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How to Write the Stanford University Essays 2024-2025

Stanford University was founded in 1885 by California Senator Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, in memory of their son Leland Jr. It’s a private institution located in the gorgeous heart of the California Bay Area. The exciting buzz of start-up opportunities and entrepreneurial spirit permeates student life on campus, with an impressive offering of excellent STEM and humanities majors.

Stanford has become one of America’s most selective universities, with an admissions rate of 4.4% for the class of 2023. However, starting with the class of 2023, they have decided to stop releasing their admissions statistics . They have publicized that this move is “intended as a small step in reducing the outsized emphasis placed on the admission rates at U.S. colleges and universities.”

Other defining aspects include its status as the second largest campus in the world with over 8,000 acres , its undergraduate enrollment of 7,000 students , and ranking as one of the best colleges in the nation and world.

Stanford’s freshman application asks students to respond to 4 different short questions and 3 relatively longer essay questions as part of their admissions process. CollegeVine is here to provide detailed tips and examples to help you approach Stanford’s supplemental essays.

Read these Stanford essay examples to inspire your own writing.

How to Write the Stanford University Supplemental Essays

Short Response Questions (50 words)

• What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?
• How did you spend your last two summers? 
• What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
• Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.
• List five things that are important to you.  

Essay Questions (100-250 words)

Prompt 1: The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.

Prompt 2: Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate — and us — know you better.

Prompt 3:  Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

Before we dive into the specifics of how to answer each of these short prompts, remember that limiting your responses to only 50 words requires writing answers that are straightforward and direct . Be honest with what you write, but also think critically about the different aspects of your personality you are highlighting with each answer. Try to vary the responses so that they don’t all cluster around only one or two activities or themes.

While these answers won’t make your application, they could break it if you use any inappropriate content; be mindful of your audience by choosing tasteful responses. However, overanalyzing what you think the admissions officers want you to write misses the point of showcasing your individuality.

Let’s discuss each question individually.

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Short Answer 1

What is the most significant challenge that society faces today (50 words).

For this significant challenge question, you might decide to go with a traditional answer but still put a creative spin on it. Avoid picking an obscure or arbitrary topic that is not actually a significant challenge, and also watch out for writing about an issue in overly vague terms. You could write about topics like gender parity, aging populations, skills development, or climate change, but be careful since those topics have the potential to become trite depending on how you address them.

Writing simply about the fact that the challenge exists is also less interesting than if you wrote something referencing momentum in terms of future change, or possibly even past decline. For example, in addressing a topic like pollution, you could talk about how your view is that you believe the greatest challenge will be spreading actionable awareness of the issue to overcome our current apathy, maybe with a brief suggestion on how that could be attained. Doing so would make your answer stand out more than just speaking too generally.

To give another example, if you talked about gender inequality, and suggested focusing on addressing the gender gap within STEM fields more specifically, you would be showing that you think proactively about trying to solve the issue without oversimplifying it. 

Short Answer 2

How did you spend your last two summers (50 words).

Writing about how you spent your last two summers should be pretty direct­­­ — anything you have been involved in is fair game, and showing a variety of interests is again advisable. For example, you could write out a list of the disparate activities like:

“I prepared for and competed in SkillsUSA’s National Skills and Leadership Conference, vacationed in California to visit my family, volunteered at my local food bank, started working at TJ Maxx, hiked with friends, went on family camping trips, tried new cupcake recipes, and helped run a STEM camp for girls.”

This mix of activities allows them to see that you participated in some resume boosters, but also had fun and didn’t just completely restate your activities list section. You could also choose to hone in on just a couple of activities and give them each a bit more explanation instead of solely listing activities. For example:

“Family vacations always feel too long and too short. I melt in the SoCal summer heat, but returning home to cool breezy Washington brings 30-hour retail work weeks, with interspersed respite at the local library. After just finishing SkillsUSA nationals, the challenge to engineer a new invention returns, energizing me.”

This conveys some of the same ideas with a slightly more narrative structure.

Try not to waste space with a lead-in sentence like, “For the last two summers, I have mainly spent my time doing…” because that already uses up 12 of your precious 50 allotted words.

Short Answer 3

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed (50 words).

If no historical events come to mind after thinking about this prompt for a few minutes, and you’re starting to question whether you learned anything at all in your high school history classes, doing a quick google search of top 100 historical moments is not a terrible idea. However, since many of your peers will likely employ the same strategy to identify their historical event, you should strive to select one that makes sense considering your unique profile and current interests.

For example, if you want to indicate your interest in the techy Silicon Valley, you could write about witnessing the process Hewlett and Packard went through starting their business from their garage because you loved tinkering through your own projects throughout high school. Or if you are interested in history or politics, this is a good place to easily select one of the thousands of moments to tie into your interest. For instance, you could write about the time when Washington rallied his troops and convinced them not to abandon the Continental Army late in 1776, even when things looked just about as bleak as they could get.

The specific moment you choose isn’t extremely relevant, but again remember that if you pick something obscure, it might not qualify as a “historical moment” and may need more than 50 words to describe and add a brief explanation. Here’s an example of incorporating a potential major interest in engineering while going for something out of the box :

“I have always been fascinated by the pyramids and Egyptian culture, although my perception of them has been greatly romanticized by my childhood obsession with The Mummy. I wish that I could have witnessed the pyramids’ amazing and mysterious construction to know the secret of their advanced ancient engineering.”

“When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with NASA. I always had glow-in-the-dark stars above my bed and rocketship sheets. I would love to see the moon landing (especially from the capsule) to experience the awe of seeing a new world.”

You don’t need to directly connect it to a personal reason or specific explanation like these examples did, but noting why you picked this moment allows your response to ultimately feel more memorable .

Short Answer 4

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words).

This prompt gives you a little more space to discuss one of your most meaningful extracurriculars from your activities list.

To pick an activity, think about the one that taught you the most, changed your perspective, or is most unique. If there’s something you haven’t been able to express in other parts of your application, this is your space.

Keep in mind that trying to write about multiple aspects of the activity will be difficult with only 50 words, and it can result in simply reiterating what will already be on your activities list. Pick just one aspect that was most important to you, and highlight that. Feel free to be straightforward rather than artsy, as you have limited space. Also, don’t forget to briefly address what you gleaned from the activity as opposed to simply describing what it was.

For example:

I developed a marketing and sustainability initiative for my family’s grocery store. We gave free monthly workshops on topics like composting and zero waste cooking on a budget, which grew our client base 120%, and spread important ideas. People are interested in living more sustainably; they just need accessible education .

Short Answer 5

List five things that are important to you. (50 words).

This short response question is asking for you to reflect on things that are most important in your life. Keep in mind that these things can be a physical object (like your phone) or a concept or idea (like family or friendship). It’s also important that the items you list relate to ideas that have been represented in the rest of your application to provide a cohesive message across all your application elements. If you were applying for an arts major at Stanford, perhaps you wouldn’t say an important item to you is your model rocketship in your room unless you have previously suggested that your artwork is inspired by space travel and celestial bodies. 

