, action, and pent-up energy without seeing or finding its outlet.
I used to think I needed to choose between Aak-ree-tee or Aa-cree-di to make a wholesome identity. But I now realize that I am not one or the other. In one aspect, my sense of purpose and my need for a systematic approach foster accomplishments. It may seem that I have mastered the art of structure and order, but my other identity suggests that I am not able to do the same within the atmosphere of my family’s ideologies. I seem to co-exist between who I am and who I am expected to be because my identity is not one person that fits all. Aa-cree-di commits to her aspirations while Aak-ree-tee adapts to her environment. Aa-cree-di speaks her mind, but Aak-ree-tee has a tolerance. Aa-cree-di has a self component, and Aak-ree-tee has a people component. Even though Aa-cree-di pushes me to be bigger than myself and Aak-ree-tee confines me to the edges of my box, I color the contradiction that is my identity with a blend of both because I know Aak-ree-tee will ground me when I fly too high, and Aa-cree-di will propel me when I stay too low.
Remark on the biographical essay: It is a good idea to read/listen to other biographical essays from applicants that got accepted. Biographical essays are a fine balance of formal writing to show sophistication and informal writing to show creativity or your personality. It is unlike the types of essays you are probably familiar with writing in your English classes. Therefore, after brainstorming, get a good idea as to how you should approach the topic.
WHY IT WORKED:
This is an immigrant story without saying it’s an immigrant story. Instead, it focuses more on my identity while also showing the difficulties of adjusting to the US - the most significant being language. The narrative connects this identity of willingness to learn and persevere to a variation of my name (again, most immigrants have experiences with the various pronunciation of their name). The narrative explores the identity attached to the two variations of my name. Through this, it allowed me to develop a context for the reader of the experiences that shaped me. With this struggle of the two identities, the narrative ends as I come to accept both parts of me.
SUPPLEMENT ESSAYS
There are three prompts to choose from for a longer response essay.
The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.
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—get to know you better.
Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why.
ROOMATE SAMPLE ESSAY
Dear roomie,
Do you have a travel list? The top three on my growing list are Vatican City, Hawaii, and Sri Lanka. But first, the formalities. I’m Akriti, and I don’t have the knack for small talk. I understand the ramifications around it, but unfortunately, it doesn’t fall under my skillset.
I’m originally from Nepal. I know it is such a scenic country, but I’ve only lived in Kathmandu. During holidays though, I would go to my father’s village Palpa and taste the water flowing from the rocks (after purifying). It is incomparable to any other water I’ve tasted. I then moved to New York City when I was nine years old. The food was an issue! The plane ride plus the layover was a day and a half, and I ate nothing but vanilla ice cream. On a positive note, I got such a horrible stomach ache that my mom and I got to skip the immigration line.
But right now, I’m writing to you from Texas with my head full of questions. What’s the last thing you did before coming to Stanford? I gave my brother the tightest hug. What’s your favorite word? Mine is “bubble.” You can’t say it in an angry voice. Try it :).
I am looking forward to our adventures, enticing conversations, and late study nights during the dead week. My face will have the biggest smile through it all, indicating how excited I am to have found my partner in crime.
Sincerely,
Akriti
WHY IT WORKED
I chose the roommate essay because it allowed me to show a more informal side of myself. Much of the writing done throughout the application is formal, but the roommate essay is essentially a letter to a friend you haven’t met yet. It gave me space to show my vernacular language and how my train of thought comes to be. It gave the admission committee a glimpse of what it is like to have a conversation with me. I thought that this could be a powerful approach, which is how I came to choose the roommate essay. That being said - it is also the most popular choice. If you are extremely passionate about the other two, by all means, choose that. If you feel like the first and the third don’t cater to the persona you want to put forth in your application, then the roommate essay is a good choice.
SHORT PROMPTS
Prompt: What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50-word limit)
Example: My parents never worried about my mother’s backache or my father’s dental issues in New York because of Medicaid. In Texas, low-income people over 18 don't qualify for Medicaid. With my parents now under-insured, painkillers never run out. Almost everyone believes healthcare to be a right, but the reality suggests otherwise.
Prompt: How did you spend your last two summers? (50-word limit)
Example: In the summer of 2019, I babysat my brother and two of my toddler cousins while volunteering at a Hospice Center. During the summer of 2020, I took a non-credited Introduction to Research class and wrote an independent research paper on human reaction time in response to different stimuli.
Prompt: What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 word limit)
Example: I want to understand Nepali society and politics, but I’m faced with censorship. The gaps in my knowledge are from the events that are never mentioned. I want to witness the Nepalese Royal Massacre of 2001 because I want to understand how this was the turning point in Nepali ideology.
Prompt: Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 word limit)
Example: I like the meticulousness of cooking as though I’m in a chemistry lab mixing different chemicals. Some days my family gets to praise my cooking skills, while other days, they regret letting me go in the kitchen. Nonetheless, it becomes something to either enjoy or laugh about.
Prompt: Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford. (50-word limit)
Example: I'm excited about the quarter-system because the academic environment fits with my ability to learn a lot in a short period. I also discovered a thrill to it. The fast rotations of classes I experienced through the trimester system at my high school kept me more attached to my learning.
TIP ON SHORT RESPONSES
The way to approach these short responses vary from what you’re trying to accomplish. If you have a lot of other noteworthy components of your life that aren’t highlighted by the other portions of the application, then this is a good place to talk about them. If you believe that you haven’t shown enough of “you” - identity/personality - then you should use the short responses to showcase this. Keep in mind to stay in the lane of the narrative you’ve created. For example, my interests lie in healthcare and public policy. The first question expands on that. The answer to the second question shows the balance between familial duties and my love of research. It echoes the balance talked about in my biographical essay but through a different lens. The third question expands on my interest in politics - even though it is not my aspiring career path. The fourth response is an informal one that shows my interests outside of academics. The last question is essentially the opportunity to show that you know enough about the college you’re applying to and show your fit for it. Finding a way to relate a characteristic of the school to yourself is a good technique.
Good luck writing your essays!