"It's a farewell poem." My Latin teacher says. "A propemptikon wishes for a safe and prosperous journey. You should be taking notes." My eyes snap back from the classroom clock to scan my notebook. Genres in Lyric Poetry. Right. I'm sixteen and stressed. I hold back a sigh as I scrawl down the funny little word, propemptikon. Safe journey. Bon-voyage. Something clicks in the back of my mind. I am no stranger to farewell poems. "The wind sighs and howls,...

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. Hey, I'm Cathy. Chinese. No pets. Only child. Now that we've done our floor meeting's icebreaker, let's talk. My name is Cathy; I chose it myself when I was ten. If you want I'll teach you the secret to the world's best dumplings. I don't have any...

Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. I finally found it, stashed at the bottom of a stack too far into the Stanford Art and Architecture Library.The Journal of Eugene Delacroix. It was not the original, of course, but the long-out-of-print edition's worn pages felt just as precious in my hands . I'd known Delacroix's name for years, seen his paintings in history textbooks and art museums,...

I had planned to write my essays over the summer before senior year so that my application would be all done when school started. But like too many procrastinators, I foiled my own plans by doing absolutely nothing relevant to college apps over the summer. I ended up writing most of my essays in the two weeks leading up to the early action deadline of November 1st. And while I would highly discourage anyone from procrastinating until the last possible...

Ask teachers who know you, like you, and write well. If it's hard to find teachers who satisfy all three criteria, settle for the first two or even just the first. A teacher who knows you well and writes in depth about both...

curious, conscious,...

I would have stressed less, definitely. I had so much anxiety about college decisions and what they meant to me that by the time decisions rolled out and I was actually blessed with unbelievable acceptances, I didn't feel...

Do something! Anything! Get a job, do some volunteering, learn new stuff, visit family, etc. etc. Personally I love learning and wanted to get to know college life so I applied to and attended summer programs where...

I interviewed with all the Ivy League schools I applied to. Most interviewers were my parents' age so there wasn't very much personal connection, but they were all very kind and patient. I was very nervous about the first few, but they all turned out pretty well. I was surprised by how much time the interviewers spent talking about...

I'm not very exceptional in a pool of overachievers, but I think I've come a really long way from where I started. I...