A lot of things have changed throughout my life: where I live, my school, and my friends. Yet, she hasn’t changed. She’s been with me my whole life, through the good times and, especially, the bad times. I don’t know what I’d do without her. I met her in first grade, but we were far from being best friends. There was a time when my parents forced us to spend time together; talking to her was...

Las Estacas is a natural spring that forms a slow moving river; its crystal clear, blue waters are shaded by exotic trees on both banks. In eighth grade, while I was living in Mexico City, I visited Las Estacas with my best friend Paul. Soon, we noticed that the mango trees, hanging directly over the river, had dropped as much fruit as we could possibly desire onto the river’s floor. Paul and I spent the whole day jumping into...

An essay to my future roommate: Hey future roommate, I like living with other people. Some of my fondest childhood memories are from the summers I spent living together with others. At YMCA camp, the peers I initially saw only as bunkmates quickly became more than sources of endless entertainment. Whispered late-night conversations and card game marathons were some of the more memorable perks, yet my memories of those summers in the forest are not characterized by the fun we...

An essay on intellectual vitality: If literature is the expression of opinions, and if opinions are subjective, then literature as a whole is subjective. Consequently, what are we supposed to gain from works of literature if not absolute truths? I, personally, look to literature to challenge my beliefs by presenting me with new ideas and opinions. I cannot think of a work of literature that has better challenged my opinions than Carol Ann Duffy’s poem “Plainsong.” For my entire...

Though my family only owns one house, I have six homes. I’ve spent a little more than half my life outside the United States, and the majority of my adolescence abroad. In each country I’ve lived in, I learned (at least) the basics of the local language, accustomed myself to new foods, and made new friends. In essence, I made myself at home in six different cities. So when I’m asked where I’m from, I hesitate. �...

For most of my life, my least favorite class was English. Teachers would tell me what (they thought) the poem meant, and I would try to stay awake. The stakes were high, for if I fell asleep I would miss the teacher’s interpretation and subsequently see a dip in my English grade. Usually I was able to quote the teacher’s monologues exactly, but in silent protest I refused to enjoy the class. It wasn’t until junior year...

Last basketball season I played for my school’s junior varsity team, and we represented our school at a tournament in Prague. We lost our last game of the round-robin, but still managed to qualify for the finals. I had been experiencing severe back pain and was having trouble running. As we entered our final game, we felt weary and defeated. I couldn’t run my fastest, but I could still hobble my fastest. Looking back at replays of the...

When I lived in Mexico City during middle school, my hour-long commute to and from school dissected some of the city’s worst slums. Grey concrete buildings stretched as far as the eye could see, shrouded by the brown coat of smog, seemingly naked without the tall walls and electric fences of the richer neighborhoods. Given a glimpse of the slums for two hours a day, I was forced to realize that the life of many Mexicans lacked the security,...

I've played the classical piano for 12 years now, and lately I've started to enjoy it. ^^

I ended up choosing Stanford over Yale because I thought the school culture suited me better. 'Innovation > tradition' was more or less my reasoning. The California sun made the decision that much easier. Also the sports...

Get recommenders who know your personality. It's hard for them to paint a picture of who you are if they don't know you. I value this piece of advice so highly that I think it takes precedence over the grades you have in that class. I decided to ask my English Literature teacher to write one of my recommendation letters despite the class not being my strongest. The teacher had seen my enthusiasm and...

Every student admitted to Stanford receives a letter in the mail from their regional Stanford admissions officer. The letter is mainly congratulatory, but often in the process of congratulating the student the admissions officer reveals the qualities and/or abilities of the applicant that ultimately led to their admission. So I actually know what set me apart, and I'll share that with you. The letter I...

I would have started writing my essays earlier. I only began writing essays a couple weeks into senior year, and by then schoolwork had gotten a lot more demanding. I know I could have written even better essays if I had been less stressed out at the time by schoolwork, and...

Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Carnegie Mellon. Try to focus on showing off your personality; you've already submitting all resume related materials in your physical application. Showing that you're a real, interesting person will add...