How To Get Into Stanford

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNIRiPOB7ug

Getting into Stanford is simple – just mention all the cool things you’d only be able to do… at Stanford! 

In today’s video, I’ll break down what exactly makes Stanford so unique, essay tips to maximize your odds of getting in, and share what Stanford admissions officers are actually looking for.

Let’s start with: What Makes Stanford Unique?

Guys, I was shocked last year when I read dozens of Stanford essay questions, and not a single one referenced any of their unique majors or programs!

First off, Stanford has three schools with undergrad programs: 1) the School of Earth, Energy, & Environmental Sciences, 2) the School of Engineering, and 3) School of Humanities & Sciences. Together, this trifecta is home to more than 65 majors, many of which are interdisciplinary. These include Urban Studies, Aeronautics and Astronautics, to Medical Humanities to Global Studies. Furthermore, Stanford has 15 different research institutes. For instance, the Haas Center for Public Service offers accredited classes where you can study government and perform community service at the same time!

If you want to get in, you need to mention these details in this Stanford supplemental essay question. Not everything you write has to be super academic or research focused. I promise that adding in some of those proper nouns and personalizing it to your Stanford journey will instantly help you stand out. Articulate which of these academic opportunities appeal to you most and explain how you wouldn’t just take advantage of them, but actively contribute to them.

Moving onto Part 2: Essay Advice

I’m actually a huge fan of Stanford’s essay questions. They’re short, punchy and to the point. Stanford is also well-known for its quirky “Dear Future Roommate” essay question, which they actually show to your roommate when you’re accepted! But most students answer this question the wrong way. They use the space to brag about their achievements, or worse, they write with no filter like it’s a dear diary.

The secret to knocking out any supplemental essay is understanding the purpose of the prompt. For Stanford’s “dear roommate” essay, the admissions officer wants to know your personality and understand exactly how you would fit in Stanford’s campus, specifically your dorm room. 

My professional advice is to hone in on 2-3 personal qualities or quirks, then connect them to something you and your roommate can do together! Remember, you’re addressing your future roommate, so write as if you’re talking to a friend.

To show you what I mean, I’ll use Spider Man, aka Peter Parker as an example. 

With his ElevatEd advisor, Peter came up with a list of essential get-to-know facts about him:

Here’s his list:

1. Stanford Student Robotics, hackathons, innovation challenges

2. Skateboarding around campus and fountain hopping!

3. Parkour with a skateboard

4. A Spotify playlist inspired by the Spiderman movies

5. Love for exploring + concrete (pun-intended) evidence from when he used to go around and try new hole in the wall restaurants in Queens

After considering what would best show his personality and connect him to his future roommate, Peter decides to write about #1, #2, and #5. He uses the fact that he’s from Queens to talk about his love of adventure, then transitions to how excited he’d be to take trips with his future roomie to places like San Francisco, the Dish Trail, and Lake Lagunita. He also apologizes in advance for late nights while working on his spider robots and gadgets, but promises to make his roomie a 1-of-a-kind spider gadget too.

Welcome back! Moving onto Part 3: What Stanford Admissions Officers are Really Looking For

This is by far the most important part of the video. Now I know I mentioned that Stanford wants you to articulate how you’d leverage their academic opportunities, but even more important than that is your ability to dream, make and do!

Here’s another way of looking at it: Stanford wants students who are leaders, have already made an impact in their community, and want to build upon their existing work using Stanford-only one-of-a-kind experiences. 

Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at Stanford’s mission statement:

Our mission is to contribute to the world by educating students for lives of leadership and contribution with integrity; advancing fundamental knowledge and cultivating creativity; leading in pioneering research for effective clinical therapies; and accelerating solutions and amplifying their impact.

The key phrases here are “contribute to the world,” “advance fundamental knowledge and cultivate creativity” and “lead in pioneering research”. 

So, if you want to get into Stanford, your best bet is to prove that you have dreamed big in the past and executed on that vision. Last year, one of our international students got in by talking about how he spent a summer repopulating a local forest by planting 5,000 trees. The key is to demonstrate that you have actually done something. Sounds simple, but I can’t stress this enough: do then write. Just articulating your vision isn’t enough these days. You have to show proof of execution. 

Alright my dear virtual little siblings– thanks for sticking to the end! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more tips. And let me know in the comment section below, which school I should do next and what other content you’d like to see! Forever at your service. Catch you later! 

Your virtual older sibling,

Kevin