"Though they are cultural opposites, both Tahitian dance and classical music are central to who I am. I can release the same, universal emotion through both ori and a Rachmaninoff prelude and hear that Tahitian drumming patterns are not all that different from Bach’s contrapuntal writing. I can connect with people across cultural lines, language barriers, and age differences. I can enjoy the simplicity of a Polynesian, unwritten art form with the complexity of western musical tradition and channel...

The prompt asked for a "letter to your future roommate" so I wrote something that I would actually feel comfortable sending to my future roommate. It just summarized some of my quirks and things that are unique to me. excerpt: "Well, Future Roommate, you should know that I’m that kid who memorized every airline and airplane model before he could read, who was late to lab because that conversation about sonic booms was much too intriguing, who spends Friday...

The prompt was to elaborate on an experience important to your intellectual development, so I wrote about how doing engineering research fueled my interest in engineering and led to my overall goal of wanting to help the environment through innovation. I emphasized that the process rather than the result was far more intellectually rewarding. excerpt: "When I was 7, my dreams were fulfilled when I received the K’NEX Screamin’ Serpent Roller Coaster for Christmas. It was finally mine, and after...

The last prompt asked simply, "What matters to you, and why?" In this prompt, I felt that it was important to find some kind of underlying philosophy that shapes my goals and ties together the rest of my application. So, I talked about the importance of balance in my life and the importance of having the freedom to pursue disparate interests.

The process of writing essays was, for me, both a self-illuminating and frustrating process. I learned a lot about myself through my writing, and I had a lot of time to think about who I was-- what my motivations are, what my goals are, what makes me tick. At the same time, it was frustrating to try to to encapsulate all that I am in a couple hundred words with the knowledge that some random people would be making such...

Start drafting my essays earlier than I did. ...

Students at Stanford are some of the most amazing people in the world-- not only are they some of the smartest people I've ever met, but they're also some of the nicest, most genuine people who will provide you with...

Probably my longtime dedication to and passion for my extracurricular activities and...

Don't let your summers go to waste. Pursue things that you are...

Be genuine and authentic in your essays, and write about something that you love and/or that represents you well. All Stanford students have something they're...