<p>Okay, exactly what I thought. In which case, whatever essay best conveys who you are is the best essay for the prompt. I think my method does so effectively. Thanks.</p>
<p>That is, ultimately, their goal. </p>
<p>I have strong doubts that they care what you want to tell your roommate. The essay isn't designed so they can write down, "video gamer" or "nerd". It's designed with the hope of deluding their applicants into thinking that's what they're looking for, so that they can look within the writing while the writer is being... candid, and then try to use that to get a better idea of the person behind the application.</p>
<p>They won't care what you did with your brother. They will care very very much that the method with which you depict this childhood experience shows critical thinking, or passion, or they might for instance take specific note of the intensity of the love you had/have for your brother.</p>
<p>They want a picture of who you are, which is why they ask for more than test scores. So the essay that best conveys who you are is what they want.</p>
<p>Good luck with the essay!</p>
<p>My D who applied SCEA last year and is now into two weeks of her classes, and loves it there! She wrote it as if she was sharing a bit of her journal with her roommate -- sharing something about herself which was not in anywhere else in her other essays -- how she spent her weekend in the barn and how even though she's a clean freak, she didn't mind when horses did their "business" right while she was grooming them... From her essay, the admin could gather a little personal side about her. Her writing was very much what writing in a journal would be.</p>
<p>This essay of all five depresses me the most because I don't know what to write about. I have two different ways to go with this and it's very hard to decide. :(</p>
<p>Very belated ty to Pajkaj for the advice.</p>
<p>Hookem I completely agree. They didn't do letter format this year though so I wrote mine completely differently than the ones on facebook</p>
<p>Those roomates essays posted on facebook are so laid-back. I dunno; I always thought they were supposed to be serious and revealing? </p>
<p>I mean, I was planning on writing about struggling with a learning disability. Is that too heavy? Or should I just casually talk about my interests, etc?</p>
<p>Someone help me, please?</p>
<p>instead of being confused by the letters in that FB, why don't you use them to guide the direction you take. Think about it. If most of those essays (i've read them) reflect upon the quirky, inquisitive, and compassionate side of each individual, perhaps Stanford is looking for you to give them insight into who you are AS A PERSON in this essay. and if those students got in last year, most likely they wrote exactly what Stanford was looking for. stop questioning them and do your own version of the light-hearted, charming, endearing essay. Also, my college counselor told me that in this essay Stanford is looking to see what there is to you besides your accomplishments and academics. They want to understand how you approach life and people and what personal contribution you will make to their student body because of your personality, background, life approach, mind-set, etc. The rest of your application already tells them what physical stuff you have done, now impress them with who you are as a person.</p>
<p>The roommate essay is critical because this is the first time we would be rooming with someone not family. Fabulous subject for a really creative essay.</p>
<p>I think it is important to show who you are-and talk as if you are relating to someone your age-not an admissions rep (of course in actuality you are trying to appeal to an admissions person). If you were meeting a new roommate would you want to outdo them with creativity or would you just let them know who you are and what is important to you. I say sound real.</p>
<p>I went for the strategy of describing my tastes and activities, explaining that good relations are vital between roommates and learning about each others personalities is most conducive towards this goal.</p>
<p>Does anybody have any ideas about the "why Stanford is good for you essay"? Do they just expect you to look up facts and then match them to your own skill sets, or do they expect a thrilling narrative ending with you at the gates of Stanford?</p>
<p>^ I actually talked about Stanford's Marching Band and how it represents the quirky and fearless side of Stanford. I think they appreciate quirky things like that. I also used really obscure references about the Band which only someone who has researching Stanford extensibly would have known.</p>
<p>^In my essay I just basically listed all of the things I like to do, I'd be interested in about my roommate, and what we would do together. It was very informal.</p>
<p>^^ As a boarding school student I currently have a roommate, so I talked about one thing he found peculiar about me. Perhaps you could ask one of your family members what the oddest thing about living with you is. I really don't think there is any one right approach, but that one worked well for me: simple, genuine, and revealing.</p>
<p>Just make it fun and inviting. I did a WANTED ad for a roommate, not a letter. I then proceeded to tell prospective roommates what they should expect if rooming with me. It was a risk because I wasn't sure they'd get it, but looks like they did.</p>
<p>Thanks very much, guys. Those facebook group topics and the Stanford article are especially enlightening.</p>
<p>I took in my opinion quite an unconventional route to addressing this essay. This past summer I was at a Student Council workshop where they told each of us to write a letter to ourselves, and that they'd mail it to us in December. For my essay I shared the letter that I wrote. I would really like some opinions on it from someone who's not applying RD this year though.</p>
<p>Been trying to decide on what topic I'd like to focus on. Two that have come to my mind are me looking for humorous/cool science/math-related thoughts (like, say, green shift) and my ability to put things in perspective and reduce stress, allowing better productivity or whatever (and how I can help other people with this).</p>
<p>Is it artificial to talk about how you like to bargain hunt?</p>