<p>Would any Stanford students or alumni mind letting me read their essays? Supplement or common app? Just for inspiration, I'm not going to copy. Plus I want to see the caliber of writing it takes to get in. Google had no other essays except this one that seemed pretty cliche to be honest. Thanks in advance ;)</p>
<p>Try writing without the goal of making it “good enough” for Stanford. I guarantee you that’ll make it 10x better.</p>
<p>What’s that supposed to mean? Write with no goals in mind?</p>
<p>Write for the sake of writing.</p>
<p>Yes exactly.</p>
<p>Yes exactly. Just write your essay to actually express yourself, and write it for yourself.</p>
<p>Guys c’mon. The OP expresses an earnest desire to see the kind of caliber of writing typical of Stanford admits. And you guys try to help him/her out by saying to “write for the sake of writing”? This is a college application essay. The goal here is to write something that will help you get in, not to write something that will make you happy inside. Sometimes those overlap. Often they do not. </p>
<p>I wrote a college essay “for myself.” I then edited it to make it a bit more politically correct. I showed it to my college counselor, and she said it would never fly at top colleges. I agreed with her.</p>
<p>Thanks ^Senior, I appreciate your understanding. I agree with you. That’s why I want to see admitted essays, I can write plenty of fulfilling things that’d get me rejected in a heartbeat, I need to find that special “thing”.</p>
<p>Nice confirmation bias there, addymithas.</p>
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<p>Oh yeah, because that makes it so important.</p>
<p>Of course I’m biased, I’m trying to get something here, why would I agree with someone who doesn’t support learning from others triumphs? I’m not asking for your ridicule either way. Anyway, I got some essays from a very nice guy and I think these will be quite helpful when I write mine. </p>
<p>And yes, college application essays are quite important. At least to me.</p>
<p>Confirmation bias isn’t just a bias. It’s the dismissal of contrary information for favor of evidence that already supports your opinion. In other words, you ignore the **** out of us because we’re not saying what you want to hear. </p>
<p>I’m not saying don’t learn from others’ triumphs. I never said that. I said don’t write something that you think Stanford would find “good” enough; write a draft that you’re satisfied with. Then, give it to an English teacher you trust for review, and tell them to tear it to pieces. </p>
<p>I know you’re just getting inspiration from others’ work, but I’m of the opinion that even that compromises the quality of your writing.</p>
<p>I apologize for not knowing EXACTLY what confirmation bias is. I’m not dismissing what you said, just taking someone else words into mind too because I agree with them.<br>
And I still disagree but hey, that’s ok. (that rhymed 
)</p>
<p>Addymithas I found a couple of links where students posted their essays that you can view-
Roommate Essays:
[Roommate</a> Essays | Facebook](<a href=“Facebook”>Facebook)</p>
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<p>Intellectual Vitality:
[intellectual</a> vitality… | Facebook](<a href=“Facebook”>Facebook)</p>
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<p>I hope this helps a little bit!</p>
<p>^Dream, thanks man, huge help!</p>
<p>No problem! Glad I could help. And I agree, seeing example essays of applicants admitted helps.
I found another link:
<a href=“http://shia.wsyntax.com/~raymond/stanford_essays.pdf[/url]”>http://shia.wsyntax.com/~raymond/stanford_essays.pdf</a></p>
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<p>
And I seem to remember you illustrating the same principle with your “Yes, exactly” line earlier in the thread. Kind of hypocritical, no? </p>
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How do you know the OP ignored what you guys had to say? In case you can’t remember, the OP responded to your first statement, digging for more information. But I guess that, for you, such a response still counts as ignoring you guys. Honestly it seems like you need to learn the difference between ignoring and disagreeing. </p>
<p>Also, though you clarified your original statement, you gave little support as to why “your” writing philosophy works better in this scenario then the one the OP had in mind. If you want someone to reconsider their original intentions, you have to give them a good reason to do so. You did not. </p>
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Regardless of the importance of the application essay, I was arguing that this particular form of essay has a very specific goal (to optimize your chances of acceptance). There is a place for “writing for the sake of writing.” By definition, that place is not a college application essay. </p>
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Should people just not read books then? Because often writers end up imitating the authors they like the most (whether they want to do so or not). Should we just shirk everything that “compromises” our inner voice? No one I know is born a gifted writer.</p>
<p>This is getting too serious; I don’t argue over the internet, especially not on a yuppie site like CC. I’m bored, and therefore out.</p>
<p>Have fun with college applications; you’ll realize the absurdity of it all after you’re done.</p>
<p>^That’s actually sincere, not sarcastic.</p>
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<p>Is that a threat or a promise, Francais? You seem to have a curious predilection for snarky commentary, which can get kind of old. (Though as you see, I can do it too; it’s not too difficult, just tedious.)</p>
<p>Also, why would someone who isn’t a Stanford student, hopeful, parent or other affiliate repeatedly answer questions in Stanford’s forum? It gives others the erroneous impression that you have an informed basis for your opinions. No doubt everyone has the right to participate in any public forum; I’m just wondering.</p>
<p>Haha I’m just a really pedantic, pedantic, patronizing, proselytizing senior a little too bored waiting for college (with a fetish for alliteration). Ah well, I don’t make the snarky commentary for the benefit of you, I make it to pass time. </p>
<p>I don’t answer questions that have anything specific to do with Stanford. Questions like “Does Stanford count class rank?”, “How are my chances at Stanford?”, or “What calibre writing does Stanford want?” would pretty much be answered in the exact same way at any other similar university.</p>
<p>Eh, why not Stanford? Lots of overeager, overachievers here to prey on (Since people take me too seriously here, I’m being facetious). My ultimate message is benevolent (stop worrying about getting into a university like Stanford, because it says nothing about your personality/there are tons of other awesome places out there; you are not your numbers; remember to take life–and yourself–less seriously sometimes), though I throw in the ■■■■■■■■ for my own amusement. It sounds vicious, but I’m just playing ;D</p>
<p>You don’t sound vicious, Francais, just tiresome and a little juvenile. And I doubt many take your comments at all seriously, so no worries there. </p>
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<p>I guess your fetish extends to repetition as well as alliteration. ; )</p>
<p>Anyway, best wishes for next year and I hope you find a good–maybe even productive?–outlet for your professed boredom in the interim.</p>