<p>hi guys, i got a question. im writing an essay for stanford and cant decide between two essays. the topic should be "Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging." i wanted to write about poetry of francois villon which i began to appreciate after reading a czech novel about his life several weeks ago. the second topic is card counting in blackjack. the mathematics behind the whole thing is very interesting.
which essay should i pick? the problem with the first one is that no adcom has ever heard about the book and very few have probably heard about francois villon, the problem with the second is that it is not too far from gambling, even though im simply interested in the mathematics.</p>
<p>oh and one more thing, mit used to have a blackjack team which attempted to beat casinos. i guess colleges do not consider it hazard then, do they?</p>
<p>Wow the blackjack topic sounds really interesting. I don’t think the relation to gambling is harmful at all. It’s only gambling if you play the game at a casino and bet on money, but since you’re just gonna be talking about the mathematics behind it it should be fine :)</p>