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.
During my freshman year, my home life imploded. The family I'd once held so dear had fallen apart in a matter of days, and there was nothing I could do about it. Family dinners vanished, and I found myself spending a lot of time alone with my thoughts. I was bombarded with emotions that my yet young brain could not comprehend, emotions for which I had no outlet. I was confused. Then I saw Garden State. As I watched Andrew Largeman, disillusioned and numbed by the collapse of his family, struggle to lead a normal life, I felt as if my own story were unfolding before me. The script captured a man without direction: his actions were robotic, his words passionless. I was staring into my future. But as the story wore on, Large came to grips with his life and realized that sulking wasn't going to change anything. He needed to take initiative. This philosophy resonated with me: I knew I needed to make amends before my life became the one on the screen. However, the movie itself helped me realize something else, something much broader. I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. Moreover, I want to tell stories that provoke people into examining their lives. I want to jar people from their comfort zones. I want to do for other people what Garden State did for me. And even if I can only change one person, I'll have made a difference I can be proud of.
Let me know how it is!
The word and space limits on the Common App prevent any kind of paragraph junctures. You also can't italicize anything (I don't know why).
The intellectual engagement is when I realize that film's ability has an uncanny ability to connect to human emotions. Then I go on to say that that's what I want to do with my life. I figured, there's nothing more intellectually engaging than discovering what you want to do, especially when it happens in such a sudden way. You didn't get that impression?
I think you need to make the intellectually engaging part more clearly. I get what you are trying to say, which i think is very well written btw, but i don't see where the intellectual part comes in. I think its more emotional based than intellectual.
there's nothing more intellectually engaging than discovering what you want to do, especially when it happens in such a sudden way.
I totally agree with this! Find away to stress that in your writing. It will definitely make it stronger.
