Thousands and thousands of stars swept past, a brilliant, pulsing sea of lights. I was twelve years old, and was sitting for the first time in the Hadyn Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. When the lights dimmed in the theater, I was so apprehensive that I closed my eyes. But once I opened them, I saw something unlike anything I had ever imagined. I was transfixed, immobile, as I traveled through galaxies, watched stars...

Stanford doesn't have a "why us" essay, they have a "what do you care about and why" essay. Pretty intimidating. I wrote about my interest in physics research and why I thought physics was amazing. It did repeat the theme from my common app essay, but I thought it was too important of an essay to talk about something that wasn't my primary interest.

I was hugely stressed out and insecure, and ended up obsessing about perceived weaknesses of my applications rather...

Stanford prides itself on its Computer Science department and its "entrepreneurial spirit," among other things. Start-ups are common. If you think you would...

As far as recs go, I think that you can really tell when a high school teacher would be open to writing you a recommendation. Ask teachers you have a GREAT...

Stanford seems to really like people who are intellectual, having interests that span...

I really liked the research opportunities at Stanford, as well as the lovely weather, and the world-class academics. But what really swayed me was the ...

To anyone interested in science, I strongly recommend science research during high school summers. Not only is it fun and rewarding, it also can look good to colleges, especially if you present yourself as someone interested...

I was deferred from Princeton SCEA (early application), but was able to turn around that decision to get an acceptance for Regular Decision. I think what made the difference is that I had two substantial...

Interviews are actually amazing opportunities to connect on a more personal level with the school you're applying with. While standard alumni interviewers DO...