The stone walls and the steel edges do not reflect the beauty and complexity that I see. Most will view it simply as a utility, but to me, our kitchen is a place where my family gathers to cook a meal, where I bake for my friends. It is a place that I will always return to, knowing that there will be cookies to bake. Thanksgiving Day. Thirty-five people scattered around the house, 20 of whom are in the kitchen, mashing...

The lack of empathy for the impoverished. The American people will raise money to fight Ebola because it is a virus that can kill anyone, from a homeless man to Bill Gates, but we are unwilling to raise money to fight hunger because only the poor can die from that.

Question: What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? Answer: George Otto Gey’s propagation of the first immortalized cell line, HeLa. I had first heard of this in my AP Bio class, being the most famous of all the cell lines, but when I was actually able to work with them at the Fred Hutch, that was an amazing experience.

Question: Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development. (100-250 words) Answer: I walked into “The Hutch” in the beginning of the summer unsure if I was going to be an asset or a burden. Tissue Culture hoods, liquid nitrogen freezers, cold rooms; I was overwhelmed by the complexity of the lab equipment. It was an exhilarating and frightening experience, making my own decisions on how to add...

Question: 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. (100-250 words) Answer: Hello Friend (as I do not know your name), My name is _____ and it looks like I am going to be your roommate for the next year. I hope you are just as excited as I am to experience Stanford and the scorching sun. First...

My personal statement focused on a place that I was comfortable in, and that was my kitchen. The kitchen really meant so much more to me than it did to most people and when I talked to my friends about this topic they thought that it perfectly described me and thought that I could mold my personality around the kitchen and the actions that take place in there. I attempted to weave a couple stories about my life into this...

Passionate: This word goes beyond what most people say in their essay or personal statement. Anyone can say that they have a passion for science or a passion for medieval literature, but what differentiates students is putting your passion into action and having physical proof that this passion exists. This could be by winning the local science fair, publishing your first novel, or being the lead in your school play. Self-Motivated: This is pretty self-explanatory, but a student at Stanford does not need to be told to do his or her homework or be forced to come up with a...

If I had to change anything about my application process it would be volunteering for an organization or several different organizations. I had an opportunity to volunteer for the humane society during my junior year in high school and chose not to because I wanted to invest in my science research skills. Volunteering not only would have helped when applying...

I interviewed with many of the schools that I applied to, including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Stanford. My interview experience was great for Stanford and Harvard. Both interviews provided a lot of information about the college and made me want to attend the college even more than when I came...

What I like most about Stanford is how it is one of the best universities in the world and is still able to give so much focus to the undergraduates. With so...

Getting good grades and test scores will only get your foot in the door. In order to be considered for admission to Stanford you need to have some great thing about yourself that almost no one in the nation can...