“When I started my application, I was very pessimistic. I felt like I was wasting my time with the application. I also sort of hated myself for being full of myself, thinking that I even had a shot at such an amazing school. As I continued working through the application, I began to enjoy myself. I don’t know if you have looked at the Stanford application, but it is insanely extensive. They ask you an array of quirky questions that truly allow you to reveal who you are. I feel like I learned a lot about myself through the Stanford application and simply just enjoyed filling out it. Weird, right? I didn’t have fun with any of my other college applications. After finishing my application, I was happy, but not because I thought I had a shot but more because I learned a lot about myself and what I believe in.”