Some questions to help you brainstorm for this prompt include asking yourself: What things from my childhood or daily life bring me joy or purpose? If this thing was missing from my life, would I notice? Why is this thing important to me? What purpose does this thing bring to my life?

You should list out the things that are important to you from 1 to 5. When listing these items that are important to you, you can use any additional word space to briefly describe why the thing is important to you. For example, if you gave your faith as an important thing in your life, you could write “1. My faith: It gives me hope and strength in the face of adversity.”

Here are some additional tips for writing this essay:

• Be specific. Don’t just say that faith is important to you. Explain what makes your faith so special and why it is so important to you.
• Be genuine. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. The admissions committee will be able to tell if you’re being fake.
• Be concise. This is a short essay, so you need to get your point across quickly and effectively.

Essay Prompt 1

The stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (100 to 250 words).

As you approach this first longer prompt, think back on all the hours you spent during class, after school during activities, or at home studying. Try to select an experience where you seriously felt that love of learning . Just writing about this idea or realization should make you feel like an extremely happy nerd (you are applying to Nerd Nation after all!). Whether you are someone who approaches standardized testing like it is a thrilling game, or someone who feels so excited after getting through a test that you poured countless hours into studying for, you can really highlight your own drive and intellect through this prompt.

For example, you could write some sort of introduction about deciding to self-study for the AP Physics C tests, then add some analysis like:

…I began to honestly enjoy learning all the new applications for the calculus concepts I had been learning alongside physics, previously unaware of just how intertwined they were. The relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration through derivatives and integrals tied everything together in a way that made so much sense it gave me chills.

After a few study sessions, I began to devour YouTube videos to prepare for the test, and each time I understood a new concept by learning it on my own, I felt more accomplished and intellectually independent. As I worked through practice problems and self-corrected my way across old exams, I felt driven to stop excusing or dismissing my mistakes, and to instead pull them apart by analyzing exactly why I had made them to target and avoid them in the future. This experience improved the way I study and showed me the value of truly mastering knowledge on my own.

This response shows an authentic passion for learning without overloading on narrative. Another solid example that takes a more creative response could look something like this:

“How do you make pianos?

In 4th grade, I entered and won PBS’s Curiosity Quest question contest, resulting in my co-hosting a Curiosity Quest episode at New York’s Steinway and Sons Piano Factory. There I realized for the first time what can be found beyond textbook teachings. I saw the palpable pride the factory had in the heritage that they displayed, and the stunning beauty of a legacy and its centuries of refined knowledge. After that day, it was as if my consciousness had awoken. I resolved to begin creating my own legacy. I spent early morning hours in front of my piano daily, determined to make it my art — all because my curiosity rewarded me with knowledge that expanded the depth and range of just how far I can strive in this world.

Theory of Knowledge teaches of knowledge’s paradox: The more we know, the more we don’t. In retrospect, TOK put into words what I’ve since sensed — this inexplicable duality of filling a void that is ever-expanding. What began as a simple question of how something was made laid the very foundation upon which I’ve grown to ask questions that dig deeper: Why is there more inequality today than a century ago? What, if any, measures can be taken to end the conflicts in the Middle East? How can I further my legacy through striving to address these issues?

And as always, my quest for curiosity will serve to dually nourish and enlighten me, expanding my world once more.

This response from a Stanford 2020 student majoring in International Relations shows the admissions office a thirst for learning without ever just overtly stating it, especially with tying in the childhood anecdote as an excellent hook.

As you approach your own essay, avoid using basic statements like “This made me excited because…” or “An idea that made me genuinely excited about learning was…” since your writing style is extremely important throughout this essay. Compare the two examples above syntactically to see why the essay becomes more engaging with the style of “show not tell” displayed in the latter.

As with all college essays, do not forget that the emphasis is on teaching the admissions officers something about you and why the idea or experience made you so excited; avoid spending too much time explaining the logistics or trying to use excessively flowery language.

Essay Prompt 2

Virtually all of stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate — and us — know you better. (100 to 250 words).

The point of this essay is to invoke the casual nature of roommate relationships and invite students to take a more relaxed approach to writing about themselves. It brings the application to life by asking you to write only about your own personality, which feels more open than other essays that ask you to answer a specific question like “Describe your community” or “Talk about a mentor who got you through a difficult time.” While answering both of those prompts still offers insight into who the author is, they are fundamentally centralized around another person or topic, which is why Stanford cuts straight to the chase with this prompt to actually get to know you better.

Stanford is looking for an extremely authentic 250-word portrayal of your character that could distinctly identify you from a crowd of essays. If you got to meet your admissions officer in person, and only had 60 seconds to pitch yourself without using anything from your activities or awards, what would you say first? If you were legitimately writing a letter to your roommate at Stanford, what would you want them to know about the prospect of living with you? If you imagine how your Stanford alumni interview might play out, what topics do you hope to steer towards?

Think deeply about these questions and first see if there is something meaningful that you want to convey, and look through Prompt 3 to see if it would best serve answering the question, “What matters to you, and why?” instead of this roommate prompt. If you do have a more serious answer, you can style the essay like a very formal letter or like a traditional 1-2 paragraph short essay without any of the letter gimmicks at all to stand out syntactically.

If you don’t think you have any important topics on the serious side that you want to specifically cover in the space for this prompt (an extreme medical condition, a family hardship etc.), you could also go for another popular tactic by creating a fun, miscellaneous essay.

This prompt can arguably be one of the most entertaining to write and read of all college supplemental essays because of the opportunity to present the admissions office with an amalgamation of weird topics. A previous CollegeVine guide encouraged students to explore their quirky side with this prompt by writing about unique hobbies or interesting personality oddities. It also advises staying away from things like politics (i.e., don’t indicate which party or ideology you tend to support, even through jokes or minor references, since you don’t want to step on any toes).

Don’t sweat too much over the exact way to put the essay in letter format. Starting with something like “Hi! I am ridiculously stoked to meet you!” or any other straightforward greeting that doesn’t sound too cheesy is totally fine. If you decide to, you can essentially make a bullet list of “fun me facts” if you want to include the maximum amount of content. Remember that this essay should be fun!

Since it is usually hard to come up with good material about your own diverse personality while staring at a blank computer screen, try keeping a note on your phone and adding to it gradually as you think of things throughout the day. Think about what you enjoy and jot down notes like:

I love Sandra Bullock movies. I wish I could stop biting my nails, and sometimes I do, but only until I take a test or watch a freaky movie. I hate doing my laundry and the song ‘Drops of Jupiter.’ I planned myself a Cutthroat Kitchen -themed birthday party last year because I love cooking contest shows. My favorite store is the Dollar Tree, and when I’m there I always feel like I’m getting too much stuff, but when I leave I regret putting stuff back. Before I go to bed, I like to watch clips from Ellen or Jimmy Fallon because I think it gives me funny dreams. I’m attracted to buying gift wrap even if I have no reason for it, a trait I inherited from my mom. I love chicken. I sleep like a rock and unfortunately, that means I need an incredibly loud alarm clock, but I also will never be bothered by late night noise, etc.

