<p>1) Be a very strong student academically
2) Be an interesting person
3) Effectively communicate #1 and #2 in your application </p>
<h1>1 should be clear. For #2 this can mean that compete nationally or internationally in some event or you have some really unusual interest or are just very passionate about something, even something academic</h1>
<p>What I'm scared of is that I think I'm an interesting person, but really, there's thousands of people that are like me, and that my interestingness is perceived as "trying too hard."</p>
<p>I have trouble with this. I've got great ECs and I have the urge to just elaborate as much as I can on them in the essays (since there's not enough space for me to sell myself on the EC portion). </p>
<p>Instead, I have to talk about things that I percieve as much more risky. Like I might talk about how I'm intrigued by video games and I think they're the next medium of art. The mind boggles: how can an essay about something like that impress adcoms more than an essay reciting my achievements? Grr.</p>
<p>The real question: how can an essay listing your achievements be more interesting than your views about video games as the next medium of art (especially if you design video games or are really into art) ?</p>
<p>If your ECs are really that impressive, it is almost inevitable that you will spend many hours a week on them (and then they'll come up in recs too) and/or will have received several awards.</p>
<p>Thanks, marlgirl, for a thread I think many prospective Stanford students desire. As always, good luck to everyone.</p>
<p>Does stanford have prospective student interviews?</p>
<p>no (10 chars)</p>
<p>Thanks except the only thing I can compete nationally in is academic decathlon and my application will be sent out by the time I go to nationals so... :/</p>