Undergraduate / From Calculus 12 to literature interpretation; my mind was always wide awake in English class. [4]

Yale Essay-Reflect on a time when you felt genuine excitement learning about something

In grade 11, I challenged myself to take Calculus 12, and eventually realized that I simply wasn't that enthusiastic about mathematics. On the other hand, my mind was always wide awake in English class.

I sat on the edge of my seat and tried to absorb as much as I could from class discussions. I loved it when our the teacher shared his/her own interpretation but still told us that we could disagree and have our own opinions (provided that we could support it, of course). I remember poring over 1984 late into the night, shivering with excitement as my mind came up with new theories about the themes and messages that Orwell had conveyed throughout the novel. I was so fascinated by the ideas and concepts explored in 1984 that I immediately read Animal Farm as well.

This was a subject area that I was truly passionate about. Over the years, I have studied more and more books, in and out of English class. A good piece of work has never failed to truly inspire me and There was no one right way to interpret literature, and to me, that is the most beautiful part.

The word limit was 200 words and I currently have 197. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Undergraduate / Beethoven's Opus 109 - Stanford Essay - Intellectual Development [9]

The prompt given was: Stanford students possess an intellectual vitality. Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development.

Opus 109

When I decided to play Beethoven's Opus 109 Sonata, my teacher was dismayed. One of the Sacred Five (as I like to dub Beethoven's last five piano sonatas), Opus 109 was written in the last few years of Beethoven's life, full of his pain and frustration with the world. Playing it at a youth competition would almost certainly earn a "you are not simply not ready yet" from the jury. My teacher suggested that I try the delightfully youthful Opus 2 instead. But I had made up my mind. I genuinely loved Opus 109, and some inner determination in me dictated that I would play it, conventional or not.

Reluctantly, my teacher agreed. But learning the piece was completely different from I had imagined. It took time for me to realize that Opus 109 was a piece that was not so much about the fingers, but rather about the mind, heart, and soul. I would hours sitting silently in front of the keyboard, staring at the notes Beethoven left behind, and wondering what he was thinking. For the first time, it wasn't the piece developing under my hands; I was the one growing as I studied the piece. Opus 109 inspired me to view the world in a new way. It had been a risk to learn it, but I couldn't have regretted my decision less. Today, I still play Opus 109, as well as other music that I love, not limited by the fear of breaking tradition.

I'm worried that my essay doesn't correspond with the prompt enough. Please let me know what you think. Any other help/comments would be greatly appreciated

Undergraduate / Exciting roomie and wonderful music. Stanford Supplementary [7]

This is the short essay section of Stanford's Common App.
I am kind of more of an "angular student" rather than a "well-rounded" student. Under my extracurricular activities, music is basically my only activity. I am an internationally competing pianist, so it really does take up so much of my time. And so the inspiration behind most of my answers to these questions were related to piano. I am worried I don't seem well-rounded enough...

surprisingly fantastic roommate

Hi Future Roomie,

I've never lived with a roommate before, but I am absolutely ecstatic to meet you. At first, you'll probably think I'm quite ordinary, maybe a little on the shy side. I'm polite, but not that great with small talk. After you get to know me, though, you'll see that I can really be quite quirky and peculiar.

Ever since I was a little kid, I've had a tendency to generate crazy, spontaneous ideas out of the blue. I might even try to drag you along on a camping trip without any prior planning. On a more regular basis, though, I'd just like to share fun times together, maybe making a pizza or watching some Pingu episodes. One thing I'd definitely love to do is teach you piano. Or if you already play another instrument, please teach me! Even better, we could form an ensemble together!

Most of all, though, I am curious to learn about you. I'm a person who is genuinely interested in other people. I'm a caring, empathetic listener, but other times I talk a lot too. I've always been the loud, outgoing girl who laughs a lot and makes everyone else laugh. I have a lot of friends but what I value the most are deep friendships. I love having long, intellectual conversations that go late into the night. I think I learn something from every single person I meet, and I can't wait to find out: what will I learn from you?

music and its influence

What matters to you, and why? (100 to 250 words)

Four years ago, I would not have seen this question and immediately known how to answer. But now, I know for sure that what matters to me most is my music and the impact that it can make on other people.

Once when I was 13, I had a small recital in a local church. After the recital, an old lady in a wheelchair approached me. I assumed she was going to congratulate me on my performance, and I politely greeted her. However, her response was quite different from what I had expected. She grabbed my hands and suddenly began to cry. The younger lady with her then explained to me what the situation was. The older lady was her mother, and was going to be transferred to a hospice the following month. The old lady had been somehow touched by my performance, and wanted to ask if I had a recording, so she could play it during her days at the hospice.

This is perhaps the most moving experience I have had in all my seventeen years. The knowledge that another human being would want my music to be a part of their last days in this world was overwhelming to me. It brings me the greatest satisfaction to know that my years of hard work has allowed me to create such beautiful and influential music. I hope that for the rest of my life, I can continue to play for others and make their life a little better.

I am really worried that it seems like all I can do is play piano. This is only the Stanford one, but most of my applications are kind of like this, leaning heavily on my musical studies. Even my Common App essay is about music and how it impacted my life. Do you think I should try to write on other topics, even if I don't feel as genuine about them? Any help is much appreciated!!