You can see by how long this section got just how easy it can be to talk about yourself once you get started…

Try to intersperse some facts that relate to activities you could do together or things that would be important for an actual roommate to know to stay true to the prompt. Juxtaposing random facts might not be the way to go if you feel they are redundant with your short answers or too all over the place for you. Putting together just a few key aspects of your personality and typical habits with more coherent elaboration on each and topping it off with a “Love, your future roomie” holds the potential to become an engaging essay as well.

Here is another example that shows a ton of personality and utilizes a list format:

Ahem…May I make a toast?

First off, I am so pumped to live with you. I don’t have a sibling, so this is as close as it gets! Also, I just wanted you to know…

• I’m an ENFJ. I’m not nearly as brilliant as Obama or Oprah, but I do fancy the idea of sharing traits with them! ENFJs are “focused on values and vision, passionate about the possibilities for people, tuned into the needs of others, and tend to be optimistic and forward-thinking” — sums up my personality I’d say!
• I free my mind by exercising and writing. Our campus’s fresh forestry is perfect for morning/night runs/picnics. It would be so fun if you joined!
• I’m one to stay up all night to chat over coffee and pastries. I’m also one to venture out and walk/bike ten miles for Polaroid pics and yummy eats. Yelp4lyfe.
• I have a passion for fashion. I love it because style is universal and uniquely personal (read Worn Stories). I have a blog dedicated to learning about global cultures/styles — can’t wait to study abroad!
• I’m so deeply humbled to be surrounded by exceptional, passionate people like you who are going to rock this world. I had visited Stanford three times before applying, and I had written on my secret blog during my 2nd visit that my heart felt so moved to call this place home one day.

Well, I couldn’t be happier to be home with you.

Name (or nickname)

While this is just one essay (and remember that there are many, many directions you can choose to take your own essay), you can see from this example that showcasing a variety of passions can highlight how multifaceted and genuinely interesting you are. A year from now, you might find yourself cracking up over how weird you sound while exchanging what you wrote with your actual roomie to procrastinate working on your p-sets or essays. We know we did!

Essay Prompt 3

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to stanford university. (100 to 250 words).

This is a classic example of the Diversity Essay . Your response should focus on your personal background and how your life experiences or cultural traditions provide you with a unique perspective that has influenced your interests and character. Stanford is looking for what makes you unique and how you will share that uniqueness with their community.

Your response should directly answer the question at hand; however, remember to “show, not tell.” A personal narrative is one way to successfully highlight your potential individual contributions to Stanford’s community.

For example, instead of simply saying that you are hardworking and persist despite obstacles, describe a time where you displayed this skill. Perhaps you grew up in the central US where there are seasonal tornadoes and damage to property. You could share a story about how you help rebuild neighbors homes every year after the storms and how you have learned about the value in lending a helping hand to strangers. Or, if you want to discuss your deep connection and commitment to your culture, describe a particular event or custom that has meaning to you that most other applicants would not be aware of. Or maybe you have a strong commitment to sustainability—you could discuss a time you created an initiative to reduce food and plastic waste in your school cafeteria.

Beware that this question is similar to some Common Application prompts. Since the Stanford application is on the Common App, you should use this supplement as a means to communicate something new about yourself to the admissions committee, so avoid discussing topics that you’ve already covered. For example, if your Common Application focused on your analytical mind, consider using this prompt to discuss your compassion for others.

In the remaining space you have in the essay, tie your unique identity back to how you will contribute to Stanford’s campus. If you have a deep connection to your Native American culture, mention how you are excited to be involved with the American Indian Organization at Stanford. 

All in all make sure that the life experience, interest and/or character trait you are sharing in this essay is unique to you and provide evidence to support the unique self that you will bring to campus.

Is Your Stanford Essay Strong Enough?

Do you want feedback on your Stanford essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

Need feedback faster? Get a  free, nearly-instantaneous essay review  from Sage, our AI tutor and advisor. Sage will rate your essay, give you suggestions for improvement, and summarize what admissions officers would take away from your writing. Use these tools to improve your chances of acceptance to your dream school!

If you create incentives for yourself to work on your Stanford University essays early and choose topics that you genuinely care about, then you will end up devoting much more time to them, resulting in more polished essays . Since Stanford admissions are so extremely selective, it places a good deal of pressure on both the content and execution of all 11 essays.

While Stanford has a reputation of being pretty relaxed and laid back, you shouldn’t try to exude that attitude throughout all your essays. Remember that it is the admissions office’s job to read through over 40,000 of these essays each year and discern whether you would be a good fit, so avoid topics that are even vaguely cliché and be brutally honest with yourself about whether you would enjoy the essay you’ve written from an outsider’s perspective.

Overall, do your best to put in the effort on ideas that you feel are unique, personal, and truly meaningful. Good luck!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Stanford University 2024-25 Supplemental Essay and Short Questions Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 5

You Have: 

Stanford University 2024-25 Application Essay Question Explanations

The Requirements: 3 essays of 100-250 words; 5 short answers of 50 words Supplemental Essay Type(s):  Why ,  Community ,  Oddball

How to Write Compelling Stanford Essays

Unshockingly, given that Stanford is the most difficult university to get into in the country, this supplement is a doozie. It puts both your writing and creativity to the test in a myriad of ways. One of the most important things to remember about the Stanford supplemental essays, as with all supplements that lob a host of essays and short answer questions at you, is that each response is an opportunity to reveal something new about yourself to admissions. Think about the tidbits you have to offer up as you pull together your package and make sure you distribute them across the supplement. Try as hard as you can not to be repetitive. And, as much as you can, have fun with these. If you embrace the challenge laid out in front of you, your answers will be instilled with that positive spirit as well. Trust us. Read on to discover our Stanford application essay tips!

Stanford Essay Prompts Breakdown

The stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (100 to 250 words) .

How hungry for knowledge are you? That’s what Stanford really wants to know. Focus on a subject that stokes your curiosity, a specific concept that has infiltrated your browser history, or an experience that has burned itself into your brain. What homework assignments are you clamoring to complete first? Which topics want to make you open up a new book, google the definition of word you’re not familiar with or hit play on a podcast? Who challenges you to think of issues in new ways? Now consider what about the subject, activity, or experience itself is inspiring your pursuit of knowledge. Are you driven by the pursuit of the truth and nothing but the truth? Maybe more abstract and creative arenas are more interesting to you. Regardless of what floats your boat, Stanford University is aiming to bring self-motivated, deep thinkers into their student body. Admissions officers want to know that you’ll be eager to contribute to lively class discussion and maybe conduct research in your latter years on campus. Show them that you’ll be a valuable addition to any classroom setting.

Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate — and us — know you better. (100 to 250 words) 

This, at its essence, is a creative writing exercise. All this time colleges have been asking you to write in a casual but professional voice — until now. Pretend you’re writing an email to a friend. Open your browser window and actually draft in a new message box if it helps you adjust your voice. You are now writing to your peer, not admissions. What might someone you are about to live with want to know about you? And, more importantly, what quirky personal information do you want to convey to admissions that might not be appropriate to reveal in response to a stuffier prompt? Are you a closet botanist who will be bringing 30 plants to your dorm room? Have you been practicing how to make your grandma’s special rice in a dorm room hot pot? This is a great place to inject a little humor in your application — if that’s your style. It is also a great opportunity for you to showcase what it would be like to be friends with you (without the use of emojis and with the addition of perfect grammar).

