successful stanford application essays

12 Best Stanford Supplemental Essays That Worked 2024

Your essays are one of the best ways you can stand out in Stanford's competitive admissions process.

In this article, I'm going to share with you 12 answers to Stanford's notorious writing supplement from an admitted student.

Stanford University Admissions FAQs

Many students are interested in applying to Stanford, even though admission may seem like a long-shot.

But you may surprise yourself, and for many students it's the only time in their life they'll apply.

Here are some common questions students and parents have about Stanford's admissions:

What is Stanford University's acceptance rate?

This past year, Stanford had a record 55,471 applications and admitted 2,190 students. That gives Stanford an overall admit rate of 3.95%.

Or in other words, less than 1 in 25 students are admitted.

Just having good stats is not enough to get into schools like Stanford.

Which makes your essays are a critical opportunity for you to show why you should be accepted.

Stanford University Acceptance Scattergram

But for any school that has competitive admissions like Stanford, that only means your essays are more heavily weighed.

Each year thousands of students apply with stats that are good enough to get in. And your essays are one important factor admissions officers use.

What is Stanford's application deadline for this year?

Stanford offers two admissions deadlines for 2022-23: restrictive early action and regular decision.

For this year, Stanford's deadlines are:

• Restrictive Early Action (REA): November 1st, 2022
• Regular Decision (RD): January 5th, 2023

How many essays does Stanford require?

This year, Stanford University requires applying students to answer five Short Questions and write three Short Essays. If you're applying with the Common App, you'll also need a strong personal statement essay .

Stanford is notorious for its lengthy and creative writing supplement. The questions are known to be thought-provoking, which is done on purpose.

Stanford admissions officers want to dig into your thought process, and learn how you think.

What are the Stanford supplemental essay prompts for 2022-23?

For 2024, the Stanford writing supplement consists of eight questions total:

Short Questions

Stanford requires applicants to answer five short answer questions of between 3 and 50 words each.

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (3-50 words)

How did you spend your last two summers? (3-50 words)

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (3-50 words)

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (3-50 words)

Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford. (3-50 words)

Short Essays

Stanford's short essays are three required essays of between 100 and 250 words each.

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. (100-250 words)

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. (100-250 words)

Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why. (100-250 words)

Stanford's unique prompts give you a lot of freedom in how you choose to respond.

But being so open-ended can also make it difficult to get started.

Because of that, it can be helpful to see how other students wrote answers to Stanford's prompts in recent years.

12 Stanford University Essays That Worked

For getting your best shot at Stanford, you'll need to write authentic and interesting essays.

My advice: Have fun with the prompts when coming up with ideas. But write about them with care and diligence. Above all, be authentic.

Check out how these admitted Stanford students wrote their essay and short answer responses.

I've also included a great Common App essay from an admitted student.

• Stanford University Essay Example #1
• Stanford University Essay Example #2
• Stanford University Essay Example #3
• Stanford University Essay Example #4
• Stanford University Essay Example #5
• Stanford University Essay Example #6
• Stanford University Essay Example #7
• Stanford University Essay Example #8
• Stanford University Essay Example #9
• Stanford University Essay Example #10
• Stanford University Essay Example #11
• Stanford University Essay Example #12

1. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words max)

RECOGNIZING. CLIMATE. CHANGE.

Why This Essay Works:

• Bold and Unique: Stanford's prompts reward bold and genuine writing. It is okay to be simple and straightforward, but still must be thoughtful as this response is.
• Well-Composed: Although only three words, this response still shows thought. The use of capitalization and periods separating each word emphasizes the author's point and makes it even more poignant.

What They Might Change:

• Use The Full Word Limit: It is risky to leave 47 words unused. This essay succeeds in taking that risk, but generally you should use all the words available because each one is an opportunity to convey more meaning.

2. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: How did you spend your last two summers? (50 words max)

[Date] : Working with the head of IT at Golden Gate Parks and Rec to renovate the social media program and redesign the website. (sfrecpark.org)

[Date] : Studying at Stanford High School Summer College, building a family in two months.

• Answers Prompt Directly: This response leaves no room for doubt. And shows that you don't have to be fancy or "try hard" for all essays. Sometimes plain answers work best when it is a short prompt like this one.
• Organized Clearly: For straightforward answers, having a straightforward structure can be a good thing. Each word is used carefully and has a purpose.
• Has Strong Ideas: You don't need much to convey meaning. In just the last six words ("building a family in two months") there is hints of deeper ideas.

3. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 words max)

The Trinity test, the first detonation of the atomic bomb. For one, an opportunity to meet my role models: Oppenheimer, Feynman, Fermi, etc. But also, to witness the 4 millisecond shift to an era of humanity that could eradicate itself. “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

• Connects To Author's Interests: The author cleverly reveals about themselves by telling their role models: the physicists involved.
• Shows Specific Knowledge: Rather than just saying "the first atomic bomb test", the author names it specifically: The Trinity Test. Including the famous Oppenheimer quote from the Bhagavad Gita also shows real thought was put into it.

4. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford. (50 words max)

Representing an ideal.

Stanford is a gathering place of people working towards a common ideal; one of engagement, passion, intellectual vitality, and devotion to progress. This is what I stand for, so I want to help Stanford represent it.

(Also those cream cheese croissants from CoHo.)

• Idea-Focused: The author's take on what Stanford represents ("an ideal") is a unique perspective.
• Authentic Motivations: Revealing your genuine motivation for attending a school shows your interest is not surface-level. The author's motivation is also a powerful one: representing an ideal.
• Lighthearted and Relatable: The last remark in parantheses lightens the tone, while still relating to Stanford specifically. Admissions officers surely would crack a smile at this remark because it is relatable to them and genuine.

5. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: What five words best describe you? (5 words max)

I don’t conform to arbitrary boundaries.

• Bold and Takes a Risk: Stanford supplements are the perfect place to take a (calculated) risk. This type of answer only works if A.) it hasn't been done before and B.) it is genuine and not done just for the sake of risk-taking.

6. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: Imagine you had an extra hour in the day — how would you spend that time? (50 words max)

One extra hour is thirty minutes extra of daylight.

The US has 28 GW of installed solar capacity. With the extra daylight, there will be a 4% increase in national capacity, an entire GW added. This small increase alone powers 700,000 homes. I’m spending the time investing in photovoltaics!

• Thinks Outside the Box: Most students would answer this prompt more literally: with what activity they would do. Having a unique approach shows your ability to think differently.
• Cleverness: Strikes the right balance between being clever and genuinely answering the prompt. Trying too hard to be clever is easily seen-through.
• Explain Acronyms Before Using: Instead of writing "GW," the first reference should say "gigawatt." This is a minor semantic correction that would make things slightly more clear.

7. Stanford University "Genuinely Excited About Learning" Short Essay

Prompt: 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. (100-250 words)

It’s in the mail.

I rip open the package.

It feels sleek along my fingertips. Three volumes. Gorgeous red binding with stunning silver lettering. THE Feynman LECTURES ON PHYSICS The NEW MILLENIUM Edition

I had heard about them previously, but a Quora thread on “essential physics texts” convinced me to invest in them. I thought I was buying a textbook, but I was buying a new way of life. That night, while I laid in bed, Feynman changed my entire perspective of the universe. In the first lecture.

Not only was he a Nobel prize winning physicist with a unique approach to the subject, but his pedagogical capabilities were perfectly suited to my personality. When Feynman teaches, he does not just teach physics, he teaches how to think and understand. He helped me recognize that my passion wasn’t for physics, it was for a passion for learning and understanding.

Spoken directly from the source: “I don't know anything, but I do know that everything is interesting if you go into it deeply enough.”

Reading the Lectures rouses within me the most intense feeling of elation I have ever experienced. When I open the Lectures, any bad mood is erased, any haze in my mind is cleared away, and I become the person I strive to be.

Now, I always have at least one of the Lectures on me. At festivals, in backpacks, in carryons, if I am there, so are the Lectures.

• Tells a Story: Painting a vivid picture can bring admissions officers into your world. Using stories also is a compelling way to share ideas without stating them plainly.
• Showcases Genuine Interest: Write about things in a way that only you could write about. The authenticity in this essay is palpable.

8. Stanford University "Letter to Roommate" Short Essay

Prompt: 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)

Dear roommate,

Don’t be alarmed if you glance over at my laptop late at night displaying a plague doctor examining a watermelon with a stethoscope, meticulously listening for a heartbeat.

I apologise for waking you, but before requesting a room change, allow me to explain. This twisted scene is innocently my favorite video on YouTube. I have ASMR, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is a euphoric, calming sensation triggered by visual and auditory stimuli like whispering and fine movements, which I use to aid my insomnia. This plague doctor, played by youtuber Ephemeral Rift, has movements as he inspects the watermelon that are as calming to me as a mother’s lullabies are to a child.

I know we will both have our strong, unique personalities with our individual quirks like this. However, I guarantee we have a fundamental similarity which lead us to becoming Stanford students.

We have passion for learning. Even if two people are polar-opposite personalities, they can become family if they have this.

That said, I have a feeling we won’t be polar opposites. I love jamming on my guitar, going out to parties, playing video games, messing around with soccer, and a hodgepodge of other hobbies. I’m sure we’ll have some common ground to start off but either way there will be plenty of time to grow together!

P.S. I am a whiteboard fiend. I hope that’s okay.

• Humanizes the Author: Being quirky for quirkiness sake isn't good. But the author strikes a balance between showing their unique (some may say strange) interests and the relatable aspects (like whiteboards, going to parties, and soccer).
• Connects to Bigger Ideas: Even in "unserious" writing, connecting to meaningful ideas is key. The author brilliantly shows what relates all Stanford students: their passion for learning.
• Minor Writing Fixes: Small edits such as capitalizing the proper noun "Youtuber" and some word choices could be altered.

9. Stanford University "Meaningful To You" Short Essay

Prompt: Tell us about something that is meaningful to you and why. (100-250 words)

A meaningful discussion can be found deep in the jungle of YouTube, during an obscure “CBS This Morning” interview with Bill Murray.

“What do you want, that you don’t have?” - Charlie Rose

Bill Murray - “I’d like to be here all the time, and just see what I could get done, what I could do if I really, you know, didn’t cloud myself... if I were able to... to not get distracted. To not change channels in my mind and body, to be my own channel.”

Death is scary but my slimy, monolithic, Lovecraftian fear is unengagement. I only have a brief time to experience life and I know I will find the most fulfillment in “[seeing] what I could get done.” When I feel that signature fuzzy, tired feeling in my head, I am reminded of my old night terrors; I would be awake yet unable to interact with my surroundings.

In sophomore year, when I discovered my passion for physics, I found a powerful way to stay engaged. Developing a passion fundamentally requires me, as Murray puts it, “to be my own channel.” Problem solving, understanding difficult concepts, having intense discussions all demand your mind to be present and I am more than happy to oblige.

Intellectual vitality is not my application buzzword, it is my lifestyle.

• Shows What Drives Them: Admissions officers are interested in the root of your being. That is, what gets you up in the morning. Showing your perspective on life and what you hope to get out of life is key.
• Connects to Application's Interests: A central theme of this author is physics. And each essay relates back to their intended area of study to a varying degree. By connecting to the rest of your application, it creates a cohesive picture of yourself as an applicant.
• Use Less Quotes: Quotes can be great for introducing ideas. But ultimately admissions officers want to hear your words, not other people's. The first three paragraphs are about other people's ideas, not the author's, and could be condensed.

10. Stanford University Short Essay

Prompt: Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (150 words max)

One month into AP Physics C Mr. Shapiro's cancer came out of remission. With no teacher for the rest of the semester, I offered to give a few lectures. The first try was a huge success and I was hooked on teaching.

Following my newfound addiction, I started Lowell Physics Club (LPC). Our first lecture attracted 50 students, with 40 returning the next week!

A victim of grandeur, I designed an environment more than a club. It had to be innovative, attractive, and have a tangible payoff. We tutor students in physics, connect those looking for fun projects, prepare students for the F=ma Olympiad, and sometimes I give lectures which expand rather than repeat. This year two students qualified.

Mr. Shapiro returned this semester and continued teaching. I can now relax in the back of the room listening to his engaging lectures, occasionally giving one of my own.

• Provides Backstory: Explaining how you got started in an extracurricular is compelling because it reveals your motivations for doing it.
• Shows Takeaways from Their Achievements: Listing achievements and extracurriculars isn't as important as what you got from them. The author emphasizes the important of their extracurricular and why it is meaningful, rather than just what they did.
• Be Careful With Personal Details: Unless this author got permission from "Mr. Shapiro" to use their name, revealing personal details such as health conditions is not good to do. Always be careful naming people in your essays, but especially for potentially sensitive topics.

11. Stanford University Short Question

Prompt: When the choice is yours, what do you read, listen to, or watch? (50 words max)

From my bookshelf, Youtube subscriptions, Netflix history, and Spotify.

The Feynman Lectures, MF Doom, Ephemeral Rift, Tank and The Bangas, The Eric Andre Show, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Hubbard and Hubbard’s Differential Equations and Vector Calculus, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Kamasi Washington, 3Blue1Brown, Al Green, Band of Gypsys, Oxford Press - Very Short Introductions

• Answers Prompt Clearly: Provides a straightforward response without room for misinterpretation.
• Has Good Context: By stating where these interests come from ("bookshelf, Youtube subscriptions, Netflix"), the answers have more context.
• Organization: Listing their interests by type (such as musical artists, authors, and TV shows) would help readers who may not be as familiar with all the interests.

