<p>To those that got in, I realized in one of the threads that you were all advising on really showcasing your passion. How do you do this when the space to list your extracurriculars is so little. You only have room for a brief, minimal explanation and then you can only expand on one of your extracurriculars...Did you guys mention the same passion throughout the application or show different dimmensions in each part...I'm applying RD and I was wondering how I should show my passion for my extracurriculars. Should my essay be on it? or what</p>
<p>so.. i have two big passions: music and intercultural interaction.</p>
<p>most of my ECs were music-based, and i didn't really emphasize this passion in my essays at all.. i let my arts supplement and my listed ECs speak for themselves. ALL of my essays and at least one of my recs, however, tied into my passion for understanding intercultural interaction and diversity.</p>
<p>i think the best (and only) advice i can give is this: you're giving the adcoms just a little snapshot of who you are. what's the first thing you'd want somebody to know about you? what do you think is important about who you are? pick one or two of those things and really focus on them--chew on them, agonize over how you want to present them, make sure the teachers who are writing your recs know about them. that's what i did, at least.</p>
<p>i believe it was my writing that did it for me. i showed my passion through my essays and short answers.</p>
<p>my essay was the one about "significant experience blahblah," and i took a very, very specific incident and really went into details. if i had not used such detail, the essay would have flunked because the incident was ordinary and typically dull. but you have to take a slice of your life and really show them what you want them to know, not just tell them about it, you know? let them experience what you experienced through your eyes. i tried to explain my thought processes and my frame of mind at the time of the incident and how they gradually improved and made me a better person.</p>
<p>my "roommate" short answer was very personal - i found it hard to write. i got quite emotional trying to put my feelings into words. i knew a lot of people would write about what they like to do, what their sleeping habits are, etc. i'm sure that approach works if done correctly, but i wanted to approach it from a completely different angle.</p>
<p>my "why stanford" short answer was about basketball (stanford's women's basketball team is nationally acclaimed) and how i loved the fact that stanford can excel in athletics (normal athletics, not just water polo or whatever) and academics at the same time. i also tied in my personal love of basketball.</p>
<p>think outside of the box, show them your experience, make sure it reveals a passion. polish and re-polish. put yourself out there, open up your heart and soul and let them see what really drives you. really drives you, not some bull you think sounds good.</p>
<p>when your stats are average, even above average, what will set you apart? the subjective material. your essays and letters of recommendation. that's what i believe =]</p>
<p>My passion was rooted in journalism/media/writing. I really showcased these passions in my ECs and mentioned how I would further develop them at Stanford.</p>
<p>I used my essays to showcase my interests in Biology and global cooperation in the context of travels to Nepal and China, my life in Vermont (hunting, fishing, raising pigs), and my summer programs at UVM and interest in research on orchid mycorrhizal fungi. Your passions will not come out in the little list, but on your essays. I also suggest that you talk about how Stanford can help you continue these (study abroad, bio-x, their general aura of awesome)</p>
<p>I focused on my passion for comedy/satire
my short answers and essays all leaned in that direction (my moment in history one was about Andy Kaufman's show at Carnegie Hall)
I don't think it would have worked if my recommendations hadn't backed me up (by highlighting my skills as a satirist/class clown)
But in general my application presented a unified front, a good student (2340 on first sitting of SATs, 4.25 out of 4.3 GPA etc.) who doesn't take himself too seriously.
Basically I was honest with the hope that the admissions office would respect that.</p>
<p>You do have to be a good writer. Essentially every discipline requires clear and expressive writing. However, I also believe that you can train yourself to write well. Take a look at how people on this forum argue with each other for starters- they are extremely expressive. You learn to write well by reading good writing.</p>