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

College applications are rampant with essay questions about community, so this essay is ripe for recycling (how eco-friendly of you!). If you haven’t already written a Community Essay that you plan to adapt and recycle here, we recommend considering the things that make you unique. What about your experiences, interests, or character might be worth highlighting for an admissions officer? And how can the experience, interest, or aspect of your character you choose enrich the learning environment at Stanford University for others? Maybe you have always been an organizer and the glue that holds your summer camp community together during the school year. How will you bring people together on campus? Maybe you were raised on a farm and developed a strong work ethic at a young age as you helped your parents tend to the fields. Will you be a natural leader in group projects and take initiative in the many clubs (be specific!) that you’d like to join? Be sure to connect your personal story to a future vision of yourself at Stanford.

How to Answer Stanford Short Questions

Short answers, what is the most significant challenge that society faces today (50 word limit).

Fifty words is not a lot of words. This is going to be a recurring thought as you begin to tackle the Stanford app. How do you explain society’s most significant challenge in just fifty words? You boil it down to its essence and rely on the topic to speak volumes. Think about what nags at you on a daily basis. How would you like to improve the world? Where might we be going down the wrong path? What you choose to write about will give admissions an idea of what you truly care about and how you see the world. Are you concerned that as a species we will never achieve true gender equality? Does climate change keep you up at night? What activities have you participated in or books have you read to educate yourself about this issue? Maybe you even have a solution to offer up. Show admissions that you can turn passion into action.

How did you spend your last two summers? (50 word limit)

Fifty words is not a lot of words. For this response, that means you will likely have to add and prune, add again and prune again. Feel free to take a straightforward approach to this question. Stanford really wants to know what you did last summer (and the summer before)! Just make sure to include the unexpected commitments that will not appear anywhere else on the application, like your babysitting job, your road trip with your family, or your backyard photography habit. Anything you can do to add a layer of understanding to admissions picture of you will help.

What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 word limit)

Fifty words is not a lot of words. So this answer is really about creating an effective summary of the event in question, and concisely explaining the motivation behind your selection. This is another question in which your selection of topic tells a story. Maybe you want to witness the creation of Gutenberg’s printing press or the swearing in of the first African American president. Whatever you do, try to avoid subjects other students will likely flock to. MLK’s “I Had A Dream” speech is incredible, but it might not make for the best topic here — unless, of course, you have a highly personal story that connects to that moment that you can summarize in 50 words or less. (There are always exceptions to the rules!)

Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 word limit)

Like so many other universities, Stanford wants to get a feel for your commitments outside the classroom as well as in. Think about your application as a whole, reading through all of the Stanford prompts before you dig in,  and figure out what you can detail here that hasn’t or will not be addressed in other essays. Also make sure the activity, experience, job, or responsibility you highlight is something you are clearly invested in. Don’t choose to elaborate on a fundraiser to which you contribute five hours of your time, twice a year. This is a good place to feature a work experience if you have one, as that is something that often feels less standard than an internship or activity in which many other students participate. For example, tell admissions about the summer you spent working at a hot dog stand and how it taught you about responsibility, organization, and portable fans. That said, even if you write about a national club or organization that other students may feature, the trick to nailing this essay is personalization. Why is this the activity or experience you have chosen to highlight? How were you a contributor and how will it impact your ability to be a contributor on campus? How has participation made you a more compassionate, assertive, or responsible person overall? And how will this experience impact your future? You don’t have a lot of space here, so make sure you focus on personal and powerful details that other people could not replicate.

List five things that are important to you. (50 word limit)

Write down the first things that come to your mind, then give your brain time to generate some other options. You may be tempted to write “family, friends, football, French fries, and fun,” but answers like those are not going to set you apart in the eyes of admissions officers (even if the alliteration is on point). Make a list (the longer, the better) then try to trim it down by considering the value each “thing” brings to your life and which ones are most likely to add saturation to the artwork that is your application. Remember, your answers should be personal and, if possible, unexpected.

Why Choose College Essay Advisors for Stanford Essays

We at College Essay Advisors have been guiding students one-on-one through the essay writing process for the Stanford supplements for over twenty years. We take a holistic approach to these essays and short answers, considering each student’s application package as a whole and identifying their strengths to highlight. Our Advisors accommodate each student’s scheduling needs to virtually brainstorm, draft, and revise winning essays. It’s incredibly important to us that each student’s voice is preserved, and we pride ourselves in helping students to write successful Stanford essays that differentiate them from similarly qualified applicants. For more information, submit a contact form below or review our one-on-one advising services or list of student acceptances . 

Interested in signing up for our Stanford Supplemental Essay Package? Fill out a contact form below, and a member of our team will be in touch!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Stanford requires three (3) essays of 100-250 words and five (5) short answers of 50 words each.

Stanford asks applicants to respond to five (5) short answer questions.

The Stanford short answer questions must be answered in 50 words or fewer.

We recommend drafting a response without the word limit in mind. Once you have your ideas down, see which anecdotes you can cut, or where you may be able to rephrase your ideas to be more succinct, omitting details that can be found in your other submitted materials (e.g. awards, grades, and hours spent doing community service). Since the word count is so small, original ideas and creative thinking will serve you well. 

Absolutely. These essays and short answers are opportunities for you to let your personality shine. If you enjoy humor in your daily life, feel free to have fun with your responses. But don’t force it! 

The supplemental essays and short answers are very important in the Stanford admissions process. Admissions even goes so far as to  write that “the essays are your chance to tell us about yourself in your own words,” and, “you should allow your genuine voice to come through. These questions help us get to know you as a friend, future roommate and classmate.”

No, you should never reuse content from your Common App essay in your supplements for this school. Though it’s possible you might expand upon an idea or activity mentioned in your Common App essay, your supplements and personal statement should be distinctly different from one another—just imagine the same person reading all of them in a row!

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How To Answer Stanford's 2024/2025 Supplemental Essays: Tips & Insights

Essay Prompts

Intellectual Curiosity Essay

The Roommate Essay

The Personal Essay

Stanford Essay Examples

As a former admissions officer at Stanford, I've noticed a few elements that all strong application essays have in common. Likewise, there are common mistakes that can make a student's essay much less likely to stand out.

In this guide, I’ll explore the best practices and common pitfalls when answering Stanford’s essay prompts—from the famous roommate essay to the community essay. Let’s go over everything you need to know.

Stanford’s Essay Prompts & Requirements

Gaining admission to Stanford University is a competitive university, with its acceptance rate ranging from 3.6 to 4.6% . To gain admission, your application has to be as close to perfect as possible - supplemental essays included!

Besides the common app and coalition app , Stanford requires you to submit 3 additional short essays in answer to these following prompts or questions for the academic year of 2024/2025:

The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.

Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

For all three of these essays, the length has to be between 100 to 250 words. You don’t have a huge word limit, so every word counts. Let’s get right to business: how should you answer each Stanford prompt, and what mistakes should you avoid?