12. Stanford University Common App Essay

Common App 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. (250-650 words)

Slowly, my passion emerged from pretense and envy into reality.

This essay is all based upon the metaphor of "the itch" representing a desire to understand the world. By using a central theme, such as a metaphor, you can create a thread of ideas that run throughout your essay. If you want to use a metaphor, make sure it clearly relates to the idea you're trying to express, rather than choosing one just because it is a creative or unique approach. In this case, there is perhaps no better metaphor than "the itch" which would capture their main idea, so it works well.

Instead of "telling" their ideas, this essay does a lot of fantastic "showing" through specific anecdotes. Sentences like "I learned to sing the blues before I knew the words..." capture a lot about the author's character and background without having to say it outright. By showing the reader, you allow them to draw their own conclusions rather than just having to accept what you're telling them. Using specific language also creates a more vibrant and interesting essay. Rather than saying "I loved learning as a kid," this student shows it using a concrete example: "my favorite book was an introduction to fulcrums".

Writing about other people in your essay can be a great way to tell things about yourself. Known as a literary "foil," by describing other people you can show your own values without stating them plainly. In this essay, the author shows their value (of being passionate about learning) by first recognizing that value in somebody else, "Kikki" in this case. By writing about people in your life, you can also create a sense of humility and humanity. Nobody is an "island," meaning that everyone is influenced by those around us. Showing how you draw inspiration, values, or lessons from others will show more about your character than simply telling admissions would.

In general, listing activities in your essay is a bad strategy, because it is repetitive of your activities list and comes across boring. However, this essay manages to list their activities in the 3rd-to-last paragraph by connecting them to a central idea: how their newfound passion for learning sparked all these new engagements. Listing activities can be okay, but only if they have a clear purpose in doing so. In this case, the purpose is to show how these activities are representative of their new passion for learning. But the purpose for listing activities could also be to show a specific value, provide examples for your idea, demonstrate your new perspective, etc.

What Can You Learn From These Stanford Essays?

Do you want to get into Stanford in 2022? If so, writing great application essays is one of your most critical parts of applying.

With selective schools like Stanford, your essays matter even more.

Hopefully these 12 Stanford short answers and essays have helped inspire you.

From these essay examples, you can learn what it takes to write some stellar Stanford supplements:

• Don't be afraid to be creative
• Don't write formally. You can write as you would speak.
• Showcase your genuine self, interests, and passions
• Think outside the box, if appropriate and natural

If you enjoyed these essays, you'll also like reading UCLA essays and USC essays .

What did you think of these Stanford essays?

Meet the Author

Ryan Chiang

I'm Ryan Chiang and I created EssaysThatWorked.com - a website dedicated to helping students and their families apply to college with confidence & ease. We publish the best college admissions essays from successful applicants every year to inspire and teach future students.

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The Essays that got me into Stanford University (+ advice)

Commonapp personal statement and stanford essays.

Chaidie Petris

Big Anti-Plagiarism Disclaimer (just read it)

Don’t do it — it’s just a crappy idea because 1) it never works (and even if it did, the whole app process is to connect you with a school you’ll be a good fit with, so not being honest will probably not do you any favors) and 2) if you’re that unconfident in your own work, your problem isn’t skill in writing an essay. Have a little faith in yourself, and a piece of writing that is truly you will shine SO much brighter than one you’ve assumed. Trust me. That said, I hope these example essays are helpful. I decided to put them out there as an example of how one student drew a picture of themselves for a university, but how you do that is 100% unique to you. Let me know if you have any questions about the essay process though and I’ll do my best to help out :) PS remember that these essays got me accepted to Stanford, but also rejected from a lot of universities and colleges. A LOT. Very many grains of salt here, every school is different.

Your weekly book rec…

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta. I just finished this, and it’s a powerful story about a gay, mixed race guy growing up in London and feeling like he never quite fits in with any of his identities — Greek Cypriot, Jamaican, LGBT, etc. That is, until college, when he joins a drag society which gives him the confidence and community that helps him to embrace the identities he never felt like he could claim before. It’s a really powerful take on intersectionality, on that feeling of being suspended between multiple worlds, and the genuine experiences of life and how art combats that. It’s written in verse, which I found really out of the box, and is interspersed with timely poems that he wrote at different stages of his life. It’s a really good read, and not a long one, and I would highly recommend it.

CommonApp Personal Statement Essay

For those of you who don’t know, this essay is the CommonApp one that you write that goes out to all the colleges you apply to through that platform.

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.

When I was younger, I aspired to be rich so I could own an enormous library. I imagined the sense of self-worth and pride that would accompany gazing at floor-to-ceiling sturdy, oak shelves almost bursting under the weight of beautiful volumes in various languages. As a child, complete success and ownership of what you love feels completely plausible, a dream only kept from you by the restrictions of time. The only difference I saw at that time between poor and rich was the public library users and the library owners. The only thing keeping me from the latter was the barrier of age and motivation, which I was sure I could overcome by harnessing knowledge under my fist and using it to attain anything I wanted. I continued to hold this view while I was homeschooled, but when I began to attend a private high school, I realized that the difference between basic economic security and the lack thereof was much more complex. In the past three years I have come to see that not only are my peers unlike myself, but they do not know that there is a difference between us. No one understands the concept of economic insecurity if they have never had to give up their summers and afternoons after school to work to help with bills, if they have never had to pay for their own expenses and textbooks, if they complain about having dinner with their parents, never having experienced a time when their parents were at work before breakfast and back after their bedtimes. The only other people my age I have encountered who truly understood this were those whose knowledge was also founded on personal experience. But the worst part about this lack of awareness is the fact that I consider myself to be very privileged. Certainly, I have to work, but I also go to a private school. I can’t afford the to get my driver’s license like the others in my class, but I own a smartphone. The issue is not that most of the people at my high school don’t see me, it’s that they don’t see anyone who is worse off — those who can’t afford to go to school, who have to work longer hours than me, who are separated from their parents at the border — they don’t see any of those people, not really. Even amongst the most politically liberal, there seems to be an underlying current of fear and denial that prevents the most basic empathy. This has led me to the question: Why? All my life, the process of buying books has been inherently thoughtful. It involves exploring used bookstores, carefully considering and handling every book before buying it. I choose the books that I own carefully because I have to. Even after I buy the book, I read it with appreciation, and then retire it to a shelf which is not a symbol of my money, but a road map of my true thoughts and interests. I value my books more than anything else because of the thought they provoke. From this, I have learned what the people who can stock their shelves full of new, leather-bound books don’t: thoughtful awareness. That’s what separates me from my schoolmates. No matter their political identity, people don’t often think about issues that seem distant from them, if for no other reason than they don’t have to. Because of the perspective my economic circumstances have given me, I actively engage with new ideas and perspectives in order to avoid making the same mistakes as those around me which might cause someone’s knowledge or needs to be overlooked due to their personal circumstances. I think and I act. I have come to understand that the rich people I envied as a child might have enormous libraries, but they certainly don’t have them to read the books.

What I noticed about this essay is it’s good to have a balance of quirky specific things about you and your interests (I am a huge bookworm and this is a truth universally acknowledged) and applicable interests of yours that you might engage to inspire change. Here’s my (very over-simplified) concept: school wants student that will fit well with school so student will be cool and change the world for the better and ultimately people will go wow and give school money. So show something you’re passionate about and delve deep into how your mind works, without getting too out of the bounds of relatability. Also remember that there’s no way you can share EVERYTHING meaningful to you so write a little picture into your life, not portfolio-summary-10-point-manifesto of your hopes, dreams, and interests.

I also found it super helpful to write several essays on vastly different topics and then choose the one I liked best. It’s good to run them by someone to see if they think it really captures who you are, too.

Stanford-specific short questions

Most significant challenge society faces.

There is a loss of imagination resulting in the lessening of both individuality and empathy. People rarely take the time to introspect and consider what makes them distinct and why they ought to own that, and at the same time they fail to consider how others also have unique value.

Connection between essays/responses really helps bring the ‘picture’ of you that the admission officer sees together. This response connects to a theme in my app of the importance of equal opportunity and giving voice to different perspectives.

Last two summers

Working half-time (2018) and full-time (2019) at the Dry Eye Company (my mum’s business) to fund school and save for college; Taking two classes (English Composition, English Literature) at Olympic College (local community college); Taking Driver’s Ed; Reading books (particularly Classics, Russian Literature); Writing (prose, poetry, and social commentary)

Not much to say about this, I really maxed on the space by condensing points as much as possible.

Historical moment or event

Yiannis Ritsos writing poetry from inside the Greek prison camp. I want to understand whether he did it for himself to get through the experience or to rebel against lack of free speech.

Again, connections are key — this goes back to Greek heritage mentioned in my ‘additional information’ section, to my interest in Classics specified elsewhere in the app, and my personal love of the intersection of poetry and activism.

What five words best describe you?

Intellectual, genuine, self-actualized, determined, stalwart

I know a lot of people who got more creative with this and used their five words to form a quirky sentence. If you do my approach it’s helpful to ask other people how they describe you.

What do you read, listen to, or watch?

Books: Gogol’s The Overcoat George Macdonald’s Phantastes Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita Yiannis Ritsos’s poetry Music: Yiannis Kotsiras’s To Agriolouloutho Vladimir Vysotsky’s Fastidious Hourses The Great Courses Plus Lectures: Topics — Russian Literature, Ancient History/Archaeology, Greek Literature, Logic, Philosophy Operas: Eugene Onegin The Pearl Fishers Movies: Doctor Zhivago

Okay I really felt like I needed movies but I honestly could not think of any (me unwilling to admit that I live for sitting blank-faced through horror movies) so I just used the one I watched most recently with a friend. Guys. You do not need to do this. Just leave it off if you’re not that interested in a category.

Some other stuff — my music taste, opera taste and book interests corresponded with my professed academic interests of Classics and Slavic Languages and Literatures elsewhere.

Other other stuff — please just be honest about what you like. I spent the first half of high school adhering to everyone ELSE’s music tastes but just go with it and embrace what you like. Admissions officers will notice if your interests are out of the ordinary (of course it’s not a bad thing to have standard music taste, just remember it’s not a bad thing to not, either).

One thing you are looking forward to at Stanford

Having interesting conversations (academic and non-academic) with a new diverse group of people. I come from a little town with little diversity of perspectives, so getting to know how others see the world is very important to me. I think this is part of what makes a rich learning environment.

Extra hour in the day

I would write a poem about how time is becoming commoditized and how little the world appreciates it until it is gone (all the while sipping mint tea).

Get sassy in your applications if you want to. I’m pretty sure midnight Chaidie wrote some of the snappier bits like this and the roommate essay.

Stanford-specific short essays

Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you excited about learning.

The classroom thrummed with energy and anticipation. It seemed counterintuitive, what could elevate Thomas Hobbes to the exciting? But in the history classroom, somehow the energy of my history teacher’s animated face lit the room and caused minds to ponder new depths. We had split into little groups of three and four, and I was seated with people I had spoken probably two words to outside of class. But, such is the power of conversation, we all poured out our ideas. It was that collaborative sense of hearing different perspectives and piecing together fragments to create the mosaic of history. It is that height of academic conversation that excites me to learn. Learning transcends all backgrounds, having elements that go beyond subjective experience. At the same time, it unites different perspectives, because the more perspectives there are the more complete of any idea we find of the truth. I went from a little frightened at the prospect of shedding the comfort of my friend group to growing exuberance as I heard ideas I would never have thought of about Hobbes according to different people’s interest. People who naturally think about context took a structuralist approach, one economically inclined person saw the reading through a Marxist lens, another a feminist critique — far more than would ever have been thought up by one individual. This little history discussion about a seemingly dense and objective text brought the life to learning for me by showing me the power of perspectives and conversation.

True story. Be honest. Sometimes the first thing that comes to your mind is the right one, even if it seems unoriginal. Just staying true to your own experiences and feelings will make it original.

Note to future roommate

Well this is embarrassing. I hope to god my future roommate never stumbles across it.

Most Esteemed Future Roommate, If you walk in at 2:00AM to find me lying on the floor listening to depressing music by Vysotsky and clutching a volume by Homer or Dostoevsky like a teddy bear, please do not be alarmed. As an only child, I have never had to share my room except with a parent, and so the transition might be a little rocky (although I by all means invite you to my carpeted book and anguish club). Further, books have always brought me comfort, whether to escape from loneliness or the crowd (usually the latter, I’m rather introverted), and I alternate between daring to socialize and retreating upon a few beloved volumes to which I give equal or greater affection than people. In that line — I desire to know all of your favorite books — or the ones you detest — in order to know you better! Whenever I meet people, I think of what their story would be like, what author’s voice it might be written in, what the title would be. Needless to say, hit me up if you every want to borrow a book. Or a pen. Yours bookishly, Chaidie

Something meaningful to you and why

The novel Phantastes by George Macdonald was my childhood favorite book and crops up again in my mind with new meaning every passing year. As a child, my mum read it to me, and I loved it so much that it was one of the first full books I read on my own. Its meaning to me then was in the story; I admired the artful crafting of characters, artistic faerie lands and realistic houses which mingled reality, metaphor, and the grotesque with beautiful language. It played a large role in my early attempts at writing fantasy fiction and short stories. In middle school I reread it again, and found new meaning in the complexities of the characters and the changes in mindset and belief that Anodos, the main character, experienced throughout his trials. Several years later, after having developed an interest in Classics and having studied my own Greek heritage more in depth, I loved Macdonald’s incorporation of aspects of the Classical Greek world, from allusions to mythology and philosophy in the descriptions and characters to the Greek etymology of many of the character names (Anodos meaning ‘to progress upward’). Still an enthusiast for Classics and an aspiring writer, my current self still finds meaning in this childhood favorite. I revel in Macdonald’s brilliant use of language and mobilization of the metaphors of all time; it is his application of the Classics that inspire me to pursue that subject along with others to enrich my own writing and communication.

