Undergraduate / 'going to die eventually' - stanford: intellectually engaging [7]

Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

Moving their mouths unconsciously up and down as they chew, the sheep blankly stare into the woods that surround my house. While they graze for hours and days at a time, I am working on homework, watching TV, or reading books to keep boredom at bay. To sheep, there is no boredom and sense of time like we humans have created. They lack that sophistication that makes us human, but is that necessarily a bad thing? I wonder what they think about as they sit there. Do they have a meaning, feel a purpose for their life, or think beyond their daily hay and grain? Do they even know where they are?

I constantly look for ways to attach meaning to my life. Through college, going to my friend's party or concert, and my hobbies, I strive for that all important satisfaction in life. But the sheep just eat. Life is supposed to be exhilarating, full of surprises, good times and bad, so how is it that sheep are alive as well?

Sometimes I look around my room at the collection of Harry Potter books, the mounds of clothes, and my cat and wonder if all of this is necessary in life. I can still function without the use of entertainment, pets, and clothes that don't even keep me warm but why don't I? The Harry Potter books remind me of when I was younger and enthusiastic about the possibility of magical worlds and fantasy lands. They make my life meaningful just as my cat and wardrobe do too.

It doesn't ultimately matter that the way my sheep and I lead our lives is different from one another. We all die eventually, but that hunger for meaning will always be in the human spirit. That is what makes me different from my sheep. Yes, I can read Harry Potter and the sheep can't, but more importantly I can remember how excited I was for each new book to come out and the excitement with which I read each book for the first time. The feelings associated with my book collection, hobbies, and experiences is what makes this life worth living. If I am going to die eventually, I might as well have fun while I am here.

please give me some feedback as to my topic and approach to this essay. im not quite sure yet as to what I want to get across with this essay

thank you!

Undergraduate / "dance my worries away" - stanford supplement: letter to roommate [8]

i've read this essay over a thousand times and i could use some fresh eyes on my topic, tone, and message i want to send in this essay

Tell us something about you that will help your future roommate -- and us -- know you better.

Dear Roomie,
My hair is tousled and messy as it flies around my head, only loosely attached. My face is glistening with sweat but a giant smile still spreads between my ears. I could be preparing for a hot date, my next class, or even a lunch with a friend. But don't worry, I'll try to not be in your way.

Dancing is a routine activity. My audience is usually just me and my mirror image but since we will be living together, you are welcome to watch (and join in!).

Personal dance parties are most common when I am stressed. At the end of my junior year I took a total of 5 high stakes tests including the SAT's, two AP tests, and my first IB exam. Every morning before a new test, I woke up, got ready for school and then plugged in my iPod and danced in front of my mirror to my favorite jams. The exercise gave me energy, the tunes gave me something to think about, and when I showed up to the exam room, I was jitter-free and ready to go.

Dancing is also worked into almost every action of mine throughout the day. Walking always includes an extra swing of the hips. If I am in a less crowded area fist pumps and shoulder shrugs are sometimes added, but once I get into a rhythm the risk of looking crazy to passersby dramatically decreases. Showering is the perfect release for my energy. I am totally alone and the walls have great acoustics for singing. Sometimes I run up stairs and brush my teeth to the beat or work in a few head bobs during a work out. Usually I dance in front of the microwave while I wait for my morning egg to finish cooking.

I cannot wait to have a roommate to share my energy with so I made a list of all our dorm room essentials for our endless dance parties. The most important would have to be speakers. They can't be so loud that they annoy our neighbors but so quiet that we can barely hear the music over our own voices. Second are objects that can double as microphones. Hairbrushes, shampoo bottles, pens, pencils, remotes, and flat irons are perfect. I have resorted to using my fist in the past but having a real microphone makes the experience much better. Make sure that breakables are out of sight while we are dancing. I am known for my clumsiness. We also must have a mini fridge. Dancing is exercise so sustenance and hydration will be needed to keep us from getting tired.

Don't ever feel nervous or insecure around me when I am dancing. The fact that I am dancing most likely means that I am nervous too. It is daunting to know that six months from now I will be on my own. My parents won't be there to make me soup when I am sick, comfort me when I am stressed, and protect me from the predators that are the real world. But that just gives me all the more reason to get my groove on. I'll just tune in, rock out, and dance my worries away.

Undergraduate / stanford supplement: what makes stanford a good fit for you? [9]

i like my essay a lot but its too long for the 1800 character word limit. help!

I jumped and grabbed the monkey bars while my friends stared up at my dangling, four-year old legs. I wrapped my legs around a neighboring bar and hoisted my body through the gap. After wrestling with my arms for the perfect position, I sat up victoriously on the top of the bars. For the rest of the day, I couldn't wipe that smile of satisfaction off my face. Looking back, I can remember those days of elementary school when I was the fearless kid, the first to do everything. Not much has changed for me since then.

When I first started to narrow down my list of colleges, the traits on the list were strong engineering programs (in a university), strong learning environment, great athletic facilities, and near/in a city. However, so many schools fit into these categories that I had trouble narrowing down my prospects. These traits are all good in a college but I was missing the point. What do I want to gain out of my college experience? I want to feel the same way I felt that day on the monkey bars: curious and eager to explore. Stanford is the only college that shares those feelings with me.

Stanford is a research university. More than any other school on my college list, Stanford wants to explore, not only teach. The amazing feeling I felt when I discovered something new on those monkey bars is one I never want to let go of. We might experiment differently from each other but Stanford and I are still both curious. I can see myself several months from now reading in the Meyer Library, searching the stacks with the same curiosity as a jungle gym. Wandering the gorgeous Mediterranean architecture, I will find my new hang out spot for the next four years.

Stanford has thousands of unique qualities, all of which I pondered while choosing it as my first choice, but at the end of the day all that matters is how I feel about that college. I love the way Stanford makes me feel because of its commitment to curiosity.