How long have you browsed the internet studying Stanford essays that worked in hopes that you get inspired and be able to write like previously accepted applicants?
Stanford University is a prestigious university with a 3.9% acceptance rate, making its admissions one of the most competitive in the US. Stanford gets thousands of applicants—and admitted students have an average GPA of 3.9, SAT score of 1500-1560, and ACT score of 34-35.
Fortunately, Stanford has a holistic admissions process, meaning it also considers other factors of your application. This includes essays, which let you showcase your individuality, values, and aspirations beyond grades and test scores. In this article, we’ll give you tips on how to write your Stanford personal and supplemental essays.
- Stanford Application Essays
- Tips on Writing Stanford Essays That Work
- Common App Essay Prompts for Your Stanford Essay
- Stanford Supplemental Essays
- Stanford Short Response Questions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Takeaways
Stanford Application Essays
Stanford requires you to submit nine essays:
- one personal statement with a maximum of 650 words
- three short essays that are 100-250 words long
- five short responses that are 50 words each
Your personal statement focuses on broader aspects of your life, character, and goals. It provides insight into who you are as a person and how your experiences have shaped you.
Meanwhile, the short essays—or the supplemental essays—are tailored to Stanford’s culture and delve deeper into your personal passions, intellectual curiosity, and possible contributions to the campus. They help admissions officers more clearly see if you would be a fit with Stanford’s community and academic programs.
Tips on Writing Stanford Essays That Work
Stanford essays that work tell the writer’s unique story and are told in such a way that they truly capture the attention of the admissions committee. Below are some general tips to apply when writing your essays:
1. Reflect deeply.
Don’t rush into writing the moment something pops into your head. Don’t try to cover too much of your life either since Stanford essays that work typically center on a single, powerful story that can leave a lasting impression.
Choose one highly meaningful experience or moment and go beyond simply narrating the events to analyzing how it shaped your perspective or character. This includes the lessons you learned, how the experience affected your values, and its relevance to your future.
2. Maintain your voice.
Admissions officers want to hear your story with your voice. For this to happen, you should avoid clichés and generic statements to let your personality shine through in your writing.
Stanford essays that worked show the writer’s own perspective by offering unique insights and interpretations of their experiences. Many people have the same general experiences as you, such as losing a loved one, cutting ties with a friend, and growing up with divorced parents.
However, these are also individual experiences since everyone goes through them differently. As such, write about how you personally went through your experience and how it affected you. You should also focus on being genuine and honest rather than trying to impress the admissions committee with your accomplishments.
3. Show, don’t tell.
Instead of just saying “I am a hard worker,” describe a specific time when you showed exceptional work ethic. Did you overcome a significant obstacle? Did you go above and beyond expectations on a project?
Stanford essays that worked engage the reader’s senses by describing the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures associated with experiences. Doing so can help make your essay more memorable and impactful.
You can also use literary devices to add depth and nuance to your writing. For example, instead of saying “I am passionate about music,” you could say “Music is the rhythm of my soul.”
4. Show intellectual curiosity.
Stanford essays that worked will prove that the most effective way to show intellectual curiosity is to relate it to an experience.
You can discuss a challenging book, a thought-provoking documentary, or a philosophical debate you’re passionate about.
Or, show how your seemingly mundane interests connect to broader academic or societal issues. For example, if you’re passionate about environmental science, you can talk about how you grew up with a green thumb and how your research project as a senior in high school relates to deforestation.
You can also share an intellectual risk you took–whether it was challenging a long-held belief, exploring an unconventional idea, or pursuing an independent research project.
5. Highlight growth and self-awareness.
Stanford essays that worked give admissions officers evidence of personal growth and the ability to learn from challenges.
You can share a personal challenge you faced and how you overcame it, whether it’s an academic struggle, a personal setback, or a social challenge. Then, show how you’ve learned and grown from your experiences. What insights did you gain? How have these experiences shaped your values and perspectives?
When writing about your growth and self-awareness, you’re also showing your ability to bounce back from setbacks and persevere in the face of adversity.
6. Get feedback and revise
Share your drafts with teachers, counselors, mentors, and trusted peers to ask for constructive feedback. This also lets you know how your essays come across to different people. After all, your essays won’t be read by just one person. Carefully consider the feedback you receive and revise your essay accordingly.
Aside from the content, Stanford essays that worked are also free from grammar and spelling mistakes.
Allow ample time for multiple drafts and revisions. However, throughout all your revisions, ensure that your unique voice still shines through.
You may also consider hiring a professional college essay editor.
Common App Essay Prompts for Your Stanford Essay
To apply to Stanford, you should do so by submitting the Common Application. Below are the prompts you can choose from to write your 650-word personal essay on and some quick tips on brainstorming your responses:
Prompt #1
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
This prompt wants you to share a deeply personal aspect of yourself. Stanford essays that worked only focus on one aspect that defines the writer the most and explains how this background, identity, or talent has influenced their values, perspectives, and aspirations.
Remember to focus on your unique experiences and how they differ from others.
Prompt #2
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Think of an experience that had a lasting impact on you and gave you significant personal growth. Make sure to focus more on how you overcame the challenge and what you learned rather than the obstacle itself.
