<p>Well, I was a Stanford baby. Supposing that I say something in my
essay about 'how I dreamed about going to Stanford ever since
I was born there ... '</p>
<p>Does it help, hurt, or doesn't matter?
Does it make the app stand out in a good way or bad way?
Will 10,000 others have the same claim this year?</p>
<p>I think its cheesy.</p>
<p>I second that. It's unoriginal. It's makes you no more special than the hundreds of people who start out with, "Stanford has always been my dream schooo..."</p>
<p>If being born there means that your parents were Stanford students, then you are a legacy and that will help. I'm not sure it makes a good essay topic though.</p>
<p>if you can incorporate it in a nice way it cant hurt, go for it!</p>
<p>You shouldn't start with "I was born at Stanford." Do something like..."I have already spent 9 months walking on Stanford's grounds" then they will want to read more. It'd be clever.</p>
<p>What do you even mean by "born at Stanford?"</p>
<p>Were you born at Stanford Medical Center, along with hundreds of others, or did you pop out of mommie's womb while she was bicycling from Escondido Village to Tresidder Union?</p>
<p>I don't really know. I was too small at that time.
My birth certificate shows my birthplace as Stanford, CA.
I think it was before Stanford became part of Palo Alto.</p>
<p>It's still Stanford, CA with two zip codes and not a part of Palo Alto.</p>
<p>It could be an interesting way to start your essay. Don't force it, though. If it doesn't work, you could put it into a cover letter.</p>
<p>i doubt it would hurt you, but i see no reason in which it could help you. Tons of kids are born at Stanford. They aren't more or less qualified than kids born at other hospitals. It's not like <em>you</em> chose to be born at Stanford cuz you loved it so much.</p>
<p>I'd include it, but find a casual spot in your essay. Dont make it your grand intro because it is cheesy to do it that way. If you mention it casually it has the cute factor. Just my 2 cents.</p>