I changed this one a few times. I stuck with this version because I felt it was a good wrap, combining the subject of my personal statement with my family background and my academic interests in a satisfying, conclusive way. Tip: write about something you’re really fascinated by, something that has kept you up at nights and that your brain just goes back to for no apparent reason. Those are the things where your excitement will GLOW through the words on the page.

You’ve got this

College essays are a pain in the ass. There’s no way of summing yourself up perfectly. Admissions people probably won’t see you as a good match at every school you apply to. Not to mention the oppressive and discriminatory undertones that are historically literally engrained in the admissions process. But you’ll be okay. In the end, I feel like I learned quite a bit about myself by having to question how to sum myself up in so few freaking words. It really, really sucks, but you do end up getting something out of it, even if not what you initially expected to.

Written by Chaidie Petris

Stanford ’24. Poet/writer. chaidiepetris.com

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50 Successful Stanford Application Essays

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• Gen Tanabe - Author
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• Release date: August 15, 2018

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Publisher: SuperCollege Edition: 3

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Essays help us learn about who you are rather than solely what you have done.

Other parts of the application give insight into your academic and professional accomplishments; the essays reveal the person behind those achievements.

Essay Questions

We request that you write two personal essays.

In each essay, we want to hear your genuine voice. Think carefully about your values, passions, aims, and dreams. There is no “right answer” to these questions — the best answer is the one that is truest for you.

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?

For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?

Essay B: Why Stanford?

Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,000 words. We recommend up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 350 words for Essay B. We often read effective essays that are written in fewer words.

Editing Your Essays

Begin work on the essays early to give yourself time to reflect, write, and edit.

Feel free to ask friends or family members for feedback, especially about whether the tone and voice sound like you. Your family and friends know you better than anyone. If they think the essays do not capture who you are, what you believe, and what you aspire to do, then surely we will be unable to recognize what is distinctive about you.

Feedback vs. Coaching

There is a big difference between “feedback” and “coaching.” You cross that line when any part of the application (excluding the letters of recommendation ) ceases to be exclusively yours in either thought or word.

Appropriate feedback occurs when others review your completed application — perhaps once or twice — and apprise you of omissions, errors, or inaccuracies that you later correct or address. After editing is complete, your thoughts, voice, and style remain intact. Inappropriate coaching occurs when you allow others to craft any part of your application for you and, as a result, your application or self-presentation is not authentic.

It is improper and a violation of the terms of this application process to have another person or tool write your essays. Such behavior will result in denial of your application or revocation of your admission.

Additional Information

If there is any information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, include it in the Additional Information section of the application. Pertinent examples include:

• Extenuating circumstances affecting your candidacy, including academic, work, or test-taking experiences
• Academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere
• Explanation of why you are not using a current supervisor as a recommender

This section should not be used as an additional essay.

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Your Trusted Advisors for Admissions Success

Admissions and test prep resources to help you get into your dream schools

How to Get Into Stanford Undergrad: Essays and Strategies That Worked

How hard it is to get into stanford learn the stanford acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and read successful essay examples.

LEARN HOW TO GET INTO STANFORD

Part 1: Introduction

Part 2: stanford admission requirements, part 3: applying to stanford early action vs. regular decision, part 4: 2024–2025 stanford supplemental essays (examples included), part 5: frequently asked questions.

Perhaps you’ve begun the endless research and campus tours that comprise so many parents’ lives as their high schoolers apply to college. If you’re the parent of a high-achieving teen, you’re likely visiting Ivy League universities. 

Have you also planned a trip to perhaps the most famous of the “Ivy Plus” schools, Stanford University , in the Bay Area of California?

While their highly ranked Ivy League peers like Harvard and Yale boast of being the oldest or among the oldest universities in the country, Stanford lays claim to being forward-looking and cutting-edge. 

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, a stone’s throw from the corporate headquarters of Apple, Google, and Facebook, Stanford students enjoy a cozy relationship with the booming tech world, often earning top internships at such companies and even going on to found their own, drawing on Stanford’s extensive network of technologists and venture capitalists. It’s been called “the billionaire factory.”

But Stanford isn’t just a training ground for the Valley. Stanford undergrads might also research in a world-famous medical center’s laboratories or attend readings with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists. 

Your child might find her calling in the Asian American Studies or the Chicano/Latino Studies programs, where she can engage with California’s rich history of migration. She might combine an interest in technology and the canon by pursuing a minor in digital humanities.

Or, your child might be taken with the prestigious programs in economics or international relations, perhaps in Stanford’s unique interdisciplinary International Security Studies or Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law paths, while sharing a campus with Condoleezza Rice. 

The point is this: Stanford’s reputation for innovation may come from its connection to the tech world, but a creative approach to intellectual pursuits can be seen across disciplines.

If your child finds themselves walking beneath the rolling red Mediterranean-style roofs of Stanford, they’ll have much to look forward to, from a bustling residential life in the dorms and co-ops to evenings spent cheering on the nationally competitive basketball team to many days studying beneath palm trees.

Of course, getting into Stanford is no easy feat. Fortunately, our team has helped many Stanford applicants achieve results like this:

"I would like to share the amazing news with you. [name removed] just checked his Stanford portal and he got accepted to Stanford for the class of 2024. We are still shocked and it felt so unreal. Thank you so much to both of you for your support throughout his college application process." STUDENT ACCEPTED TO STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Read on to learn the Stanford University acceptance rate, admissions requirements, and strategies for crafting compelling application materials.

Stanford University ranking

Stanford is always near the top of all major university rankings, breathing down Harvard’s neck.

U.S. News and World Report: 3 (tie)

Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education: 2

Where is Stanford?

Stanford is technically located in Stanford, CA, but most people call its home Palo Alto. Just north of Mountain View (home to Google) and Cupertino (home to Apple), Palo Alto is clean, safe, and home to many posh restaurants, yoga studios, and boutiques.

Stanford setting

Palo Alto’s suburban population is around 69,000 people, but because towns bleed into one another in the Bay Area, that 69,000 can feel quite big. Palo Alto fills up during the day with workers commuting to tech companies.

Much of Palo Alto’s University Avenue offerings are expensive and beyond the standard student budget, but Palo Alto connects via Caltrain to San Francisco, where students might grab a cheap, delicious burrito or check out museums and theater. With some effort on public transit or with a car, students can also make their way to San Jose, or to Berkeley or Oakland, for more exploration.

Stanford student population

Undergraduate students: 7,841

Graduate and professional students: 9,688

Stanford acceptance rate

Below are admissions statistics for the class of 2027:

Applications: 53,733

Acceptances: 2,099

Matriculants: 1,699

Acceptance rate: 3.91%

Stanford has stopped reporting its early acceptance rates in an effort to keep from discouraging potential applicants.

(Suggested reading: Ivy League Acceptance Rates )

Stanford tuition and scholarships

Stanford’s 2024–2025 cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, room, board, and fees) is $92,892.

The average need-based financial aid award for freshman students is $70,349. Stanford covers 100 percent of demonstrated need, and families earning $75,000 per year or less typically are not expected to contribute to their child’s cost of education.

Who gets into Stanford?

To assist you in assessing your child’s odds of getting into Stanford, we’ve provided academic and demographic information related to successful Stanford applicants:

96% of students ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.

Stanford average GPA: 3.96

Stanford average ACT score:

25th percentile: 32

75th percentile: 35

Stanford average SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing score:

25th percentile: 720

7th percentile: 770

Stanford average SAT Math score:

25th percentile: 750

75th percentile: 800

International students: 15%

Public school attendees: 57%

First-generation college students: 20%

21% white, 26% Asian, 17% Latine/Latinx, and 9% African American

Over 90% of our students get into one or more of their top 3 schools

Get our free 110-page guide for strategies to become the kind of applicant that selective colleges love to admit: How to Get Into America’s Elite Colleges: The Ultimate Guide

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Thank you! Your guide is on its way. In the meantime, please let us know how we can help you crack the the college admissions code . You can also learn more about our 1-on-1 college admissions support here .

Stanford academic requirements

Stanford doesn’t expect its freshmen to have completed a set amount of coursework before matriculating, but most successful applicants have four years of English and math, and three or more years of science/lab science, social studies/history, and a foreign language. 

Like many of its peer schools, Stanford’s is a holistic admissions process. Committees will not simply count up your child’s AP or IB courses , or the hours spent in extracurricular activities . 

Rather, Stanford hopes to see your child regularly challenge themselves academically, taking advantage of the intellectual resources available to them at their school — which might mean taking eight APs, or two and a community college class.

Stanford application requirements

In addition to all that, here’s what else your child will need in order to apply. Stanford accepts the Common Application and the Coalition application.

Common App Essay

Optional in 2024–2025: ACT or SAT test scores

The standardized testing requirement is planned to be reinstated during the 2025–2026 cycle .

Optional: IB, AP, or AICE test results

2 letters of recommendation

School report and counselor letter of recommendation

School transcripts and midyear transcript

Optional arts portfolio for highly accomplished students in art practice, dance, music, or theater and performance (note that arts applicants have a separate deadline to meet)

Students can apply to Stanford via restrictive early action , submitting all material by November 1st to receive a decision by December 15th.

Your child can also apply to Stanford regular decision. The Stanford regular decision deadline is January 5th with decisions being released on April 1st.

Should my child apply to Stanford early?

If Stanford is your child’s top choice or close to their top choice and they don’t need or want to apply to another university through restrictive early action or binding early decision, then applying early to Stanford might be a good choice. 

Remember that, though we don’t have access to Stanford’s comparative early/regular decision data, most schools that practice restrictive early action tend to have higher acceptance rates during the early round than in the late round. 

This is not because those schools are practicing preferential admissions for early applicants, but rather because those applicants applying early tend to be highly qualified and well-prepared, hence their ability to apply before November 1st.

(Suggested reading: Early Action vs. Early Decision: Pros and Cons and What Your Child Should Do )

Part 4: 2024-2025 Stanford supplemental essays (examples included)

(Note: While this section covers Stanford’s admissions essays specifically, we encourage you to view additional successful college essay examples .)

In addition to the Common App essay, Stanford applicants will answer a series of short answer questions as well as write several supplemental essays . Below, we’ll go through each question and provide guidance on how to answer it, as well as show you an example answer that works.  

Stanford short answer questions

Stanford asks applicants to answer the following five short answer questions, using up to 50 words per question:

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?

How did you spend your last two summers?

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.

List five things that are important to you.

All of these short answer prompts are a chance for your child to show off some aspect of themselves that might have otherwise been stifled by the rest of the application process. That really is how they should think of it: what about me —not about my resume or my transcript, but about me —have I not had the chance to display yet?

Here are a few examples of mini-essays that work well for these prompts, which are not unlike Yale’s short answers. They’re pulled from the following students, who are composites of the many applicants we’ve worked with in nearly 20 years in the admissions advising world.

Jane grew up in semi-rural Oregon and will be the second person in her family to attend college, after her sister. She’s interested in medicine.

Olga has Eastern European parents who settled in Paris and raised her trilingual before sending her to an East Coast boarding school. At Stanford, she’d love to pursue one of the international relations programs.

Marcus’s father is a pastor in Baltimore. He’s considered ministry himself, but is also drawn to technology and architecture.

Deepak was born and raised in Cupertino, California. He’s worked on his school paper and been a star on the speech and debate team. He has no idea what he’d like to major in.

Learn how to write outstanding supplemental college essays

Get our free 110-page guide to help you with every single one: How to Get Into America’s Elite Colleges: The Ultimate Guide

Here’s how some of these students tackled the short answers.

Question 1: What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words)

Olga wrote:

We are at risk of eliminating heterodoxical discourse. As our attention spans get shorter and our appetite for information greater, we have less tolerance for substantive public discussion. I think about this every month as I lay out our newspaper’s opinion page. ‘Are we missing something here?’ I ask myself.

What works about this answer?

Olga gives her “challenge” a name. (Hers is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s tempered by the clear language surrounding it.) By naming the issue—the elimination of heterodoxical discourse—she signals to the Stanford admissions committee that she has read and thought enough about the issue to encapsulate it.

Olga also brings the “challenge” back to her personal story. The newspaper is a minor extracurricular for her. But by swinging back to the room where she sits once a month thinking about public opinion, she assures us that there’s a reason she thinks about this issue.

Olga’s approach is better than simply writing, “The climate is changing” or “Nuclear weapons are bad”—both of which might in fact be larger issues than Olga’s choice but which she has less personal, direct experience with.

Remember: this prompt is not an invitation to write a policy paper in 50 words. It’s a chance for your child to talk about something that feels urgent to them, intellectually, spiritually, politically, etc. 

Question 2: How did you spend your last two summers? (50 words)

Question 3: What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 words)

Question 4: Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words)

Question 5: List five things that are important to you. (50 words)

Gain instant access to essay examples for every supplemental essay prompt from the top universities and BS/MD programs in the United States. Subscribe today to lock in the current investments, which will be increasing in the future for new subscribers.

Stanford supplemental essays

On top of those short answers, applicants must also respond to three supplemental essay prompts located in Stanford’s Common App under the “Short Essays” section. The 2024–2025 questions, each of which must be answered in 100–250 words, are as follows:

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.

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.