Prompt #1: The Intellectual Curiosity Essay 

How to answer it.

This is a fairly common prompt across many schools—what I call the "intellectual curiosity" essay. The key to standing out is to focus on a topic you’re genuinely curious or passionate about.

There’s no right or wrong answer here. I’ve read essays on everything from the Pythagorean theorem to Schrödinger’s cat. As long as you choose an intellectual idea that excites you, even if it’s niche or unfamiliar to the admissions committee, you’ll be on the right track.

In this essay, you'll need to embrace your inner nerd and dive deep into a topic that interests you. For example, as a psychology major, one of the things that fascinated me was parapsychology—the study of the supernatural, like telepathy and telekinesis.

While many would argue it’s not a critical science, I believe it’s an intellectually stimulating topic that fits within the realm of my studies - and it made my essay stand out.

An admissions officer has only 15, maybe 20 minutes to review your application. If you can talk about something that is both personally meaningful and unique, it becomes a trigger for them to remember you.

I’d start by jotting down all the different intellectual ideas that fascinate you, whether or not they're related to my declared major. Even if they don’t seem to connect at first, just write them down—you can decide later which one to focus on.

Think about what excites you about these topics, how you've explored them so far, and how you hope to explore them further.

Mistakes To Avoid

A common mistake that students make is thinking they need to write about a specific topic because it aligns with their chosen major . For example, if you’ve listed mechanical engineering as your first major of interest, you might feel compelled to write about mechanical engineering.

This isn’t necessarily true. If it fits your application and you find it compelling, then by all means, go for it. But keep in mind that admissions officers aren’t looking for an essay that simply supports your major. They want to see you nerd out on a topic you genuinely love. Focus on what excites you, not what you think they want to hear.

It’s that intellectual curiosity that catches their attention and sets you apart. They’re more interested in seeing your personality and passion than just how well your essay aligns with your major.

That said, if you’ve built your entire application narrative around your passion for a particular discipline, writing about something related to your major might make sense—as long as it fits within your overall application structure. Even then, it needs to be something where your genuine passion shines through—something that shows that intellectual spark!

Otherwise, this essay is a great opportunity to showcase other interests and broaden the character you present to admissions officers.

Prompt #2: The Roommate Essay

The roommate essay has been a Stanford staple for quite a while. The key to answering it isn’t so much about standing out as it is about avoiding common pitfalls.

The goal is to show that you’d be a good, empathetic, and thoughtful roommate. Admissions officers want to understand who you are within the community—who you’ll be when you finish your classes and get back to your dorm. How do you share space with others? How do you build relationships and contribute to your living environment?

This essay is all about highlighting the ways you want to connect with your roommate and foster a positive relationship. There’s no single way to go about this, so you have some flexibility.

One option is to talk about the campus events and activities you’d want to experience with your roommate, and how you’d want to go take your roommate to them to experience these things together or create a bond together.

• An example of this: I’ve seen an essay in the past written about making homemade ramen, which was a favorite activity of the student. They talked about how they planned to bring a small warming set to teach their roommate how to make it their own way, sharing what the process meant to them. It was a cute and personal way to express how they wanted to build a relationship
• Another example: A student wrote about a favorite Stanford tradition —jumping in different water fountains on campus. They described a day where they and their roommate could go around campus, hopping into all the fountains, creating a great experience they can share. They imagined repeating the tradition four years later, just before graduation.

This essay worked well because it referenced a specific tradition Stanford is known for while also tying it to building an authentic relationship with their roommate.

A lot of people have the question of whether they should write this as a normal essay or as a letter to their roommate. I recommend writing this essay as a letter to your roommate —not in the typical format of your other supplemental essays.

Even though it won’t actually go to your future roommate, pretend it will. The goal is to make it feel like you’re writing to someone you’re about to meet and embark on an adventure with. Try to tap into the heart of that connection—that’s the essence of this essay.

Basically, when writing this essay, it’s important to stay true to yourself while avoiding common pitfalls. Speaking of which…

In the roommate essay, the worst mistake you can make is presenting yourself as an unlikeable or unwelcoming roommate. Highlighting any non-community-oriented qualities is something you absolutely want to avoid.

For example, if you focus too much on a rigid schedule—like waking up at 8 AM, going for a jog, and detailing all the things you do—it can come across as self-centered. If your essay is more focused about what you want to do at Stanford, with little regard for how you’ll create a shared, communal space with your roommate, it’s not going to win the admissions officers over. This approach can be off-putting.

A good way to gauge if your essay is hitting the mark: imagine receiving a letter from your future roommate. If all they did was talk about themselves and what they want to do at Stanford, how excited would you be to meet them?

Compare that to a letter where they talk about creating memories, sharing experiences, or building a specific environment together. Which would you prefer?

Prompt #3: The Personal Essay 

This essay prompt is designed to delve into the personal experiences that have shaped who you are.

The approach I’d recommend here is to aim for impact rather than just trying to stand out. Your goal should be to leave a lasting impression on the admissions officer, giving them a moment to pause and truly understand who you are as an applicant.

In this essay, be candid about the experiences and relationships that have profoundly impacted you—how they’ve shaped your thinking, your character, and how you hope to bring those qualities to the Stanford community.

• An example of this: I’ve seen students write about caring for a parent with a degenerative disease. That experience instilled a deep sense of empathy and a collaborative spirit, making them realize that we accomplish things better together rather than alone. They then expressed a desire to bring that energy to Stanford, to be actively involved in a community that values and lives by collaboration.

This type of essay is powerful because it shares a specific, personal experience that allows the admissions officer to see a unique layer of who you are. It also illustrates how that experience has shaped your character and how you’ll bring that character to campus.

• Another example: An essay that really stood out to me was a blog about Hot Cheetos. Initially, I was skeptical—why would someone write about Hot Cheetos? But as I continued reading, the story revealed a deeper message. The student’s grandmother used to give her Hot Cheetos every day, and at first, the student just enjoyed them without thinking about sharing. As she grew older, she noticed that her siblings didn’t receive the same treat. Eventually, she realized her grandmother was teaching her a lesson about privilege and sharing resources.

This was a profound lesson about sharing, privilege, and responsibility, which the student planned to carry with her to Stanford.

The essay highlighted how she intended to use her intellectual growth to contribute positively to the community, and to continue building on her own intellectual interest to build knowledge that can help make the community better. By the end, the story left a strong impact on me—I’ll never forget that Hot Cheetos essay!

When writing your essay, consider what values Stanford cares about—community, social responsibility, contributing positively to the world—and connect those values with your personal experiences.

Focus on the relationships and moments that have shaped how you think, interact with others, and engage with the world. Then, explain how you’ll bring those qualities to Stanford in a way that aligns with the university’s values, such as social good and intellectual curiosity.

The biggest pitfalls you can run into with these kinds of essays are being too vague or staying too surface-level.

Sometimes students think they shouldn’t get too personal or too detailed because they assume admissions officers don’t want to read such personal pieces. However, this is exactly what can make your essay forgettable.

