"Failure is not an option"; Stanford Intellectual Vitality

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

Here is the essay.

Growing up, I heard the phrase "Failure is not an option" and consistently tried to stay away from it. Now that I have matured, I understand that this quote is fallacious. Ambition is the result of failure. Two years ago, my science teacher ordered me to create a mousetrap vehicle for the annual statewide science contest. Fifteen painful snaps and a hundred splinters later, I created a so called masterpiece. Having immersed myself in the First Deadly Sin, Pride, I chose to take the car straight to the tournament without performing any essential tests. My foolishness led my creation to unfortunately become a piece of wood flying at close competitors. At that moment, all I felt was utter shame for my lack of success in my first attempt. In spite of the failure, this experience had a positive impact on my life. I realized that making mistakes is the first step to truly learning. Since then, I have made many mousetrap vehicles in order to succeed in the contest. My failure resulted in a magnificent vehicle that brought the contest trophy to our school.

This seemingly catastrophic experience will further help me by encouraging me to not ignore the mistakes I will likely make in rigorous college programs, but rather encouraging me to constructively learn from those mistakes. Without failing in some aspects, I would have never understood my weaknesses that I could improve. As Henry Ford, "Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." I am bound to have difficulty with college, but I know that I will emerge smarter and successful. To make errors is human nature, but to learn from mistakes is essential.

Thank you for reading my essay. It is much appreciated. :)

Growing up, I heard the phrase "Failure is not an option" and consistently tried to stay away from it. You may want to open with something more solid, the sentence seems a bit vague. I wonder what you mean when you say you tried to stay away from it... you wanted to stay away from the phrase, failure, or..? Not totally sure what you mean. I would clear that up.

This seemingly catastrophic experience... Sounds a little dramatic. You have the right idea though, your paper is organized well, although it could be improved to sound more mature. With a little work, your essay will be terrific!

WOW. this is really good :) good luck!

The essay is good, but I'm not that impressed with it. This essay is likely to get you wait listed. You did well on the essay, but what you fail to do give your reflection at a deeper level. You offer a basic moral of the story that anyone can write. What else you do is incorporate a theme of overcoming failure and becoming a success. Many students write about that all the time.

If you want to separate yourself from other applicants, I advise you to give a deeper analysis of yourself on failure like, "From the event, I understood that failure is a critical step to developing success because without failure, there is no stepping stone to reach perfection. Failure also became the tool that corrected flaws in my personality such as my arrogance which became an inhibitor to my success."

Give a deeper image of yourself, and the essay will make you distinct among other applicants.

I hope my advice helps.

Could you give my Princeton Supplement a read.