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

We’ll walk you through how to answer Question 1 and Question 3 here. We have a separate guide to answering Question 2, the infamous Stanford roommate essay .

Question 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.

We like to call this one the “Intellectual Vitality Essay.” Through the years, we’ve seen students write about a number of types of topics in response to this prompt.

Coursework: Some students pick their favorite class or a favorite subject area and discuss what they love about it. It’s a great strategy to elaborate on something already visible in your application, as long as you’re not simply saying that you have studied Spanish for five years. More interesting is a discussion of that time you fell in love with Don Quixote , and why. 

Extracurriculars: Similarly, many students choose to elaborate on some extracurricular activity or job that means a lot to them. Deepak’s short answer on debate above is a good example of how to make this approach. Your child should never simply summarize what’s already visible or intuited from their application. They must always add a story to what’s already visible, by providing specific examples, images, anecdotes, and takeaways.

Autodidactic pursuits: If your child is a tinkerer, a maker, a self-taught coder or linguist or musician or writer, then they can use this chance to talk about something that’s not on their application at all. This is a great way to add a whole new dimension.

Personal, emotional, or otherwise internal pursuits: Is your child particularly emotionally intelligent, intuitive, or interested in personal growth? Self-improvement is another way into this topic. We’ve seen students write about learning resilience through grief or persistence through athletics. 

Two more things are worth noting about this prompt. Students can choose between an idea and an experience . 

In order to write a foolproof essay, we strongly recommend building around an experience in some form, even if it’s only a slight connection. Remember that your child is not being asked to write a paper about, say, phenomenology, even if that’s the idea that gets them psyched about learning. 

Encourage them to connect that idea to their personal biography for a sentence or a paragraph. When did they first encounter said idea? What caused the spark or the Eureka moment? Was there another person who helped introduce them to that idea? Who are they? 

Experiences contain in them characters, rooms, scenes, images, and above all, specificity. Your child’s essay is very likely to come across as vague rather than insightful and philosophical if it does not contain some link to experience.

Here’s Jane’s essay:

A lot of people mention measles in the same breath as scarlet fever or polio. It’s supposed to be obsolete. But that’s not the case in Oregon, where I’m from, and where some of my own relatives have what they feel is a healthy suspicion of vaccination. 

The summer I first went to an intensive program for female and minority STEM teenagers at Oregon State was also the summer I spent a week with some family members who are extremely skeptical of vaccinations. It was strange to leave OSU and land up at a dinner table where my uncle was decrying not only shots but also climate change and other issues the liberal science geeks I’d just spent four weeks with hold dear. 

At first, I wanted to point out how wrong my family was, but when I started to listen, I realized that they’d read a lot—they just weren’t reading the sources I’d been taught to trust, and they weren’t following scientific methods of inquiry. 

I still don’t know how to reconcile those two worlds, but I know someone has to try. I dream of being a doctor because someone has to learn about not only the science but also the society the science is meant to help, and I plan to do both.

Jane’s essay could sort of fall under the extracurricular pursuit category, and it might also fall under the internal pursuit category. But it’s so strong because it actually transcends all of the above “types.” 

She manages to interweave the personal and the intellectual clearly and compellingly while also displaying an emotional maturity—Jane doesn’t call her family members foolish, but in fact demonstrates her empathy and willingness to take on their point of view.

Here’s what else Jane does well:

She doesn’t spend too much time explaining the extracurricular activity to which her story is linked. She knows the Stanford admissions committee will have her resumé on hand, and she knows she doesn’t have to brag about, say, how selective her program was. Instead she gets right to the business of elaboration.

Her essay includes characters other than herself (her family members, and specifically her uncle; her classmates at the program). She doesn’t spend much time describing them, which is fine. What’s important is that each small detail helps ground the idea in an experience .

Jane makes her way to a clear thesis by the end of the essay, a thesis which also spins her essay forward: she wants to become a doctor in part to address misunderstandings about science. We could call her “idea” something like scientific literacy or public health education. 

Question 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.

How can I increase my chances of getting into Stanford?

Students often ask questions like this in the hopes of discovering an aspect of the admissions process that is sure to give them an edge, even if that edge is slight. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way for your child to increase their chances of getting into Stanford.

Stanford seeks academic excellence. It’s no secret that accepted students possess high test scores and stellar GPAs. This should form the foundation of your child’s application, but this alone will not be enough to guarantee entry.

Beyond academics, your child will need to demonstrate fit for Stanford. This includes qualities such as intellectual curiosity, openness to new ideas, creative and critical thinking skills, commitment to a community, and leadership.

Have your child strive to showcase any unique talents or achievements in their essays as well as clearly communicate their reasons for wanting to attend Stanford. Simply wanting to attend a top school is not enough. They should point to specific interests that align with programs, faculty, or facilities at Stanford and articulate how a Stanford education will propel them towards a meaningful career.

Is UCLA or Stanford harder to get into?

Comparing the difficulty of entry into UCLA and Stanford depends on a variety of factors. However, typically the acceptance rate of Stanford hovers around 4 percent, while UCLA is usually closer to 8 percent.

That said, UCLA is a public institution with a large and diverse student population, while Stanford is a private university with a large focus on research. Both schools are known for their high academic standards, but when it comes to test scores and GPAs, Stanford tends to admit students with scores slightly higher than UCLA.

Final thoughts

Stanford is a reach school for every applicant, regardless of how qualified they are. But if your child can engage fully and passionately with the Stanford application, especially its school-specific supplemental questions, they’ll become a far more compelling applicant, and may indeed find themselves roaming the sunny California campus one day. 

About the Author

Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.

THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.

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How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essays: Examples + Guide 2024/2025

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essays TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What are the Stanford supplemental essay prompts?
• How to write each supplemental essay prompt for Stanford
• Prompt #1: "Most significant challenge" essay
• Prompt #2: "Last two summers" essay
• Prompt #3: "Historical moment" essay
• Prompt #4: "Extracurricular activity" essay
• Prompt #5: "Five things" essay
• Prompt #6: "Exciting idea or experience" essay
• Prompt #7: "Roommate" essay
• Prompt #8: "Community" essay

If you’re applying to Stanford, you’ve got some work ahead of you. What do we mean?

Well, most colleges will have anywhere from 1-4 supplemental essay prompts you’ll need to answer in addition to the Common App essay.

Stanford is sitting comfortably with eight supplemental essay prompts, with a combined possible 1000 words. On top of that, Stanford has the lowest acceptance rate of any college in the US at 4.3%. (And that’s not including legacy cases and athletes.)

So it’s easy to say that if you’re gonna’ roll up your sleeves and tackle the Stanford supplemental essays, it’s not going to be easy.

Good news: Here’s a guide that covers each of the Stanford University supplemental essay prompts.

Before you begin writing, you may want to get deeper insights into the kind of student Stanford is looking for, and how it views itself. You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set . For a better sense of how Stanford envisions its role in academia and how it wants to grow and evolve, read its vision here .

What are Stanford’s supplemental essay prompts?

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words)

How did you spend your last two summers? (50 words)

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 words)

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words)

List five things that are important to you. (50 words)

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. (250 words)

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. (250 words)

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University. (100-250 words)

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for Stanford University

How to write the stanford supplemental essay #1.

Our advice: Get specific. Don’t go super broad with this (i.e. “racism” or “ignorance,” as these are basically impossible to tackle in 50 words). Instead, try for a more specific, nuanced version of something that feels really important to you. 

Here’s a nice example essay for this prompt: 

I see many of my peers engaged in overly dogmatic discussions. I mourn the loss of discourse based on learned experience and individual perspective and how that seems to be creating social aggression. On a larger scale, I’m worried we are moving toward a homogenous society ruled by tyranny.  — — —

Another example:

We are trying to police AI to mitigate misuse; however, how do we even begin defining misuse? These questions belong not in computer science but in sociology and ethics. As I learnt with Stanford SKY, we need interdisciplinary committees to ensure standards are made in human interests, not profit incentives. (50 words) — — —

Tips & Analysis

One possible approach: Ask a question and then make a statement. Rhetorical questions can be very effective if used sparingly—and if they raise complex, possibly unanswerable questions. In this response, the writer sets the framework for the rest of the response by asking the definitional question about “misuse,” but then pointing out how complex the answer is (because it needs input from multiple fields.

A mini why us. This student mentions a Stanford program IN their response to the Stanford prompt. Why is this a good strategy? It lets the school know this writer has done their homework, that they care enough about getting admitted to dig deeper than what’s on Stanford’s homepage, and that something specific at Stanford is of interest to them, all things that application readers want to learn from prospective students.

Make sure you’re answering the prompt. So, this is one area in which this response could be stronger. The prompt asks about society’s most significant issue, and this writer could definitely be more specific about this. Is it AI itself? Policing AI? Looking to the wrong places for answers? This response would benefit from a clearer, more explicit statement about the significant issue. If you only have 50 words, don’t be afraid to be direct!

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #2 + Example

This is pretty straightforward. You can use bullet points and sentence fragments.

Many students choose to pack in as much as they can, which can work. But if you decide to do that, make sure to put in 1-2 things that show you also have a life. Because you do. Right? :)

Here’s an example: 

2017: Attended FBLA Nationals in California. Researched Artificial Intelligence. 2018: Worked as coding teacher with self-developed Java curriculum. Built automated chicken-pen-door for grandparents’ farm. Created applications ranging from GPA Calculators to Foosball Tournament Software. Both Summers: Interned at tech startup. Worked as Olympiad Math teacher for Combinatorics and Number Theory.  — — —

Here’s another example:

2015: Playing select basketball, rehabbing ACL injury, researching East Asian culture, studying positive psychology, consolidating my creative writing research, posting writing critiques to discussion forums, pen-palling foreign friends 2016: All of the above plus learning chess, starting nonprofit, writing Instagram poetry, drafting my novel, two-weeks in Japan, brainstorming volunteering projects for NHS — — —

And one more example:

Founded the Texas MCS Camp—created a two-week curriculum (and taught courses) covering topics from combinatorics to game theory Montecito Music Festival—organized outreach concerts to assisted-living communities Debate—researched possible joint U.S.-China research venture to explore hydrothermal vents Aaaaand travel—saw the Tour de France finish at L’Arc de Triomphe! — — —

And another, with analysis:

Besides tinkering on Playflow and two Stanford papers, I designed websites raising $500 for Thai children and developed business plans for my COVID-prevention app, Securus. I gave talks twice at Singapore Management University’s Cloud Computing class and organised the YFS@SG competition. I also relished street-food-hopping with my family in Singapore. (50 words) — — —

Tips & Analysis:

Use those verbs! When you only have 50 words, each word in your response needs to pack a punch. This writer uses verbs that are descriptive, varied, and engaging (“tinkering” sounds like an awesome way to spend the summer!) Instead of saying “I did this” and then “I did this,” the writer uses their limited wordspace to create some difference in each sentence.

This is not just your resume! Although this student lists some pretty amazing accomplishments, they also make sure to include something that would likely never end up on their resume or activity sheet (eating street food in Singapore) that give us quick windows into interests/personality. Remember to use the different parts of the application to reveal different sides of yourself. Relishing street food? Check. Raising money for children? Check. Being a tech genius? Check and check. It’s all in this response.

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #3 + Example

Think moment for this one. Some students try to go too broad/big with this (i.e. World War II or The Renaissance—what, like, all of it?). Instead, pick a really specific moment and say why you wish you were there. 

Pro-tip: Don’t say “Big Bang” or anything related to dropping the atomic bomb, unless you’re going to surprise us with your explanation (AKA your “so what?”), as these tend to be pretty common choices for students.

Also, you can have some fun with this. Here’s a great example:  

I want to watch George Washington go shopping. I have an obsession with presidential trivia, and the ivory-gummed general is far and away my favorite. Great leaders aren’t necessarily defined by their moments under pressure; sometimes tiny decisions are most telling—like knickers or pantaloons? — — —

If you can make them laugh, do it! We find this response both hilarious and effective. The writer is still taking the prompt seriously, but the image of George Washington shopping for knickers is laugh-out-loud funny, and it’s one that will stick in the reader’s mind after they finish reading this application and move on to the next one. Humorous writing is not easy to do well, but if this is in your wheelhouse, by all means go for it. It will make your essay stand out, and that’s what you want!

Avoid the obvious. There are certain historical events that will pop up again and again in student responses to this prompt, and you don’t want yours to get lost in that noise. Even if you REALLY wish you could have been there to see the Declaration of Independence being signed, our guess is that you won’t be the only one to write about that. Think about an historical event that you can somehow tie to a broader issue/idea. In this response, the writer brilliantly connects the shopping habits of George Washington to thoughts about leadership. Who would have thought? But it works perfectly!

Here’s another nice example response to this prompt:  

I wish I was in the studio the day Norman Rockwell finished “Triple Self-Portrait.” I would love to have gotten a chance to ask him about capturing America at a specific time in history and what he thought it might look like in the future. — — —

And another example:

My late grandfather practised Traditional Chinese Medicine, treating families who couldn’t afford Western hospitals. Skipping lunch, squeezing in critical-care patients, and sacrificing his health, he taught me about social impact since kindergarten. I wish to sit beside him—penning poems before sunrise—and ask how he stayed compassionate, devoted and driven throughout. (50 words) — — —

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #4 + Example

This is a classic extracurricular essay, but in 50 words. You’ll find a really in-depth step-by-step guide at this link , with specific advice for the 150-word format (plus some really great examples) towards the end. I recommend using that post to guide you as you’re writing.

