Stanford Roommate Essay - My Life in Statistics

This is a risky essay idea that I decided to follow through with. The prompt is to write a letter to your future roommate at Stanford. What do you think of it?

Hey Roomie,

I'm <censored>, and for my past three high school summers, I decided to keep a detailed daily log book of my activities. I made a goal to do at least three noteworthy things each day. This helps for two reasons: it helps me remember and appreciate the smaller stuff, and it motivates me to do meaningful things instead of waste my summer away. I then decided to compile all this data and share some statistics about my lifestyle with you as a way of introducing myself. I hope you'll find them interesting!

1. Went out somewhere (63%): I like to explore! Coming from New York City, I can't begin to imagine all of the exciting, unique culture at Stanford and the west coast.

2. Ate out somewhere (35%): I absolutely love food - trying new cuisines and discovering new places to eat is one of my favorite things to do. You'd be surprised how much a good meal can turn a bad day upside down for me.

3. Learned something new (30%): I do my best to reach out of my comfort zone, take a risk, and learn from the experience!

4. Cooked something (22%): I consider myself a decent chef! When I'm not out looking for new food, I'm usually cooking it at home - and I'd be glad to share a portion with you.

5. Went to the park (22%): What's a summer without the outdoors? Frisbee, basketball, soccer - sports are my favorite way to unwind.

6. Went to a party (16%): Non-alcoholic parties, mind you! Even though I take my work seriously, it's important getting loose once in a while. Once a week I make it a habit of dropping what I'm doing and reminding myself that life isn't all about work.

7. Fixed someone's computer (11%): If you're decently educated with computers, don't make my mistake of revealing it to your relatives. Once you fix one problem for them, you'll be their go-to "computer genius" for all of their other tech issues. Play it safe, my friend.

I hope these statistics paint a clearer picture of me for you, and I look forward to our adventures together!

Sincerely,
<censored>

Well I definitely thought this was a unique innovative way of doing an essay, definitely a risk. Hopefully the AOs will appreciate your wild side. HAHA. Just some suggestions:


Maybe 'computer guru' instead.
Off-topic: This happens to me ALL the time with my grandma, I'm the computer + tv problem fixer.


I dunno, for some strange reason I believe you can come up with something wittier to say here.


Decent sounds kinda flat, how about 'I consider myself a devil of a chef' or whatnot, just not decent.


Since you already say learn in this sentence, maybe spic it up 'and savour the experience'

I like the making a goal to do noteworthy things. I thinks its a pretty neat idea.

Hope this helps!

Wow, this was an interesting read! I love how you took a unique approach to the roommate essay but incorporating statistics... haha. I don't know what I would change with this. Though this may look risky, I think the AO's would like this. Run this through a teacher or someone older to make sure they will understand everything.

If you have time, I would love for you to look at my Common App essay as well. Thanks!

wow! i really enjoyed this! statistics make it really interesting, just i don't know about the numbering format... i would really love your opinion on mine!