<p>hey everybody i wanted some tips on the stanford personal essay..
the topic is really vague as they have just put a box and asked us to fill it with anything that is interesting.
NOW my question is that shud we draw something on our own or put a photograph that we clicked or just any picture that interests us.. can somebody please tell me what to do..</p>
<p>Uh, are you sure you aren't talking about the Rice app? Stanford doesn't have a questoin like that.</p>
<p>i checked it again and yeah its definitely stanford although i must add its an optional topic...</p>
<p>do whatever you want to do</p>
<p>p.s. you sure this aint caltech?</p>
<p>I have never heard/seen this before. Are you sure? Stanford should only have 3 short essays and one long essay (which are pretty straightforward).</p>
<p>I just checked out the Stanford application, and I'm not sure what you're talking about. Stanford has 4 boxes to be filled with 3 short essays and 1 long one. There's an additional option of writing an page about extenuating circumstances that the admission officer should know about (and they did say that they do not want another essay). Is this what you meant? This is basically just something you couldn't put in the application but you think the admissions officer should know about (i.e. some family hardships in 9th grade that affected your grades, etc.).</p>
<p>As far as I know, Rice is the only school which has "the box" for you to draw/paste pictures/etc. in. Not to say other schools don't have it too, but whenever "the box" is mentioned, it's mostly in conjuction with Rice. =)</p>
<p>Are you asking about the question:
"a Picture says a thousand words" or something? </p>
<p>You're suppose to fit the essay in the box and attach a picture to it .. I would say that it';s suppose to be a photograph of some sort .. I dont know if it has to be a personal one though</p>
<p>We were at Stanford in July. At the Information Session, we got a hard copy of last year's application but were told that applications for 2007 would ONLY be online. There are three short essays. The last one has two choices, one of which is "A picture is worth a thousand words,..." </p>
<p>We were told at the information session that dealing with thousands of actual pictures had created problems in the past so they decided that this choice would be changed to "Imagine a picture" or something like that and that you were to spend a brief portion of the space describing your picture, but the majority of the space explaining its significance = your essay. They do NOT want pictures sent in, according to the AdCom people. Since I haven't checked the site yet, I don't know if it's been changed or if it still has last year's application.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>swkmom.. so u mean to say that we just describe our picture(as in what we imagine and stuff) and then write an essay on that INSTEAD OF attaching or drawing a picture.. and then writing an essay on that.??</p>
<p>When my friends applied to Stanford last year, one used a word doc. and put the photo at the top, and the essay beneath. Another one had the essay by itself, with the photo as an attachment.
Adding the photo was kind of a hassle, though, so it makes some sense to eliminate it and just devote a little time describing the picture, and then moving on. It could even be something as little as, "In the photo of me sandwiched between my best friends..."</p>
<p>seniorities when u say " in the photo of me.." it means that we have attached the photo havent we...
however my question is whether we have to attach a phoro or picture like that or just imagine something and then describe it without attaching/drawing it..??</p>
<p>Yes, that is exactly what we were told. I finally went to the Stanford site & tried to verify what they told us. </p>
<p>It looks like they've decided that they will accept paper copies as well as online applications; however, I do believe what I previously told you is correct, since the wording on the application now is as follows:</p>
<p>"Imagine one photo or picture that you have, or would like to have, and tell us why it is meaningful to you."</p>
<p>So, you describe briefly something you could visualize, then write your essay on why it's meaninful.</p>
<p>Hope that clarifies it for you.</p>
<p>My guess is that there will be many people who are as confused as you are and that they will accept whatever they get & shrug their shoulders... However, if you can call the admissions office, that would allow you to confirm it for yourself (remove any doubt) & maybe you would get a chance to talk with someone who ends up reading your application. Good luck!</p>
<p>skywalker: no, it means that you're telling them what the photo you're thinking of is.
Whereas before you would attach the picture, now you just put some minimal time into describing a photo/picture you're using rather than attaching something, as I said before.
So basically what swkmom more eloquently stated above..</p>
<p>okay.. sorry to ask again and i know i might sound dumb.. but for the last time..
WE DONT PUT A PHOTO AND WE JUST DESCRIBE WHAT WE IMAGINE RIGHT..?</p>
<p>omg!! when i just look over the bloody posts .. i realize how dumb ive been.. thanks guyz and sorry for the trouble..</p>
<p>PS: AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE IN THE DARK LIKE ME ABOUT THE STANFORD ESSAY, YOU HAVE TO DESCRIBE THE PICTURE, NOT ATTACH IT...</p>