But if you want to see the short version, here’s what to do:

Go to your Common App activities list and pick 2-3 possible topics. 

Then, go through the Best Extracurricular Activity Brainstorm I’ve Ever Seen (AKA BEABIES exercise), either mentally or by filling out the chart. This will help you decide which topic might yield the most content for your essay.  If you’re unsure, maybe do a simple outline for two different topics. 

Write a draft! To guide you, each of those columns could provide a sentence or two of your first draft that you can later tweak and add some style to.

Pro-tip: Be careful about writing about an activity that you’ve already shared a lot about elsewhere on your application. If you’ve already written about your most important extracurricular activity in your main Common App personal statement or any of the other Stanford supplemental essays, write about your 2nd or 3rd most important activity. 

This essay is your chance to say “Hey, there’s this other cool thing I’ve spent some time doing that I haven’t told you guys about yet!”  

Here’s a nice example essay for this prompt:  

Falafels. Construction Work. Wave-Particle Duality. These describe my train ride for two hours every Saturday to attend the Columbia Science Honors Program. One side of my brain ponders the inception of subway route-optimization while the other side empathizes with the little kid tugging on his mom’s jacket for more candy. — — —

Don’t tell your English teacher, but incomplete sentences can be totally cool here. Because the essays you write for college applications aren’t as formal as the academic writing you’ve likely done in your English classes, you can play a little with things like sentence fragments, punctuation, and “weird” words. This writer begins with phrases rather than complete sentences, and it works well! It creates a cool rhythm to the writing and hooks you in right away. 

Imagery, imagery, imagery. When you have such limited word space, using language that is evocative and descriptive is key when trying to make use of each and every word. This student appeals to our sense of smell, to the things we see around us, and to the feelings we get when we occupy a space with other people. And all of this happens in 50 words. Think carefully about your word choice, make sure each one serves a purpose, and use those words to paint a picture for your reader.

Make sure you really understand the prompt… and then answer it! This prompt is a way for readers to learn more about something specific (how you spend your time outside of school), and this writer addresses the prompt in a subtle but really effective way. Although they could have spent a little more time explaining what they actually did in the Science Honors Program, there’s a good chance that comes up in their Activities List and/or Additional Info. Instead, they use this space to illustrate what else they get to experience as a result of the Honors Program. It’s creative but still focused, and application readers love that.

When I produced Stanford SKY’s marketing film in rural China, I realised background noise was deafening, muffling the interviewees’ words. Since SKY’s Dell sponsorship depended on this, I re-strategised and spent 38 hours cleaning an 8-minute video. Thankfully, the film won SKY the sponsorship, even earning me 3 research internships. (50 words) — — —

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #5 + Example

How do you narrow this list down to just five things?! Remember that you’re writing this response for a specific purpose—to help you get into college. So, be a little strategic.

Here are some tips on how:

Use this space to show sides of you that don’t pop up in other parts of your application. If you’ve already written about being the captain of your swim team, for example, you don’t need to repeat that here (even if it’s really important to you). Use this prompt as your chance to show your readers something new.

Consider listing five things that show the range of your personality and interests. You only get 5, and each one can show a different side of yourself, so 3 of these 5 should not all be about your love of hiking (if that’s what you’re into). But ONE of them definitely should! 

Use our 21 details exercise to help you brainstorm! You’ll be surprised what you learn  when you have to come up with 21 cool, seemingly random things about yourself, and you can pull directly from this list to answer this prompt

Finding a manatee mother with her baby on Banana River, open gym volleyball, sunny but cool California weather, when my coding works the way I want, creating funnily-shaped breads with my sister Amy, aroma of cinnamon tea wafting from my cart as I pass out tea to the nurses station (50 words) — — —

Let your values shine through. This prompt is yet another opportunity to share your values and priorities, and this writer does an excellent job of letting us know what those are without just saying, “I value x,y,z.” When we read this response, we see this person as someone who loves nature, who is an athlete and a computer whiz, who values family, and who dedicates themselves to volunteering. Their examples show us these values instead of the writer just telling us, which makes for far more interesting writing!

Think about the order of your list. As you organize your 5 things, you should consider starting with one that is most significant to you. Essay readers can assume that the things you list first (and sometimes last) are most important to you, so be mindful of where you begin and where you end. 

Make it personal. Essay readers are bound to read many, many responses to this prompt about climate change or the use of technology, or any number of “big” issues. And these big issues are important! But they aren’t very specific to you. This writer gives us some great personal details in their list of important things, which in turn will help their response stand out amongst the sea of lists the essay readers will encounter. Again, always keep in mind that you’re writing these responses for a specific purpose!

And here’s another example to get your brain exploring:

Six-word stories; poems by Jorge Luis Borges; the state of peace from doing yoga; immersing myself in history fictions before bed; Friends; holding my mom’s hand on our walks; the breathtaking sunset of Mount Hermon; talking and laughing across from a dear friend selfishly wishing the moment could last forever. — — —

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #6 + Example

Get really specific with what the idea is. (In my experience, a very particular idea tends to work better than an experience.) 

If possible, clarify what the idea is in the first 50 words (some students wait too long to clarify and the essay feels vague as a result, as we’re not sure what to focus on).

Consider using this another opportunity to share a part of yourself you have yet to share.

Connect the idea, as abstract as it may be, back to something personal. Many students keep the essay focused outwardly (on ideas) and as a result the essay feels abstract and swimmy . (Yes, that’s a technical term.)

If you need some inspiration, check out this Excel document with almost every single TEDTalk ever given.

What’s more probable: dying from a shark attack, or dying from falling airplane parts? Surprisingly, the answer is falling airplane parts. But why does our intuition point us towards shark attacks?    The answer lies in the availability heuristic, or the WYSIATI (“what you see is all there is”) rule, which describes how our minds evaluate decisions based on how easily we can think of examples to support both sides. From Jaws to YouTube surfer videos, we have all likely heard of a horrific shark attack, and by WYSIATI, the ease with which we conjure up that memory leads us to assign greater probability. Learning about WYSIATI evolved the way I communicate my ideas. When I first started debate, I over-focused on comparing statistics at the expense of clearly communicating larger arguments. WYSIATI taught me that a more effective approach involves weaving in memorable images like that of a horrific shark attack.  This past summer, when debating whether labeling environmental activists as “eco-terrorists” is justified, my opponents cited dozens of crimes associated with activists from 1995-2002. With my knowledge of WYSIATI, I looked past the numbers and searched for more memorable, image-based examples and discovered that most of the so-called terrorist acts were actually “pie-ings”: environmental groups throwing pies to protest. So, instead of responding with only numbers, I declared that “the only thing that could make pie-ings terrorist acts is if the activists didn’t know how to make a good key lime pie!”  Much clearer. And perhaps, a little bit funnier.

Nice, right?

Additional example from Markus, who is very excited at the idea of his essays being shared publicly:

During the first lockdown, I learnt the mathematical foundations of AI, inspired by how my middle-school friend created new Shakespearean plays via AI. My nagging curiosity propelled me to finish Professor Andrew Ng’s 5-month Stanford course in 3 weeks. As AI buzzwords—gradient descent, hyperparameter optimisation—became familiar, I became gripped by the realisation that AI was trial-and-error at hyper-speed: making AI take tests, backtracking to identify mistakes, and repeating a billion times. Having grasped core concepts, I craved to see AI helping in real life. I asked the Stanford SKY professor I was already working with for econometrics projects using AI, and he appointed me as the lead intern of a breakthrough project to shorten IQ and EQ tests for babies without compromising test accuracy. Quicker tests are more humane and increase sample sizes threefold, making its statistical research more trustable—while costing less. I witnessed how AI could reform and accelerate the standards of social science research—marrying big data with socially-conscious academic research. I knew Big Tech’s flashy AI might fill fifty football stadiums of server space, but what for? Serving better ads for “boba tea”? Rural children just above the poverty line certainly aren’t in their profit-driven purview, but at SKY, while working with postdocs, I learnt to close this gap. This winter, I plan to keep harnessing AI to understand—through analysing thousand-hour audio—how parents’ verbal cues shape infant character development. I’ll keep myself starstruck with Stanford’s CS+Social Good community, as we explore how AI can impact the bottom line. (252 words) — — —

Make sure you’re actually excited about the idea or experience you’re writing about. Essay readers read thousands of applications, so they’ve very good at recognizing when a student is writing about something they think will sound impressive, as opposed to something they’re genuinely excited and curious about. This writer’s excitement about the possibilities of AI jumps right off the page, and you want your response to do the same. Don’t worry about what readers think will look good; instead, use this space to geek out about the thing that lights you up and energizes you. If you are authentic and genuine, it will shine through!

Don’t just list your accomplishments. It would be very easy to use this prompt as a place to rattle off your academic achievements, but there are other places on the application reserved for just that purpose. Instead, explain why this idea or experience excites you and what you still hope to learn about it. This student has obviously learned a lot about AI, but the cool thing about this response is that he doesn’t just stop there. He also tells us how he hopes to move forward and continue to explore and discover. His response shows readers that he is still curious, and that’s what colleges are looking for in prospective students (not someone who thinks they’ve already learned it all)!

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #7 + Example

We actually have an entire separate blog post on this that we’d recommend reading.

Check it out here.

Here’s a nice example essay for the Stanford roommate essay:  

3:13AM  Hiya roomie! Please forgive the email at this late hour—my energy levels are directly proportional to how late it gets.  I figured I’d introduce myself before we meet at NSO. Here are some cool (I hope) things about me:  First off, true to my mountainous heritage, I’m quite outdoorsy, having spent many weekends trekking around state parks. I can’t wait to explore these uncharted waters—wanna join me on a trip later this week to SLAC?  I should warn you beforehand: I explore at an unusually zippy pace and tend to perk up at minor disturbances. That’s because a bluebird day in my state can change into a roaring thunderstorm within just a few minutes, turning Fourteener hikers into lightning rods, so I’ve learned to always be on the lookout.  Oh, and no matter what I’m doing, there’s always music in the background. You’ll notice that I have profound kinetic responses to melodies, which come in the form of flailing my arms during the climactic moments of symphonies. I guess music really does move me!  What kind of songs do you like? I love to recreate radio music with my violin—feel free to reques t a song anytime, and I promise I’ll give it my best effort! Lastly, I must share that there are things I will miss as I leave home. Most of all, I will miss biking with my sister around the neighborhood. So, hopefully you won’t mind my daily family FaceTimes after each day’s festivities! See you soon! :)  — — —

How to Write the Stanford Supplemental Essay #8 + Example

In this essay prompt, Stanford wants to understand how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to their diverse student community. Let's break down the key components of the prompt to guide your approach.

Which of your life experiences have had the most impact on your personal development? This essay offers the opportunity to delve into specific experiences that have shaped your perspective on life, education, and more.

How will you contribute? Make sure your answer to this question is clear. How have these experiences positioned you to make an impact at Stanford? What do you bring to the school and community (in ways that maybe others don’t)? While it doesn’t have to be truly unique, it’s great to aim in that direction: the best response will highlight a contribution that only you (or maybe you plus a few other applicants) would think to make.

Here’s how to brainstorm possible essays:

Again, one important aspect with this prompt is its focus on your contribution to the Stanford community.

Another detail to note is Stanford’s encouragement to show where you come from—the people, places, and things that have shaped who you are today. This is your chance to connect your unique upbringing, in a very broad sense of the word, with what has helped make you unstoppable. So take it.

While there are many things outside of “community” that might fit this prompt, if you’re looking for a way to brainstorm ideas, that’s a good place to start. (Especially since “community” and “identity” tend to overlap a lot. But keep in mind that you’ll want to include some “how will you contribute” details in your essay—this isn’t just a “tell us about a community” prompt.)

For a full guide to “community” essays , head there, but here’s the short version:

STEP 1: DECIDE WHAT IDENTITY/COMMUNITY YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT

Create a “communities/identities” chart by listing all the communities you’re a part of. Keep in mind that communities can be defined by...

Place: groups of people who live/work/play near one another

Action: groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)

Interest: groups of people coming together based on shared interest, experience, or expertise

Circumstance: groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations

STEP 2: USE THE BEABIES EXERCISE TO GENERATE YOUR ESSAY CONTENT

You’ll find detail on the BEABIES Exercise + a chart you can use at that link.

STEP 3: DO SOME “HOW WILL YOU CONTRIBUTE” RESEARCH

You’ll want to offer a few specific ways that show how the experience/s you’re discussing in your essay will allow you to contribute to the school. The easiest way to do this is to do some “Why Us”-like research and find ways you’ll engage with and contribute to the college community. 

STEP 4: PICK A STRUCTURE (NARRATIVE OR MONTAGE)

STEP 5: WRITE A FIRST DRAFT!

Here’s a nice example written for Fordham’s version of this prompt (with a shorter word count—you have space for 100 more words for Stanford), followed by tips and analysis, then more example essays.

I embody both a young Muslim woman passionate about civil liberty and a global citizen whose identity transcends her nationality. After witnessing migrant workers in the Middle East left at sunrise in desert mountains with only a broom and a single meal to last the day, I found my calling as an advocate.  At Fordham, I want to pursue these human rights questions in courses like Professor Durkin’s Development and Globalization, where I can delve into discussions about reproductive rights, genocide prevention, and prison reform. By joining the Humanitarian Student Union, I can work alongside my peers to directly engage with social justice issues. And as an Indian classical dance enthusiast, I look forward to joining Fordham Falak.  And some day, in addition to being a world voyager, I will become the first hijabi United  States Ambassador to the United Nations, a journey I embarked on at Fordham. (148 words)

Tips + Analysis

Make it like a Reese’s. You know—the two great tastes (or essays) that go great together. In this essay’s case, it’s a Community Essay with some Why Fordham. Make sure you do your research on specific classes, clubs, and opportunities that offer the chance for you to make a difference in the college’s community (see our Why This College guide for tips and advice in writing this “Why us?” portion of the essay). This student addresses the “how will you contribute” aspect in several specific ways—showing how she’ll use coursework, extracurriculars, and her future career to fulfill her dream of being an advocate.