Do this by explaining how this experience changed your perspective, values, or approach to life. It’s a good idea to connect it to your future as well by explaining how this growth will benefit you in college and beyond.
Prompt#3
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Share an experience where you took a stand or explored a different perspective. Show your engagement in thoughtfulness and critical thinking by discussing the reasons behind your questioning and the evidence or arguments you considered.
Stanford essays that worked also show intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness, or moral integrity. Explain what you learned from this experience about yourself, others, or the world around you.
Prompt #4
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Choose a specific moment of gratitude that had a lasting impact on you and explain how this experience shaped your values, goals, or actions. Stanford essays that worked show genuine emotion and how it connects to their larger story.
Prompt #5
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Think of a transformative moment that significantly impacted your development. Avoid generic accomplishments (unless you can justify writing about them through your unique perspective). Focus on the change in your mindset, behavior, or relationships to emphasize self-awareness and reflection.
Prompt #6
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Write about a genuine passion or intellectual curiosity and show your enthusiasm by writing about specific examples of how you’ve pursued this interest. Stanford essays that worked connect the writer’s passion to their goals and how they’ll pursue them in college.
Prompt #7
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
Use this option if you have a unique story that doesn’t fit the other Stanford essay prompts. However, avoid being overly experimental. Stanford essays that worked prioritize being clear and relevant to ensure the essay still reveals the writer’s personality, values, or aspirations.
Stanford Supplemental Essays
Stanford supplemental essays require you to really reflect on the experiences that made you want to attend Stanford and how the institution can help you achieve your goals. Your answers to these Stanford essay prompts will help admissions officers better see if you are a good fit for the community.
Below are the three short essay questions and quick tips on how to write Stanford supplemental essays:
Prompt #1
The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.
Academics are important, but it’s ideal to also talk about ideas and experiences that sparked your intellectual curiosity outside the classroom. Did you watch a captivating documentary, have a fascinating conversation, or start a challenging personal project? Explain how this experience aligns with Stanford’s emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and exploration.
Prompt #2
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—get to know you better.
Write in a conversational and friendly tone and be genuine. Think about what information would help your roommate get to know you, whether it’s a quirky hobby, an unusual talent, or a memorable experience. While it’s good to be lighthearted, make sure the content remains meaningful.
Prompt #3
Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.
Highlight your skills, talents, and experiences. Give examples of how you have used them to help others in the past and how you can also use them to contribute to the Stanford community.
This can be through joining a club, organizing an event, mentoring younger students, conducting research, or other means. Stanford essays that worked focus on the writer’s genuine desire to contribute and the positive impact they would have on others.
Stanford Short Response Questions
Stanford’s short response questions will require you to be direct since you only have 50 words to answer each. Try to highlight different aspects of your personality for each prompt so admissions officers can still see the individuality in your answers.
Question #1
What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?
Avoid broad, general statements—so instead of simply “climate change,” you can say “the impact of microplastics on marine ecosystems.” Show your understanding of the issue by acknowledging its complexity and considering different viewpoints.
Question #2
How did you spend your last two summers?
Don’t just talk about a day at the beach or being a couch potato. Instead, include a mix of work, study, and leisure to portray a well-rounded character. Did you also volunteer, work a job, or pursue a personal project? Show how your summer activities align with your academic interests, career goals, or personal passions.
Question #3
What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
Choose an event that genuinely interests you and that you believe would have provided valuable insights. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination to envision what it would have been like to be present at that historical moment. Talk about why this event interests you and how witnessing this event would impact your own life and perspective.
Question #4
Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.
Choose which of the mentioned options you are most passionate about and that demonstrates your character. Explain your role and responsibilities within the activity and how it also helped you grow as a person. Showcase relevant skills such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and perseverance.
Question #5
List five things that are important to you.
List items that are genuinely important to you, not just what you think Stanford wants to hear. Include a range of interests to showcase different parts of your personality. If you still have the space, very briefly mention why each item is important to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much do Stanford essays matter?
Stanford essays matter a lot. They’re a chance for you to show your personality, values, and aspirations beyond academics, allowing the admissions team to assess your authenticity, creativity, and fit with Stanford’s community. Stanford essays that work can also differentiate you from other highly qualified applicants.
2. What kind of essay does Stanford like?
Stanford likes essays that have a narrative, show your personality, and give the admissions officers an idea of whether you would be a good fit for the community.
3. Is Stanford an Ivy League?
No, Stanford is not an Ivy League university.
Takeaways
Stanford University has a highly competitive admissions process, and writing compelling essays can help you stand out from other highly qualified students.
- Stanford requires nine essays: one personal statement, three short essays, and five short answer responses.
- To create Stanford essays that work, reflect deeply on what stories you want to tell. Be creative in how you write your responses, making sure that you’re maintaining your unique voice no matter how many times you revise them.
- When answering Stanford’s short essays, highlight how your background and career goals make Stanford the best school for you and how you fit the community.
- Despite being only 50 words each, still find some space to be creative when answering Stanford’s short response questions. Try to highlight different interests and aspects of your personality in each one.
- Need help crafting the Stanford essays that work? A private consultant can help you create and refine strong Stanford essays.
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