If you don’t personalize it and dive into your own history and experiences, you miss the chance to stand out. While many people may share similar experiences, only you have lived your unique version of it. If you don’t speak directly to that, you’re not giving yourself the chance to shine.

Another common mistake is focusing too much on someone else without relating it back to your own experiences.

• An example of this: a student wrote about someone they deeply admire—a grandparent who survived difficult circumstances and showed incredible resilience. While that’s a powerful story, if the essay spends too much time on the grandparent and doesn’t connect it to the student’s own life, the admissions officer may end up knowing more about the grandparent than the applicant. By the end of the essay, I might be ready to admit the grandparent, but I still won’t know much about you.

The key is to ensure that, while you can certainly highlight the influence others have had on you, the essay should ultimately focus on your personal experiences and how they’ve shaped you. That’s what makes your story unique and memorable.

Stanford Essay Examples 

The intellectual curiosity essay example.

The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (250 words)

When taking Abnormal Psychology freshman year, I was fascinated to learn that my family’s stoic attitude under stress stems from culture's influence on human behavior. The course concluded, but I hungered to learn more about culture’s connections with the mind. Sunlit days crept into moonlit nights as I learned that culture impacts visual perception (that’s why East Asian websites are more “cluttered” than Western ones) and influences decision-making (such as through a focus on collectivism or individualism). Some cultures even have unique disorders, like ataque de nervios, a panic disorder in Latinx patients. I fell in love with reading about culture influencing cognition and plunging into the science explaining it.

My fascination led me to conduct two independent studies assessing mental health apps’ cultural competency and the DSM’s cultural elements. I was mesmerized by case studies like one about a Japanese woman, “M,” who was misdiagnosed with depression instead of adult separation anxiety because her psychiatrists didn’t factor in the cultural context of her immigration story. While assembling my papers, I grappled with even more questions. How do sociocultural frames of reference influence the way mental illness is treated? How can technology provide more equitable access to mental health care?

If I’ve learned anything from theater and literature, it is that context deeply affects how humans think and act. Sherlocking the connections between culture and cognition and analyzing their impact on science, medicine, and design doesn’t just feed my curiosity; it energizes my soul.

The Roommate Essay Example

Dear Roommate,

My bedroom is my refuge, and I hope ours will be the same. Through immersive design, there are countless possibilities to personalize our room. All it takes is the simple command: “Alexa, it’s Christmas time,” and we teleport from a hot, stuffy room in June to a winter wonderland. The ceiling lights turn red and green, Christmas lights begin to sparkle, “Jingle Bells” bounces through the speakers, and The Christmas Story is cued. My friends giddily sing along to Christmas carols, and we joke about Alexa’s unquestioning loyalty. When my friend [Name Redacted] got dumped last summer, he asked for “Christmas time” in my room to cheer him up. And when my basketball team won the semi-finals, we said “Alexa, it’s party time” and celebrated as disco lights whirled and “Bohemian Rhapsody” blasted. We have a command for (almost) every occasion. Rigging my room has brought laughter and joy into the lives of friends and family and is something I look forward to doing with you. We can learn about each other while we set up our room. Whether it’s our music, lights, jokes, or auto-stocked products, I’m excited to create a room that reflects both of our identities, cultural backgrounds, and humor. In our spare time, I also look forward to taking a hiatus from indoors to head out to surf, play basketball, or plan spikeball matches on the oval. Whether we’re indoors or out, I can’t wait to get to know you. “Alexa, it’s Cardinal time.”

The Personal Essay Example

Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University. (250 words)

Starling murmurations move synchronously, traveling across oceans. Each bird focuses on supporting its seven neighbors, which lets over a million birds fly at once. [Organization Redacted] is my murmuration.

Growing up, my passion for Taylor Swift songs (“Red” is still a bop!) morphed into a love for opera. However, when I joined the [Organization Redacted] Opera, though other queer artists surrounded me, I quickly realized I was one of two people of color in the room. I cherished how opera let me tell stories through music, but the stories didn’t represent me.

So, I joined [Organization Redacted], where I’m surrounded by starlings telling the stories of marginalized communities. At [Organization Redacted], I learned how to create art centered around the decolonialist principles of sustainability and equity. I learned through outreach events on [Place Redacted] how art brings glimmers of joy into the eyes of children and elders alike. I learned through working on “[Redacted Content],” which showcased the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, how art unites people and creates social change. I was finally surrounded by artists like me, who tell stories about blazing our path in a society that often silences BIPOC and queer voices.

At Stanford, I hope to become a student fellow with the IDA to spotlight marginalized voices. Within the IDA, I’d connect my fervor for music with my passion for analyzing STEM’s impact on society by designing and collaborating on an opera with my peers about data justice or colonialism’s negative impacts on South Asian healthcare.

The Best Way To Stand Out

The best way to perfect your essay is to work with an expert .

Working with expert strategists makes you 7x more likely to gain admission to your dream school! Our experts, including former admissions officers, guide you through the admissions process from A to Z, tailoring your application to maximize your chances of admission.

What Makes Crimson Different

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Acing your College Application Essay: 5 Expert Tips to Make it Stand Out from the Rest
• MIT Supplemental Essay
• Northwestern Supplemental Essay
• Harvard Supplemental Essay
• Columbia Supplemental Essay
• Princeton Supplemental Essay
• Cornell Supplemental Essay
• Brown Supplemental Essay
• UPenn Supplemental Essay
• Dartmouth Supplemental Essay
• Johns Hopkins Supplemental Essay
• University of Chicago Supplemental Essay
• NYU Supplemental Essay
• How to Tackle Every Type of Supplemental Essay
• What are the Most Unusual US College Supplemental Essay Prompts?

About the Author

Shane Trujillo

Former Admissions Officer

With experience in highly selective admissions at Stanford and Haverford College, and a master's degree from Harvard University, Shane has worked with thousands of students who have been admitted to some of the most prestigious schools and programs in the United States, including Stanford University, the Wharton School of Business at UPenn, and Harvard University.

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Stanford University Supplemental Essay Prompts: 2024-2025

Stanford University has published its 2024-2025 admissions essays for applicants to its Class of 2029. In all, Stanford asks this year’s applicants to answer five short essay prompts of 50 words each in addition to three longer essay prompts of 250 words each. The questions are the same as those on last year’s supplement. In addition to The Common Application ’s Personal Statement, all of the short supplemental answers and more extended supplemental essays are required of applicants to the Stanford Class of 2029 .

2024-2025 Stanford Essay Topics and Questions

Short answer questions.

Stanford’s five short answers, which can be answered in up to 50 words, are listed below. This year, Stanford does not ask a short Why Stanford prompt.

1. What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?

The prompt is a longtime staple of the Stanford supplement. Don’t choose climate change. Don’t choose race relations. Stanford receives too many such responses. Applicants should instead dare to teach Stanford’s admissions officers something they don’t already know in their answer.

2. How did you spend your last two summers?

A student must demonstrate their hook in this answer. If a student traveled the world last summer, they’d be wise not to write about it. Instead, they should focus on what they did locally that meaningfully connects to the singular hook they hope to bring to the Stanford campus.