Demonstrate impact . Many students might worry that they had an impact on only one person, or that the impact on their community wasn’t important enough . To that, we say: Give yourself more credit. If you can say you made an impact—big or small, one person or one nation—then you made an impact . Embrace it. And, by all means, write about it. This student begins to explore what she’ll do with her education—engage with social justice issues and be the first hijabi U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations—but we would’ve loved to have seen her also state the impact she’ll make on her issues of interest and in her communities.

And here are a couple more example essays, written for other schools’ versions of this prompt. Though note that ideally, the first example would spend a bit more of its word count on the “how will you contribute” elements.

Essay Example:

A large aspect of my identity is my low-income family of eight. As one of the eldest siblings, I was expected to financially contribute as soon as I could work. The majority of my summers were spent shelving products, filing papers, and answering customers’ questions. I quickly discovered the difficulty in earning a paycheck and appreciated my parents more. My family has been my rock—ever since we faced homelessness. Homelessness allowed me to understand my family’s financial situation, but most importantly, it resulted in bonding emotionally. At that moment, family was the one thing I knew I could call home. Over time, the comforting feeling of my family began to disappear. As my parents are devoted missionaries and pastors, I regularly hear their conservative perspectives of Christianity. Throughout my life, I’ve shared similar personal values with my family, denying my bisexuality up until last year. This identity realization impacted me emotionally and physically. I was afraid to come out to anyone, worried that my faith would be questioned and I’d be treated differently. I felt powerless and miserable; mental struggles sometimes limited my motivation. One day, I sought professional help and found solace with my school counselor. After spending endless nights contemplating coming out, I told my close friends. I found acceptance from some and learned who were my real friends, the support system that I’m grateful for. My true identity hasn’t changed. Rather, coming out allowed me to be more open-minded, inclusive, and taught me to value conversations where I can bring a fresh perspective.  Above all, I’ve learned that my experiences shape me into the multifaceted person I am today. They propel me to openly contribute to my Entry, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, and most importantly, the everyday interactions with my Williams peers and faculty members. (300 words)

At family dinners over gnocchi and arancini, my grandpa would always ask my two older brothers how their education and sports were going. I’d wait for my turn, but the question was never directed my way. In contrast, my grandma always tells me how thankful she is that I’m able to get an education of my own. She frequently mentions how she regrets never getting an education. I pursue my education with a fire within me to do what she wasn’t allowed to. During the summer of 2021, I realized that I could impact other girls in a similar way by writing a children’s book about influential women in STEM in order to inspire the next generation of female scientists.  At Columbia University, I hope to contribute to the empowerment of women by creating a Society of Women in Science, hosting Alumni Panels, Graduate Student Q&A’s, and creating a safe space for women in similar majors to discuss their successes and setbacks. In addition, joining the Student Wellness Project will provide another community that prioritizes mental health. This empowering environment is the ideal place to help me develop as both a feminist and a scientist. (196 words) _ _ _

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Stanford Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

August 7, 2024

With an acceptance rate of 3.9%, Stanford University is in a league of selectivity with only a handful of other schools including Harvard, MIT, and Princeton. At Stanford, the median SAT is a 1530 and 96% hail from the top 10% of their high school class. As a result, you need more than just superior test scores and a sparkling transcript to be among the 1 in every 25 applicants who is ultimately admitted. Each year, we work with a number of successful Stanford University applicants. We can say with confidence that exceptional Stanford supplemental essays are a necessary component of any winning application.

 (Want to learn more about How to Get Into Stanford? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Stanford: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Stanford University requires applicants to respond to a whopping eight prompts. This makes the decision to apply an instantly sizable time commitment. Your mission—should you choose to accept it— is to write compelling, standout compositions that showcase your top-notch writing ability and reveal more about who you are as an individual. Below are Stanford’s essay prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

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..

Whether it’s a general love for math/science or literature or a specific interest in aerospace engineering or 19th-century French novels, use this opportunity to share what makes you tick, the ideas that keep you up at night, and what subject inspires you to dream big. What topic makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Share the manner in which you relentlessly pursue knowledge. Whether it’s falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consuming thousands of hours of podcasts on game theory, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with an endless thirst for information. The admissions reader should emerge from reading this essay with the sense that you are a sincerely curious young person with a strong intellectual drive.

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.

Applicants can utilize this response to give greater insight into the little details about themselves that may not appear elsewhere in the application. Keep the old adage “you don’t truly know a person until you live with them” in mind. Think about what your future roommate will learn about your daily habits, quirks, passions, and preferences. What music do you like to listen to? At what time do you get up in the morning and what is your morning routine? What activities do you like to do (that ideally have not yet been communicated elsewhere)? Most often, writers choose to put together a number of different details. Before including each one, think about what it communicates about you.

For example, if you can seldom be found without a novel in hand or spend an hour every morning practicing yoga, why is that important for us to know? That said, at least a few details are often comical or light-hearted (perhaps you can’t survive without a large supply of lime seltzer or always eat salt & vinegar chips when you’re up late studying). Another common “move” writers use in this essay is to list a few uniquely Stanford things that they can’t wait to do with their roommate around campus. In the grand scheme of things, this is a genuine chance to reveal more about your character, unique personality, and also—sometimes— how to get along with others.

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.

This prompt asks you to not only share a particular life experience, interest, or value. Additionally, you’ll describe why that experience, interest, or value will help you contribute to Stanford in general. Essentially, it’s asking you to take your essay’s reflection one step further. You’ll need to share why the experience, interest, or value you’ve chosen has impacted you. Additionally, you can explore why/how you believe it will allow you to positively impact the Stanford community.

First, choose a key aspect of your experiences, background, or personality that reveals something deep and meaningful about you. (Although you could choose more than one, we’d advise against it, given that you only have 250 words in which to respond.) As you brainstorm, consider the following avenues:

• Your role in your family.
• Your role in your social group.
• Something you’re particularly committed to, i.e., an activity, social/political cause, or idea (just be sure it doesn’t overlap with the intellectual curiosity response).
• A challenge you’ve faced.
• A formative experience or realization.
• Core values and beliefs.
• Important aspects of your upbringing.
• Most intriguing and unique attributes.
• Cultural, religious, or community influence.

Stanford Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Second, you’ll need to describe both personal and future impact. Note the absence of a straight “Why Stanford?” essay in this application. This response is the closest thing to it. Make sure that your answer reveals something about how you will live out Stanford’s values or contribute to an academic/social community. For the latter angle, you could name a specific  course ,  research opportunity , or extracurricular club , to name a few—perhaps living in a beach town has heavily contributed to your passion for the world’s oceans, and you seek to bring that perspective to the biology department’s research opportunities. Alternatively, you could discuss something more intangible—perhaps Stanford’s mission to develop active citizens resonates with you, and you hope to bring your experience of growing up in a large family (which gave you excellent communication and conflict resolution skills) to volunteer positions on campus and within the surrounding community.

Stanford Supplemental Essays – Short Response Questions (50 words)

1) what is the most significant challenge that society faces today.

The admissions committee wants to make sure that your personal aims align with those of the university, as indicated in its mission statement. This mission is “to extend the frontiers of knowledge, stimulate creativity, and solve real-world problems, prepare students to think broadly, deeply and critically, and to contribute to the world, and deploy Stanford’s strengths to benefit our region, country, and world.” The strongest answers usually include some level of previous or hopeful participation/community service on the part of the applicant. For example, if you are concerned about voting rights and the preservation of the democratic process, you may have volunteered with a relevant organization.

2) How did you spend your last two summers? 

We are looking at your summers after sophomore and junior years for this prompt. So, why is Stanford so interested in what you did from mid-June through August, you ask? The answer, primarily, is because this is the time of the year when your entire schedule wasn’t laid out for you–the admissions office can observe your actions in the lone time and space when you are given complete agency and control.

Did you work to earn money to help support your family? On the other hand, did you work to save money for a specific purpose? Did you take a college course or two or enroll in an academic summer program? Or, did you conduct independent research or secure an internship at a company or organization? Stanford recognizes that students in different circumstances have varying levels of opportunity. Therefore, if you spent the summer watching your siblings out of necessity so your mom could go to work, that can be as valid as attending an aerospace engineering program at MIT. Ideally, your summer endeavor will—at least to some extent, align with your expressed passions and academic/intellectual aims.

3) What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?

Keep in mind that “historical” could refer to a famous event that is included in your average history textbook. Alternatively, it could be something more personal to your family, like when your great-grandmother immigrated to California in 1917. Many times, if students select a moment in world history, it isn’t one that is universally known in endless detail. Unless you are picking something as well known as MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech” or the 1969 Moon landing, make sure to give the reader some level of context about the actual event in addition to your commentary about why that moment is special to you. No need to get uber-obscure with your answer. However, the most needle-moving answers are generally not usually based on any of the most famous events in human history. These are the kind of events that you’ve known about since elementary school.

You might approach this prompt by choosing an issue of importance to you and then researching corresponding moments/events (whether within recorded or personal history) that allow you to communicate that interest.

4) Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.

Stanford is not necessarily asking you to write about the activity where you earned the most prestigious awards or held the highest position of leadership. The university is going to see all of your activities in that section of the Common App. As such, you want to ask yourself—which of your entries is crying out for more explanation and detail? Which one is closest to your heart and most representative of your unique passions? Pick the option that will allow you to deliver additional detail that may be memorable to the admissions reader. Start this process by asking yourself, “What is the most interesting and consequential moment that I have experienced in one of my extracurricular activities?” If you can identify one clear-cut moment, that is likely the activity worth sharing with the Stanford admissions staff.

5) List five things that are important to you.

Before answering this question, take inventory of what has already been communicated on the rest of your application. What have you tackled in your other responses? Is there anything that has been left unsaid? What themes are currently present that you could reinforce? The list should be organic. This means that some answers will naturally reiterate passions and experiences shared in other areas of the application. That said, you’ll want to avoid straight-up repeats to the best of your ability. In addition, try to be as specific as possible. Since you have fifty words to utilize, try to include a brief why or explanation for each answer, that, again, is different than what’s already been presented in other areas of the application.

How important are the Stanford supplemental essays?

The lengthy supplemental essay section is among the nine factors that Stanford considers to be “very important.” The other factors are: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities.

Stanford Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Stanford supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

Looking for additional writing resources? Check out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Quickly Format Your Common App Essay
• Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 25 Inspiring College Essay Topics
• “Why This College?” Essay Examples
• How to Write the Community Essay
• College Essay

Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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Stanford Essays 2023-24

Stanford supplemental essays .

The Stanford essays form a critical part of the application process. Like at many top schools around the country, when you apply to Stanford, you’ll complete school-specific Stanford essay prompts in addition to the Common App essay. If you’re wondering how to get into Stanford, strong Stanford supplemental essays are a good place to start. 

In this article, we’ll discuss each of the Stanford supplemental essays in detail, including the Stanford roommate essay and other Stanford essays. Additionally, we’ll review the requirements for each of the Stanford essay prompts. We’ll also provide resources with Stanford essay examples that you can use when writing your own Stanford essays. Finally, we’ll offer more tips on how to get into Stanford, including application deadlines, dates, and timelines.

Stanford Essays: Quick Facts

Stanford university supplemental essays quick facts.

• Stanford Acceptance Rate: The acceptance rate for Stanford admissions is only 4% according to U.S. News . 
• Understanding the Stanford Essay Requirements: The Stanford requirements include three Stanford supplemental essays. Each of the Stanford essays must be between 100 and 250 words.
• Applying to Stanford: Students must complete the Common Application and the Stanford requirements before the Stanford application deadline. Make sure you submit your Stanford supplemental essays along with all other application materials when applying .
• Restrictive Early Action Deadline: November 1
• Standard Application Deadline: January 5
• Top Stanford Essays Tip: Because you have to complete three Stanford essays, make sure you give yourself enough time to work on each of them. Even though each of the essays is only at most 250 words, shorter essays can take longer to revise and perfect.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website. 

Does Stanford have supplemental essays?

Yes, students must complete three Stanford supplemental essays. Students must submit their Stanford supplemental essays in addition to the Common App essay and the other Stanford requirements. These Stanford essays help the admissions team get to know their applicants better and evaluate whether they will be a good fit for the school.

How many essays does Stanford require?

Students must submit responses to three Stanford essay prompts as part of their application. In addition to these Stanford supplemental essays, there are also several additional short answer prompts that students must complete. 

These responses are limited to 50 words maximum, so they are not quite long enough to be considered full Stanford essays. However, they are still an important part of your application, so plan to spend as much time on those responses as your responses to the Stanford essay prompts. You can find a list of these additional prompts along with tips and Stanford essays examples in our guide here .

Do Stanford essays change?

The Stanford essay prompts do sometimes change from year to year. One of their more well-known prompts, the Stanford roommate essay, has been part of the application for a while and likely won’t change. However, in the 2021-2022 school year , one of the Stanford essay prompts asked students to talk about a topic that was meaningful to them. Now, that question has been changed to ask students: what aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University?

