I am trying to help my daughter and am not sure how to address this question. She is a straight A student (well, 1B) with great scores and is a big time dancer and has done a lot in her community in leadership but all related to dancing. She’s not done things like research with a professor or other “intellectual” pursuits as much as being a super duper dancer who has worked with a nonprofit to help ill patients “heal” through dance therapy.
How do we address such a question given her relatively “light” research background. One consultant told me that it is too late as she is a senior and she should have done research and published to make this essay worthwhile.
Can focusing on her dance and how it is helping others through dance therapy count as intellectual vitality?
Perhaps her experience with dance has helped her think differently? Or perhaps it has helped an intellectual question bubble to the surface? Dance as communication. Links between movement and wellness. Muscle memory.
There are many ways to engage intellectually that don’t involve research but that show attention, reflection, and curiosity.
I stumbled upon your question through the “Latest Posts” part of this forum.
But I’m really surprised that anybody would think dancing and aiding others through dance is NOT an intellectual pursuit.
Who needs conventional “research” when you’ve already been involved in helping ill patients through dance?
That’s an amazing thing to be able to give to your community.
The “research” is what she learned from the experience.
Did it help anybody?
Yes? What would she do to expand the program? How?
No? Why not? Who came up with the program and would she change the program or refocus the program to another target group? Drop it altogether?
Are Olympic athletes dumb? Do their talents translate to other fields? You can’t be an Olympian forever.
How does your D’s talent and obvious passion for dance translate into what she eventually wants to do? What did she learn working with her community? Organization or accounting? Or the community NEEDS accounting and organization because it was sorely lacking?
I agree wholeheartedly but is that how Stanford admissions sees it too? Yes I feel she has a LOT of intellectual vitality (trying to be the unbiased mother) BUT during an admission process, where they take one child in 20, I am wondering if this is too "light* for what they want…
Admissions will view Dance Therapy as a very interesting pursuit. Now, if 5 other dancers have equal talent to your daughter + more varied intellectual background with Literature, Philosophy and/or Research then logic would follow that your daughter has stiff competition. Again, difficult to assess these hypothetical situations without knowing the applicant pool in full detail.
I wouldn’t worry about not having research or something similar. Intellectual vitality isn’t about awards or even intelligence. Tons of students, myself included, are admitted with zero research experience. Dance therapy is a viable option for a topic - how has she pushed the boundaries of her understanding to utilize dance beyond its traditional role? What unique challenges did she face combining dance with therapy? etc etc. There are plenty of ways to branch dance/dance therapy into an intellectual vitality essay.
For anecdotal evidence, I wrote about a hobby. I know others from Stanford who wrote about things ranging from Pokemon to costumes to music. If there’s a school that really encourages broad experiences and non-traditional essays it would be Stanford. Some kid even wrote (a different supplemental essay for Stanford) about breaking a finger while applauding. The Adcoms said it was one of their most memorable essays that year.
your daughter has a very unique edge over other students with dance therapy… develop that passion… do not do things to check off boxes… it’s obvious and Stanford will see right through it.
Stanford is the one school that will take the kid that is the world champion basket weaver over a kid with perfect SATS, test scores and student body president. Stanford wants you to be the best in what you do… the question the Stanford admit committee asks… is this student going to add to our community in a meaningful and unique way… bring a different point of view and is the best in what they do?
I’d say your daughter does. go with that and good luck.