What matters to you, and why? (100 to 250 words) I rushed home, moving as fast as my gangly 12-year-old legs could take me. After an obligatory “Hi Mom!”, I set about gathering materials to fuel my latest experiment: loose sheets of paper and paper clips. Today, my music teacher had presented John Cage and the prepared piano. I sat, captivated, as I watched a man place mundane objects, such as brass nails and strips of plastic, on and between the strings...

What matters to you, and why? (100 to 250 words) I rushed home, moving as fast as my gangly 12-year-old legs could take me. After an obligatory “Hi Mom!”, I set about gathering materials to fuel my latest experiment: loose sheets of paper and paper clips. Today, my music teacher had presented John Cage and the prepared piano. I sat, captivated, as I watched a man place mundane objects, such as brass nails and strips of plastic, on and between the strings...

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. (100 to 250 words) Dear Roommate, I hope you don’t mind if our room smells like food 24/7 — cooking's a favorite pastime of mine. Right now, my lasagna may not be the best, but that’s okay! One day, I’ll make a perfect dish, and you’ll be...

Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. (100 to 250 words) “Your uncle has been diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.” Images of patients undergoing chemotherapy flashed through my mind, yet I failed to comprehend the correlation between those debilitated patients and my uncle. Weeks passed and cancer took my uncle hostage. With each round of chemotherapy, I watched him slip further away from me. It was then that...