3. What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?

This prompt is a chance for an applicant to enlighten admissions officers about an event they don’t know about. As such, writing about witnessing the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech would not qualify. Dare to teach admissions officers something new here, too!

4. Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.

Applicants should detail an activity here that relates to their hook — just like their summer activities. But since each answer should be a puzzle piece that complements rather than repeats information that’s already been shared with Stanford admissions officers, applicants should make sure not to repeat an activity they wrote about in their answer to how they spent the last two summers.

5. List five things that are important to you.

Stanford wants a list here. But that doesn’t mean an applicant can’t pepper in an explanation or two — within the 50-word limit, of course!

Longer Essay Prompts

Stanford applicants must answer the three essays below in 100-250 words:

1. The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.

This essay is making yet another appearance in the Stanford supplement. Stanford’s admissions committee wants to see that you exhibit intellectual curiosity in spades. They want students who are thinkers and who will use that thinking to change the world in one super specific way. Here’s an opportunity for a student to showcase how they contemplate changing the world through their hook in a way that complements — but doesn’t step on — material they’ve presented in their Personal Statement (which ideally also focused on the hook so there is a narrative through line across the application).

2. Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.

This essay is also making yet another appearance in the Stanford supplement. It’s Stanford’s most well-known essay. Too often, applicants show a silly side to themselves in their answers to the roommate prompt that they didn’t showcase in other areas of their application. And that’s a mistake. Students must almost demonstrate intellectual curiosity — whether the prompt directly asks them as much or not.

As such, Stanford’s admissions officers want to hear what you will discuss in late-night conversations with your roommate. They want to hear about some things you will do together on Stanford’s campus. They want to see what impact an applicant will make on the student body — through the prism of their roommate experience.

3. Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

This essay prompt is somewhat of a hybrid: part tell us more about yourself and part Why Stanford. The life experiences component of this prompt is likely Stanford’s response to the Supreme Court’s outlawing of Affirmative Action . Chief Justice John Roberts left an opening for applicants to write about their backgrounds, including their race: “Nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.” Herein lies that opening.

And while this is not a Why Stanford essay, to address the second part of the question, it would be wise for students to include a few specifics about how they hope to contribute to Stanford’s campus through their life experience, interests, or character, and, no, that does not mean peppering in class names or name-dropping professors who may or may not even be at Stanford next year. Instead, they should endeavor to capture enduring specifics about the university — from programs and institutes to activities and traditions.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Stanford Essays

If you’re interested in giving yourself the best chance of earning admission to Stanford by submitting the most compelling essays possible, fill out Ivy Coach ’s consultation form . We’ll then be in touch to outline our college admissions counseling services for Stanford applicants with Ivy Coach’s Jose Magana , a former Stanford admissions officer.

You are permitted to use www.ivycoach.com (including the content of the Blog) for your personal, non-commercial use only. You must not copy, download, print, or otherwise distribute the content on our site without the prior written consent of Ivy Coach, Inc.

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Short Answers & Essay

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Dates and Deadlines

The short-answer questions invite you to share in your own words what you have done, who you are, and what you aspire to do in the future. We ask you to answer three questions:

• Describe your short term and long term academic and professional intentions. (250 word limit)
• Please tell us when you: a) engaged with someone with a different perspective, b) acted with courage, and c) fell short of expectations. (250 word limit combined)
• Please tell us eight improbable facts (things that are unlikely but true) about you. (150 word limit combined)

The essay prompt invites you to reflect deeply on your life’s journey and the people, events, and circumstances that have impacted it.

There is no right answer, topic, or format — only you can tell your own story — and yet we hope you will focus much less on what you have done and much more on who you are. The strongest essays balance introspection with recognition of external influences, and are so personal that no one else could have possibly written it. The essay topic:

• Connect the dots. How have the influences in your life shaped you?   (500 word limit)

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: what are improbable facts.

A: Improbable facts are aspects about you - experiences, beliefs, traits, skills, etc. - that seem unlikely but are true.  These could include: facts that people wouldn’t expect to be true and/or facts that others are surprised to learn about you. This does not mean a list of achievements. Use this as a way to show a different side of you. And have some fun!

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Essays help us learn about who you are rather than solely what you have done.

Other parts of the application give insight into your academic and professional accomplishments; the essays reveal the person behind those achievements.

Essay Questions

We request that you write two personal essays.

In each essay, we want to hear your genuine voice. Think carefully about your values, passions, aims, and dreams. There is no “right answer” to these questions — the best answer is the one that is truest for you.

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?

For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?

Essay B: Why Stanford?

Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,000 words. We recommend up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 350 words for Essay B. We often read effective essays that are written in fewer words.

Editing Your Essays

Begin work on the essays early to give yourself time to reflect, write, and edit.

Feel free to ask friends or family members for feedback, especially about whether the tone and voice sound like you. Your family and friends know you better than anyone. If they think the essays do not capture who you are, what you believe, and what you aspire to do, then surely we will be unable to recognize what is distinctive about you.

Feedback vs. Coaching

There is a big difference between “feedback” and “coaching.” You cross that line when any part of the application (excluding the letters of recommendation ) ceases to be exclusively yours in either thought or word.

Appropriate feedback occurs when others review your completed application — perhaps once or twice — and apprise you of omissions, errors, or inaccuracies that you later correct or address. After editing is complete, your thoughts, voice, and style remain intact. Inappropriate coaching occurs when you allow others to craft any part of your application for you and, as a result, your application or self-presentation is not authentic.

It is improper and a violation of the terms of this application process to have another person or tool write your essays. Such behavior will result in denial of your application or revocation of your admission.

Additional Information

If there is any information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, include it in the Additional Information section of the application. Pertinent examples include:

• Extenuating circumstances affecting your candidacy, including academic, work, or test-taking experiences
• Academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere
• Explanation of why you are not using a current supervisor as a recommender

This section should not be used as an additional essay.

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*** Enter the $2,000 College Transitions No Essay Scholarship Contest ***

Stanford Supplemental Essays 2024-25 – Prompts and Advice

August 7, 2024

With an acceptance rate of 3.9%, Stanford University is in a league of selectivity with only a handful of other schools including Harvard, MIT, and Princeton. At Stanford, the median SAT is a 1530 and 96% hail from the top 10% of their high school class. As a result, you need more than just superior test scores and a sparkling transcript to be among the 1 in every 25 applicants who is ultimately admitted. Each year, we work with a number of successful Stanford University applicants. We can say with confidence that exceptional Stanford supplemental essays are a necessary component of any winning application.

 (Want to learn more about How to Get Into Stanford? Visit our blog entitled:  How to Get Into Stanford: Admissions Data and Strategies  for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

Stanford University requires applicants to respond to a whopping eight prompts. This makes the decision to apply an instantly sizable time commitment. Your mission—should you choose to accept it— is to write compelling, standout compositions that showcase your top-notch writing ability and reveal more about who you are as an individual. Below are Stanford’s essay prompts for the 2024-25 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

Stanford Supplemental Essays

Prompt 1: the stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning..

