What does Stanford value most in a persons character/qualities in regards to essays.
“We want to see your commitment, dedication and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons; both in what you write about yourself and in what others write on your behalf. We want to see the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm that will allow you to spark a lively discussion in a freshman seminar and continue the conversation at a dinner table. We want to see the energy and depth of commitment you will bring to your endeavors, whether that means in a research lab, as part of a community organization, during a performance or on an athletic field. We want to see the initiative with which you seek out opportunities that expand your perspective and that will allow you to participate in creating new knowledge.”
That’s from Stanfords website. Here’s the link:
http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/
Intellectual vitality is what Stanford is all about. And that could apply to anything not just the basics like math or English. It could be music, research, sports or anything. They just want you to have passion. If tou have a passion for one thing it means that you will probably be passionate about something else. That’s why so many successful people come from Stanford. They all have a passion for something. Admissions officers are super good at sniffing out who has real genuine passion and who is just participating in activities to get into college so be sure you have something that is unique and gets you up in the morning. I don’t know how old you are but hopefully you have been pursuing an activity in great depth for a few years.
Also when you go to the website I provided you with scroll to the bottom and click on “application evaluation” under contents. It has everything they look for.
As a helpful tip for essays, look up what Stanfords main values are and if you sincerely identify with those then you should shape your essay around those while staying completely honest and true to yourself. So many people get denied with top scores and grades simply because hey are not the right fit. Being the right fit will get you a long way so choose your colleges wisely.
Sorry that this was so much information. I just want you to be informed and have the best shot possible at getting in.
Hope I helped!