Successful Stanford application essays - first lines
For ten years, I have regretted botching my Stanford early decision application. I had written an awesome application essay that spring in my high school workshop, but in the midnight rush to meet the deadline, my confidence faltered and I wrote a completely different essay for this "special" application. It sucked, and I was rejected.
I used my original essay on my other 6 college applications. While cleaning out my papers, I found my application to Swarthmore College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. It included my 80%-acceptance-rate essay, which I can recall to this day.
STANFORD magazine published the first lines of their admissions staff picks for the Class of 2012. Here are my favorites:
When I was in eighth grade I couldn't read.
I stand on the riverbank surveying this rippled range like some riparian cowboy - instead of chaps, I wear vinyl, thigh-high waders and a lasso of measuring tape and twine is slung over my arm.
I have old hands.
When I was 8 years old, I shocked my family and a local archaeologist by discovering artifacts dating back almost 3,500 years.
Unlike many mathematicians, I live in an irrational world; I feel that my life is defined by a certain amount of irrationalities that bloom too frequently, such as my brief foray in front of 400 people without my pants.
I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks.
Excerpts from "Let Me Introduce Myself" STANFORD September/October 2008: 61.
And my application essays?
The successful essay began, "The missions my mother sent me on terrified me."
The Stanford one began, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Can you remember yours? If so, share :)
I used my original essay on my other 6 college applications. While cleaning out my papers, I found my application to Swarthmore College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. It included my 80%-acceptance-rate essay, which I can recall to this day.
STANFORD magazine published the first lines of their admissions staff picks for the Class of 2012. Here are my favorites:
When I was in eighth grade I couldn't read.
I stand on the riverbank surveying this rippled range like some riparian cowboy - instead of chaps, I wear vinyl, thigh-high waders and a lasso of measuring tape and twine is slung over my arm.
I have old hands.
When I was 8 years old, I shocked my family and a local archaeologist by discovering artifacts dating back almost 3,500 years.
Unlike many mathematicians, I live in an irrational world; I feel that my life is defined by a certain amount of irrationalities that bloom too frequently, such as my brief foray in front of 400 people without my pants.
I change my name each time I place an order at Starbucks.
Excerpts from "Let Me Introduce Myself" STANFORD September/October 2008: 61.
And my application essays?
The successful essay began, "The missions my mother sent me on terrified me."
The Stanford one began, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Can you remember yours? If so, share :)