Whether it’s a general love for math/science or literature or a specific interest in aerospace engineering or 19th-century French novels, use this opportunity to share what makes you tick, the ideas that keep you up at night, and what subject inspires you to dream big. What topic makes you read books and online content until your eyes bleed? Share the manner in which you relentlessly pursue knowledge. Whether it’s falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the nature of time or consuming thousands of hours of podcasts on game theory, this is a chance to illustrate the ways in which you are an obsessive learner with an endless thirst for information. The admissions reader should emerge from reading this essay with the sense that you are a sincerely curious young person with a strong intellectual drive.

Prompt 2: Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.

Applicants can utilize this response to give greater insight into the little details about themselves that may not appear elsewhere in the application. Keep the old adage “you don’t truly know a person until you live with them” in mind. Think about what your future roommate will learn about your daily habits, quirks, passions, and preferences. What music do you like to listen to? At what time do you get up in the morning and what is your morning routine? What activities do you like to do (that ideally have not yet been communicated elsewhere)? Most often, writers choose to put together a number of different details. Before including each one, think about what it communicates about you.

For example, if you can seldom be found without a novel in hand or spend an hour every morning practicing yoga, why is that important for us to know? That said, at least a few details are often comical or light-hearted (perhaps you can’t survive without a large supply of lime seltzer or always eat salt & vinegar chips when you’re up late studying). Another common “move” writers use in this essay is to list a few uniquely Stanford things that they can’t wait to do with their roommate around campus. In the grand scheme of things, this is a genuine chance to reveal more about your character, unique personality, and also—sometimes— how to get along with others.

Prompt 3:  Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.

This prompt asks you to not only share a particular life experience, interest, or value. Additionally, you’ll describe why that experience, interest, or value will help you contribute to Stanford in general. Essentially, it’s asking you to take your essay’s reflection one step further. You’ll need to share why the experience, interest, or value you’ve chosen has impacted you. Additionally, you can explore why/how you believe it will allow you to positively impact the Stanford community.

First, choose a key aspect of your experiences, background, or personality that reveals something deep and meaningful about you. (Although you could choose more than one, we’d advise against it, given that you only have 250 words in which to respond.) As you brainstorm, consider the following avenues:

• Your role in your family.
• Your role in your social group.
• Something you’re particularly committed to, i.e., an activity, social/political cause, or idea (just be sure it doesn’t overlap with the intellectual curiosity response).
• A challenge you’ve faced.
• A formative experience or realization.
• Core values and beliefs.
• Important aspects of your upbringing.
• Most intriguing and unique attributes.
• Cultural, religious, or community influence.

Stanford Supplemental Essays (Continued)

Second, you’ll need to describe both personal and future impact. Note the absence of a straight “Why Stanford?” essay in this application. This response is the closest thing to it. Make sure that your answer reveals something about how you will live out Stanford’s values or contribute to an academic/social community. For the latter angle, you could name a specific  course ,  research opportunity , or extracurricular club , to name a few—perhaps living in a beach town has heavily contributed to your passion for the world’s oceans, and you seek to bring that perspective to the biology department’s research opportunities. Alternatively, you could discuss something more intangible—perhaps Stanford’s mission to develop active citizens resonates with you, and you hope to bring your experience of growing up in a large family (which gave you excellent communication and conflict resolution skills) to volunteer positions on campus and within the surrounding community.

Stanford Supplemental Essays – Short Response Questions (50 words)

1) what is the most significant challenge that society faces today.

The admissions committee wants to make sure that your personal aims align with those of the university, as indicated in its mission statement. This mission is “to extend the frontiers of knowledge, stimulate creativity, and solve real-world problems, prepare students to think broadly, deeply and critically, and to contribute to the world, and deploy Stanford’s strengths to benefit our region, country, and world.” The strongest answers usually include some level of previous or hopeful participation/community service on the part of the applicant. For example, if you are concerned about voting rights and the preservation of the democratic process, you may have volunteered with a relevant organization.

2) How did you spend your last two summers? 

We are looking at your summers after sophomore and junior years for this prompt. So, why is Stanford so interested in what you did from mid-June through August, you ask? The answer, primarily, is because this is the time of the year when your entire schedule wasn’t laid out for you–the admissions office can observe your actions in the lone time and space when you are given complete agency and control.

Did you work to earn money to help support your family? On the other hand, did you work to save money for a specific purpose? Did you take a college course or two or enroll in an academic summer program? Or, did you conduct independent research or secure an internship at a company or organization? Stanford recognizes that students in different circumstances have varying levels of opportunity. Therefore, if you spent the summer watching your siblings out of necessity so your mom could go to work, that can be as valid as attending an aerospace engineering program at MIT. Ideally, your summer endeavor will—at least to some extent, align with your expressed passions and academic/intellectual aims.

3) What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?

Keep in mind that “historical” could refer to a famous event that is included in your average history textbook. Alternatively, it could be something more personal to your family, like when your great-grandmother immigrated to California in 1917. Many times, if students select a moment in world history, it isn’t one that is universally known in endless detail. Unless you are picking something as well known as MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech” or the 1969 Moon landing, make sure to give the reader some level of context about the actual event in addition to your commentary about why that moment is special to you. No need to get uber-obscure with your answer. However, the most needle-moving answers are generally not usually based on any of the most famous events in human history. These are the kind of events that you’ve known about since elementary school.

You might approach this prompt by choosing an issue of importance to you and then researching corresponding moments/events (whether within recorded or personal history) that allow you to communicate that interest.

4) Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.

Stanford is not necessarily asking you to write about the activity where you earned the most prestigious awards or held the highest position of leadership. The university is going to see all of your activities in that section of the Common App. As such, you want to ask yourself—which of your entries is crying out for more explanation and detail? Which one is closest to your heart and most representative of your unique passions? Pick the option that will allow you to deliver additional detail that may be memorable to the admissions reader. Start this process by asking yourself, “What is the most interesting and consequential moment that I have experienced in one of my extracurricular activities?” If you can identify one clear-cut moment, that is likely the activity worth sharing with the Stanford admissions staff.

5) List five things that are important to you.

Before answering this question, take inventory of what has already been communicated on the rest of your application. What have you tackled in your other responses? Is there anything that has been left unsaid? What themes are currently present that you could reinforce? The list should be organic. This means that some answers will naturally reiterate passions and experiences shared in other areas of the application. That said, you’ll want to avoid straight-up repeats to the best of your ability. In addition, try to be as specific as possible. Since you have fifty words to utilize, try to include a brief why or explanation for each answer, that, again, is different than what’s already been presented in other areas of the application.

How important are the Stanford supplemental essays?

The lengthy supplemental essay section is among the nine factors that Stanford considers to be “very important.” The other factors are: rigor of secondary school record, class rank, GPA, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, and character/personal qualities.

Stanford Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

In conclusion, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Stanford supplemental essays, we encourage you to  get a quote  today.

Looking for additional writing resources? Check out the following:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
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Andrew Belasco

A licensed counselor and published researcher, Andrew's experience in the field of college admissions and transition spans two decades. He has previously served as a high school counselor, consultant and author for Kaplan Test Prep, and advisor to U.S. Congress, reporting on issues related to college admissions and financial aid.

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