Even though the Stanford supplemental essays may change, the purpose behind the Stanford essays remains the same. The admissions team uses the Stanford supplemental essays to get to know students on a deeper and more personal level. While grades and extracurricular activities are also important, the Stanford essays allow students to share parts of their life and experiences that the admissions office would not otherwise know. So, in each of your Stanford essays, highlight why you would be a perfect fit for Stanford!

What are the Stanford essay prompts?

The Stanford supplemental essays consist of three different Stanford essay prompts. Each prompt must be answered with an essay of between 100 and 250 words. The Stanford essay prompts for 2023-2024 are as follows and can also be found on the Stanford admissions website:

Stanford University Essay Prompts

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., 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., 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..

Before you start writing your Stanford essays, we recommend taking the time to read each of the Stanford essay prompts carefully. This will help you know exactly what each prompt asks so you can craft a strong response. 

Below, we’ll break down each prompt individually and show you how you can write standout Stanford essays for each prompt. For additional tips and Stanford essay examples, check out our Stanford essays guide .

Stanford Essays #1

The first of the Stanford essay prompts is fairly straightforward. This prompt asks you to describe a time or experience that sparked a passion for learning. The possibilities for answering this prompt vary widely. However, the key to any great essay is specificity and focus. Remember that you only have a maximum of 250 words to write your Stanford supplemental essays, so you need to choose which of your passions to focus on. 

Start by identifying a formative moment when you developed a love for learning about your chosen subject. Then, build from that to show your intellectual curiosity. For instance, this could be a school field trip to a planetarium that inspired an ongoing love of space. The best essays begin by immediately pulling their readers into a story rather than restating the prompt or giving a general introduction.

Keep it authentic

Some students make the mistake of trying to look perfect and writing Stanford essay examples that they believe readers want to see. Being authentic and showing off your unique personality is much more important. In fact, your readers will appreciate getting to know the real you. 

This prompt asks about more than just a single defining moment. It is about why this moment was meaningful and how that moment inspired you to keep learning and growing. So, don’t be afraid to show off how much you love your topic.

Stanford Essays #2

Prompt #2 is the famous Stanford roommate essay. While the other Stanford essays share common elements with other essay prompts, the Stanford roommate essay is in a category of its own. In the Stanford roommate essay, students write a letter introducing themselves to their future roommate. This essay can take many forms, from a standard letter beginning with “Dear Roomie,” to a list of important characteristics, and even a “day in the life” snapshot where the writer describes what a typical Stanford day might look like for them.

Whichever format you choose for your Stanford roommate essay, remember that your audience for this essay is not just your hypothetical future roommate, but also the Stanford admissions team. So, like your other Stanford essays, your Stanford roommate essay should highlight what makes you unique. 

Approaching the Stanford roommate essay

Think about what quirks, characteristics, or personality traits you want to reveal about yourself. Then, come up with anecdotes or stories that showcase those characteristics. Instead of simply saying to your reader, “I am an avid crossword puzzle solver,” you can convey the same information in a more interesting way by saying “You’ll probably wake up most mornings and hear me mumbling random words to myself while hunched over a newspaper. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll be more social once I finish my daily crossword!”

The Stanford roommate essay can seem intimidating at first, but it can also be a fun way to show off who you are. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, don’t be afraid to ask family members or friends for help. They may be able to identify parts of your personality that would make great subjects for your Stanford roommate essay. 

Stanford Essays #3

After the Stanford roommate essay, the final prompt for the Stanford supplemental essays asks you to describe why you would make a “distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.” In other words, this essay asks you to tell the admissions team how you would contribute to life at Stanford. Although this question is more straightforward than the Stanford roommate essay, you should still think carefully about your response. 

As with the other Stanford essays, there is no single right answer for how you would contribute to the Stanford community. Like other top colleges, Stanford hopes to create a diverse community of students. So, write about what excites you and let your passion for those subjects shine through. Just remember that you only have 250 words to answer the Stanford essays. So, it helps to pick out two or three key ways you would get involved at Stanford.

Getting specific

The Stanford supplemental essays are also a great place to show off the research you have done about Stanford. Your Stanford supplemental essays should indicate both why you are a good fit for Stanford and why Stanford would be the perfect fit for your interests. The more specific details you include from either an in-person or virtual visit , the stronger your essay will be. Including the names of specific professors, internships, clubs, or study abroad programs is great, but make sure to provide context and specificity. Talk about why that aspect of life at Stanford stood out to you and how it connects back to your academic and career goals.

As with your other Stanford supplemental essays, make sure not to simply repeat your extracurriculars list from earlier in your application. If you do mention these activities, talk about how you would continue to pursue that interest at Stanford. Check out lists of student organizations and/or programs and see what lines up with your passions. For example, if you have an interest in journalism, you might talk about writing articles for the Stanford Daily or contributing to the many other student-run publications on campus. The more detailed you can get about what kind of Stanford student you would be, the better.

What is Stanford looking for in essays?

The Stanford supplemental essays serve several purposes. First and foremost, the Stanford supplemental essays help your application readers learn who you are in a more holistic way. The Stanford essays let you introduce yourself to the admissions team and give them a complete picture of who you are. So, your Stanford essays should highlight your life and experiences. 

The second purpose of the Stanford supplemental essays is to assess your writing abilities. No matter your major, you will write papers of some kind while at Stanford. So, Stanford wants to see that you have strong written communication skills. This does not mean that you need to fill your Stanford essays with impressive vocabulary words. Rather, Stanford simply wants to see clear, well-written prose that shows evidence of revision and thoughtfulness. So, make sure you check your Stanford supplemental essays for spelling and grammar before you submit them.

To learn more about Stanford check out this video from Stanford Admissions below:

Where can I find Stanford essays that worked?

One of the most effective things you can do to write better Stanford essays is to look at Stanford essays examples from admitted students. These essays can teach you what kinds of essays get students accepted to the most competitive schools in the country. It is important to note, however, that you should never copy someone else’s essay. Instead, think of these Stanford essays examples as a source of inspiration for your own writing. 

While there are books of Stanford supplemental essays available for you to purchase, there are plenty of free resources out there to help you with the Stanford supplemental essays. At CollegeAdvisor.com, we have a series of essay guides with tips for many different kinds of essays, including the Stanford supplemental essays. You can find the tips for the Stanford essays including full examples here and additional guidance for the Stanford supplemental essays here . You can also check out our full series about how to get into Stanford through the college page , which has all the info you need to ace your application.

Stanford Essays Examples

What is the application deadline for Stanford?

Like at other schools, students can choose between multiple Stanford application deadlines. If you know that Stanford is your first choice school, you can apply through the Restrictive Early Action pool. This pathway allows you to apply to other colleges as well as Stanford as long as those other applications are through a Regular Decision pathway (not Early Action or Decision). 

If admitted through REA, you are not required to attend Stanford and you have until May 1st to accept or decline your offer of admission. The Stanford application deadline for Restrictive Early Action is November 1st.

Students who do not wish to apply to Stanford through the Restrictive Early Action pathway can instead apply to Stanford through the Regular Decision pathway. Students who choose this route may apply to other schools with no restrictions from Stanford. The Regular Decision application deadline is January 5th, and students receive decisions from Stanford in early April. There are separate timelines and application deadlines for financial aid, which you can find on the school’s website .

Five tips for writing outstanding Stanford essays!

1. start early.

Because there are so many Stanford supplemental essays and short answer questions, it helps to get started on them as early as possible. Especially if you apply through the Restrictive Early Action pathway, you should give yourself enough time to write each of the Stanford essays. You likely won’t submit your first draft of the Stanford essays, so leave plenty of time to redraft and edit. This will also give you time to put the other Stanford essays tips we’ve discussed into practice!

2. Brainstorm ideas before writing

The Stanford supplemental essays, in particular the Stanford roommate essay, require a lot of personal reflection. Because of this, we recommend that you think critically about your passions, interests, and most important personal traits. That way, you can outline what you want your Stanford essays to say about you and choose subjects that highlight those aspects of your personality. The Stanford essays are not long enough to capture every one of your unique life experiences and qualities. So, choosing a few key details will help streamline your essays.

3. Show, don’t tell

This guideline can help you strengthen not only your Stanford essays, but also your writing in general. Try to use examples from your life to highlight your key traits rather than stating them outright. For example, if you want to show that you have exceptional leadership skills and a passion for gardening, you could describe how you created a horticulture club at your school and transformed an old courtyard into a plant sanctuary. These stories help your reader see the kind of person you are. Moreover, they provide perspective into the kind of student you would be at Stanford.

4. It’s all in the details 

Make sure your Stanford essays include vivid, specific details. The more descriptive and specific your language, the better your message will come across. So, keep your Stanford essays focused. Don’t try to include too much information—instead, center each essay on a single, compelling narrative. Then, use as much descriptive language as possible!  

5. Ask for help

The Stanford essays, and particularly the Stanford roommate essay, are not easy to complete. Moreover, writing any college essay is very different from writing a paper for class. So, find someone you trust to help you revise and edit your essays. Additionally, for prompts like the Stanford roommate essay, a second reader can provide useful insights. They also may catch mistakes or see improvements that you would not have otherwise considered. Just make sure that no one writes the Stanford essays for you! Admissions officers are trained to look for essays written by parents or siblings. Additionally, the strongest Stanford essays will capture your authentic voice. 

If you’re looking for help writing your Stanford supplemental essays, our advisors can help. We’ll provide one-on-one guidance to help you make the most of your Stanford essays. Click here to schedule a meeting with our team and learn more about how to make your Stanford essays count.

This essay guide was written by senior advisor, Alex Baggott-Rowe . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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Stanford University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay and Short Questions Guide

Early Action: Nov 1

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 5

Stanford University 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 3 essays of 100-250 words; 5 short answers of 50 words Supplemental Essay Type(s):  Why ,  Community ,  Oddball

How to Write Compelling Stanford Essays

Unshockingly, given that Stanford is the most difficult university to get into in the country, this supplement is a doozie. It puts both your writing and creativity to the test in a myriad ways. One of the most important things to remember about the Stanford supplemental essays, as with all supplements that lob a host of essays and short answer questions at you, is that each response is an opportunity to reveal something new about yourself to admissions. Think about the tidbits you have to offer up as you pull together your package and make sure you distribute them across the supplement. Try as hard as you can not to be repetitive. And, as much as you can, have fun with these. If you embrace the challenge laid out in front of you, your answers will be instilled with that positive spirit as well. Trust us. Read on to discover our Stanford application essay tips!

Stanford Essay Prompts Breakdown

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. (100 to 250 words) .

How hungry for knowledge are you? That’s what Stanford really wants to know. Focus on a subject that stokes your curiosity, a specific concept that has infiltrated your browser history, or an experience that has burned itself into your brain. What homework assignments are you clamoring to complete first? Which topics want to make you open up a new book, google the definition of word you’re not familiar with or hit play on a podcast? Who challenges you to think of issues in new ways? Now consider what about the subject, activity, or experience itself is inspiring your pursuit of knowledge. Are you driven by the pursuit of the truth and nothing but the truth? Maybe more abstract and creative arenas are more interesting to you. Regardless of what floats your boat, Stanford University is aiming to bring self-motivated, deep thinkers into their student body. Admissions officers want to know that you’ll be eager to contribute to lively class discussion and maybe conduct research in your latter years on campus. Show them that you’ll be a valuable addition to any classroom setting.

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 to 250 words) 

This, at its essence, is a creative writing exercise. All this time colleges have been asking you to write in a casual but professional voice — until now. Pretend you’re writing an email to a friend. Open your browser window and actually draft in a new message box if it helps you adjust your voice. You are now writing to your peer, not admissions. What might someone you are about to live with want to know about you? And, more importantly, what quirky personal information do you want to convey to admissions that might not be appropriate to reveal in response to a stuffier prompt? Are you a closet botanist who will be bringing 30 plants to your dorm room? Have you been practicing how to make your grandma’s special rice in a dorm room hot pot? This is a great place to inject a little humor in your application — if that’s your style. It is also a great opportunity for you to showcase what it would be like to be friends with you (without the use of emojis and with the addition of perfect grammar).

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

College applications are rampant with essay questions about community, so this essay is ripe for recycling (how eco-friendly of you!). If you haven’t already written a Community Essay that you plan to adapt and recycle here, we recommend considering the things that make you unique. What about your experiences, interests, or character might be worth highlighting for an admissions officer? And how can the experience, interest, or aspect of your character you choose enrich the learning environment at Stanford University for others? Maybe you have always been an organizer and the glue that holds your summer camp community together during the school year. How will you bring people together on campus? Maybe you were raised on a farm and developed a strong work ethic at a young age as you helped your parents tend to the fields. Will you be a natural leader in group projects and take initiative in the many clubs (be specific!) that you’d like to join? Be sure to connect your personal story to a future vision of yourself at Stanford.

How to Answer Stanford Short Questions

Short answers, what is the most significant challenge that society faces today (50 word limit).

Fifty words is not a lot of words. This is going to be a recurring thought as you begin to tackle the Stanford app. How do you explain society’s most significant challenge in just fifty words? You boil it down to its essence and rely on the topic to speak volumes. Think about what nags at you on a daily basis. How would you like to improve the world? Where might we be going down the wrong path? What you choose to write about will give admissions an idea of what you truly care about and how you see the world. Are you concerned that as a species we will never achieve true gender equality? Does climate change keep you up at night? What activities have you participated in or books have you read to educate yourself about this issue? Maybe you even have a solution to offer up. Show admissions that you can turn passion into action.

How did you spend your last two summers? (50 word limit)

Fifty words is not a lot of words. For this response, that means you will likely have to add and prune, add again and prune again. Feel free to take a straightforward approach to this question. Stanford really wants to know what you did last summer (and the summer before)! Just make sure to include the unexpected commitments that will not appear anywhere else on the application, like your babysitting job, your road trip with your family, or your backyard photography habit. Anything you can do to add a layer of understanding to admissions picture of you will help.

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 word limit)

Fifty words is not a lot of words. So this answer is really about creating an effective summary of the event in question, and concisely explaining the motivation behind your selection. This is another question in which your selection of topic tells a story. Maybe you want to witness the creation of Gutenberg’s printing press or the swearing in of the first African American president. Whatever you do, try to avoid subjects other students will likely flock to. MLK’s “I Had A Dream” speech is incredible, but it might not make for the best topic here — unless, of course, you have a highly personal story that connects to that moment that you can summarize in 50 words or less. (There are always exceptions to the rules!)

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 word limit)

Like so many other universities, Stanford wants to get a feel for your commitments outside the classroom as well as in. Think about your application as a whole, reading through all of the Stanford prompts before you dig in,  and figure out what you can detail here that hasn’t or will not be addressed in other essays. Also make sure the activity, experience, job, or responsibility you highlight is something you are clearly invested in. Don’t choose to elaborate on a fundraiser to which you contribute five hours of your time, twice a year. This is a good place to feature a work experience if you have one, as that is something that often feels less standard than an internship or activity in which many other students participate. For example, tell admissions about the summer you spent working at a hot dog stand and how it taught you about responsibility, organization, and portable fans. That said, even if you write about a national club or organization that other students may feature, the trick to nailing this essay is personalization. Why is this the activity or experience you have chosen to highlight? How were you a contributor and how will it impact your ability to be a contributor on campus? How has participation made you a more compassionate, assertive, or responsible person overall? And how will this experience impact your future? You don’t have a lot of space here, so make sure you focus on personal and powerful details that other people could not replicate.

List five things that are important to you. (50 word limit)

Write down the first things that come to your mind, then give your brain time to generate some other options. You may be tempted to write “family, friends, football, French fries, and fun,” but answers like those are not going to set you apart in the eyes of admissions officers (even if the alliteration is on point). Make a list (the longer, the better) then try to trim it down by considering the value each “thing” brings to your life and which ones are most likely to add saturation to the artwork that is your application. Remember, your answers should be personal and, if possible, unexpected.

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for Stanford Essays

College Essay Advisors has over twenty years of experience guiding students one-on-one through the essay writing process for Stanford University. We take a holistic approach to these essays and short answers, considering each student’s application package as a whole. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful Stanford University supplemental essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants.

Interested in signing up for our Stanford Supplemental Essay Package? Fill out a contact form below, and a member of our team will be in touch!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Stanford requires three (3) essays of 100-250 words and five (5) short answers of 50 words each.

Stanford asks applicants to respond to five (5) short answer questions.

The Stanford short answer questions must be answered in 50 words or fewer.

We recommend drafting a response without the word limit in mind. Once you have your ideas down, see which anecdotes you can cut, or where you may be able to rephrase your ideas to be more succinct, omitting details that can be found in your other submitted materials (e.g. awards, grades, and hours spent doing community service). Since the word count is so small, original ideas and creative thinking will serve you well. 

Absolutely. These essays and short answers are opportunities for you to let your personality shine. If you enjoy humor in your daily life, feel free to have fun with your responses. But don’t force it! 

The supplemental essays and short answers are very important in the Stanford admissions process. Admissions even goes so far as to  write that “the essays are your chance to tell us about yourself in your own words,” and, “you should allow your genuine voice to come through. These questions help us get to know you as a friend, future roommate and classmate.”

No, you should never reuse content from your Common App essay in your supplements for this school. Though it’s possible you might expand upon an idea or activity mentioned in your Common App essay, your supplements and personal statement should be distinctly different from one another—just imagine the same person reading all of them in a row!

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6 Tips for the Stanford Essays and Short Answers

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Vinay Bhaskara in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered:

Stanford essay tips.

• Stanford Short Answer Tips
• Overall Writing Tips  

The Stanford application has two different types of essays this year. There are 3 long essays with a 250 word count limit and 5 short-answer essays with a 50 word count limit. 

Here are our expert tips for writing standout essays that will improve your chances of acceptance! Stick around until the end of the post for the most important tip.

With the different word counts in each prompt, you’ll want to approach writing each in different ways. 

1. Make your intro sentence strong.

The important thing to do with the 250-word essays is to make sure your introductory sentence is really strong. Unlike in longer essays or the common application essay, you can use a paragraph or two to build your points and captivate your audience. That isn’t the case here. In this essay, you can’t waste any time building a narrative. You have to come out in the beginning and grab your audience’s attention.

2. Maximize the word count.  

If your essay is 240 words or above, you’re good to go.. One or two extra words won’t drastically change your essay. But, if you have 25 or more words remaining, you could use that space to convey additional material. You could also enhance something you’ve already said, such as taking a couple of sentences and making them more “punchy” or fun to read.

Short Answer Tips

3. don’t sacrifice writing quality.  .

These essays are being assessed for writing quality the same way the longer essays are. The fact that they are so much shorter means they will be put under a microscope even more. 

4. Don’t waste time on detailed explanations.

If you can describe a concept or idea in shorter words, do that. Keep it concise and to the point. It is much more important to get your entire point across in a logical way than to focus on describing a detail that doesn’t fit into the larger picture of what you’re trying to say.

Overall Writing Tips

5. humanize yourself..

This is the most important tip. You want to show colleges that you are not just your college application; you’re not just a series of grades on a transcript or activities on a resume. Instead, you want to give the admissions committee almost a 3D picture of who you are as a person.

So from that perspective, try to have a mix of more fun and more serious answers. You don’t necessarily have to have everything super academic. For example, for the “historical event I want to witness” prompt, you don’t have to say “I want to go back to the signing of the Magna Carta.” If that genuinely interests you, that’s totally fine to say, but try to have some fun in your other responses. 

In fact, at a super-selective school like Stanford, they want you to have the grades and resume that say you’ve spent a lot of your waking life on the admissions process and academics, but they also don’t want to admit students who are trying too hard. It’s not exactly fair, but it’s unfortunately how selective admissions works.

6. Look at your essay with fresh eyes

Regardless of your writing process, the best way to approach editing your essay is with time. In between writing and editing your response, take a break. Whether it’s an hour, a day, or a week, looking at your materials with fresh eyes will be a huge benefit. You will find key points that are missing or areas that you can rewrite in a more concise or interesting way. 

Looking for more Stanford essay tips? Check out our full Stanford essay guide .

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Gateways for...

Transfer applicants.

• Application and Essays

Stanford accepts the Common Application , which asks about:

• Family background
• School information
• Academic honors
• Extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, work experience, or military service

Our holistic review allows us to consider each applicant's unique circumstances and educational background. We recognize that our transfer applicants have taken many different routes to higher education, and we welcome the diverse perspectives these students bring to campus. Additionally, we understand that family, personal or financial circumstances may prevent students from participating in traditional extracurricular activities. We hope you will use the application to explain your specific situation.

When you apply to Stanford, you apply to the university as a whole, not to a particular major, department or school. We encourage you to indicate prospective majors and career interests in the application, but please know you are not bound by these selections in any way.

Stanford Essays

We ask applicants to write a personal statement that addresses their reasons for transferring and the objectives they hope to achieve (250-650 words).

Applicants will also answer several short questions (limit 50 words each) and write a short essay on each of the topics below. Applicants can complete these essays in the Stanford Questions section of the Transfer Common Application.

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ebook ∣ Write Your Way into the College of Your Choice

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SuperCollege

22 August 2021

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50 Successful Stanford Application Essays: Get into Stanford and Other Top Colleges Second Edition

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• ISBN-10 1617600946
• ISBN-13 978-1617600944
• Edition Second
• Publisher SuperCollege
• Publication date May 10, 2016
• Language English
• Dimensions 6 x 0.25 x 9 inches
• Print length 208 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ SuperCollege; Second edition (May 10, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1617600946
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1617600944
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.25 x 9 inches
• #839 in Supplement
• #1,121 in College Entrance Test Guides (Books)
• #5,119 in Test Prep & Study Guides

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Can AI Help a Student Get Into Stanford or Yale?

Two entrepreneurial Stanford students fed hundreds of essays—both high and low quality—into an AI model to train it on what top-tier colleges look for in admissions essays.  

By  Lauren Coffey

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Two Stanford students have created an AI-focused company that helps students with their college admissions essays.

Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | Getty Images | Rawpixel

Scott Lee was scrolling through LinkedIn in June when he came across a post touting exactly what he was looking for: an AI machine called Esslo that provides feedback on college essays, based on those that have helped students gain admission to top-tier universities like Harvard and Stanford.

Lee, a student at Sacramento City College looking to transfer to the University of California system, had been using ChatGPT to review his admissions essays in the absence of friends and mentors on campus during summer break. But while ChatGPT “said what you wanted to hear” and failed to provide concrete fixes, Lee said Esslo met his drafts with “brutal honesty.” His essay had a “strong opening,” it told him, but didn’t capitalize on its full potential. And while his extracurricular activities were impressive, he hadn’t delved into the personal growth he gained from them or the challenges he faced.

“That is something I can implement, versus ChatGPT, which is very broad,” Lee said. He said he used Esslo “mainly for my early drafts, where it gave a lot more feedback so I’m not handing off something super underdeveloped to my friends and mentors,” who will help with the final version.

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Lee is among hundreds of students trying out Esslo—whose name is a mashup of the words “essay” and “Elo,” a ranking system used in chess and esports. The program is the brainchild of two Stanford University students looking to tackle what they believe is one of the most stressful parts of college applications: the admissions essay. 

How It Works 

When budding entrepreneurs Hadassah Betapudi and Elijah Kim began looking for a potential start-up project in the education-technology world, they started by asking friends and peers about some of the biggest gripes they had when it came to applying to colleges.

The normal topics cropped up—the steps involved in the application process, for one, and finding time to tackle the tasks involved. But the Stanford students soon realized the crux of the issue wasn’t about finding time: It was the daunting task of creating a good-enough essay to gain entry into top-tier schools.

“What we heard super consistently with college applications was that students had never written an essay like that before,” Kim said. “It was big and intimidating and it sets the trajectory for the rest of your life, so we heard a lot of stress over that—and we thought we could build something to help.”

Kim, now a graduate student at Stanford studying machine learning, compiled a data set of essays from students who’d gained admission to top-tier universities, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford, and trained artificial intelligence models on those roughly 500 essays. He also included essays that were cited as “bad” examples from various college websites and admissions consultants.

Any student can now plug in their own essay, which brings up a list of suggestions such as avoiding clichés, using imagery effectively or getting more granular with details. Esslo also gives a score for writing, detail, voice and character. There is a free version and a paid version—the former of which gives students a round of line-by-line edits for one draft, the latter of which gives unlimited line-by-line edits. For every paid version Esslo sells, the creators promise that a student at a Title I–designated high school—which typically has fewer resources—will receive the paid version for free.

Both Kim and Betapudi were quick to say the technology will not write an essay for a student, or even serve as a brainstorming tool. But they think it can help fine-tune an essay—providing feedback that’s similar to the advice you might get from a parent, college counselor or paid college consultant.

“We want to train students to be better writers and train them on what colleges are looking for, versus doing it for them,” Kim said. “It’s no different than showing it to an English teacher and asking for feedback.”

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Another Admissions Counselor?

Rick Clark, executive director of enrollment management at the Georgia Institute of Technology, sees AI as the equivalent of using an admissions consultant—except that it’s more affordable for those who cannot pay for the often-pricey consultants.

“Using ChatGPT and copy and pasting it will create a horrible essay because it’s not specific and detailed, but using [this] to get feedback? In that regard, I’m all for it,” Clark said. “It’s democratizing resources, advice and consults, and it’s available 24-7, where sometimes adults are sleeping or working a second job.”

Few universities have policies on using technology for admissions essays. Most of those that address AI at all issue a blanket statement banning the use of the technology in the admissions process entirely.

David Hawkins, the chief education and policy officer for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said NACAC has steered clear of creating any policy on supplementary generative AI use thus far, as the organization is still in the “information-gathering stage.” He echoed Clark’s notion that it could be seen as similar to using admissions consultants but added that the “most important human” intervention comes from the students themselves.

“They have an authentic story to tell, and the authenticity is what admissions officers are looking for,” he said. “Whether an institution allows AI or whether they don’t—both are looking for some expression of authenticity in essays. It certainly is still down to the student as to the quality and the depth of what they submit.”

Arnold Langat, a senior at Stanford applying for medical school, said he was encouraged by Esslo to replace “a few clichéd phrases with more personal reflections to better showcase my unique perspective.” Faced with writing more than 50 unique essays, he used ChatGPT for brainstorming and, similarly to Lee, used Esslo to fine-tune a first draft before passing it along to mentors, friends and family for further review.

Kim and Betapudi say they hope Esslo will close some socioeconomic gaps.

“Any student with an internet connection can find a standard high school or college prep course, but there’s still a huge gap in terms of access to quality guidance,” Kim said. “And we feel technology has caught up to where we can meaningfully close that gap.”

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50 Successful Stanford Application Essays

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• Gen Tanabe - Author
• Kelly Tanabe - Author

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• Release date: August 15, 2018

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Kindle Book Release date: August 15, 2018

OverDrive Read ISBN: 9781617601453 Release date: August 15, 2018

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