Stanford Supplemental Essays: A Strategic Guide

As you shift from finishing up your Common App to thinking about the rest of your college application, tackling supplemental essays can seem like a daunting task. But don’t let them stress you out too much; by understanding what schools like Stanford are looking for with each essay prompt, writing essays that help your application stand out will be a lot easier. Here’s a breakdown of the core values that admissions readers will be on the lookout for as they read your Stanford supplemental essays:

1. Academic excellence and rigorous preparation

Stanford prides itself on having a driven, academically focused student body. In order to succeed under the demanding pressures of classes that cover cutting-edge topics like AI and humanity, public policy, and human biology, students will have to demonstrate that they’re ready to put in the time, effort, and engagement that each class requires. Opportunities like the Structured Liberal Education program allows students who are interested in great works of philosophy, literature, and art to immerse themselves in a “great books”/Core Curriculum-style class during their freshman year; through SLE, students also live together as they participate in the year-long course.

2. Intellectual vitality and curiosity

As a hub for innovation, especially within tech and engineering fields, Stanford prides itself on having a student body that is curious and ready to explore how they can forge new paths in their field. Whether you’re interested in the ethics of medicine, or in the impact of literature on our neural pathways, Stanford encourages students to be continuously curious not only about their academic classes, but about how their new knowledge can be applied to affect change in the world around them. A wealth of interdisciplinary opportunities are also a unique quality of Stanford’s curriculum, which often features co-taught courses that are cross-listed between departments that you may not find paired elsewhere.

3. Impact and leadership beyond the classroom

Stanford has a variety of programs that are designed to help students step into leadership roles in and outside of the classroom. Cardinal Quarter Fellowships allow students to receive funding for quarter-long public service job opportunities, and the Haas Center for Public Service coordinates a mulittude of programs that help connect students to service opportunities within the greater community.

How to Write Stanford’s Supplemental Essays (2025-2026)

Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning. (250 words)

This is your ideal moment to show Stanford how you align with their emphasis on intellectual vitality and curiosity. Make sure that your answer hits the following points so that it stands out:

1. Ground it in one vivid moment. Avoid generic answers– don’t say that something inspired a “love of learning,” as that’ll be the most common sentence admissions readers will be expecting out of this answer. Get into the nitty-gritty of something you truly love or are interested in.
2. Show your curiosity in action: where did you take your desire to learn more? Who did you talk to? Did you seek out extra reading, or teach yourself a new skill? In college, students often have to take their learning into their own hands; show your admissions readers that you’re more than ready to do that kind of independent work.
3. Conclude with how this excitement shapes what you’ll pursue at Stanford. Keep in mind that each supplemental essay is a way for the admissions readers to see who you’ll be on their campus. So connect to the future, and let them see what kind of amazing student you’ll be once you’re at Stanford.

Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you. (250 words)

Unlike other supplemental essays–which typically ask a version of the “why major?” and “why this school?” question–this essay is a unique opportunity for you to show off a different side of your personality. That may seem daunting, but the following tips should help you make sure that you’re letting Stanford see who you are:

1. Use a more casual voice than in your other essays. This is your chance to be personable; your other essays are where you’ll concentrate on showing off your academic focus and professionalism. But here, share specific quirks, and try to ground it in a single experience that can then include mini-stories about who you are.
2. Share daily habits and small rituals that hint at community-related values. While this is just one way to tackle this prompt, if you’re feeling stuck, try to think of what parts of your day-to-day routines align with a deeper value that you hold. Maybe you always make sure to check that your little sibling’s shoelaces are tied, even now that you’re both old enough to not need help tying your shoelaces– this is something that shows how you continue to carry your care for others throughout your life, and demonstrates loyalty. Parallels like that are great to tease out in this essay.
3. Use this to transition into describing what kind of role or relationship you want to have to your roommate, or to your broader residential community. Dorms are often very friendly and know each other well, so feel free to discuss your role in a greater community as well as the way you’ll interact with your roommate one-on-one.

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)

1. Structure this according to this framework: first, zero in on a specific past action or experience. Don’t make it too broad, and avoid clichés.
2. Highlight how this past event helped you develop a set of skills, new perspective, or value that you didn’t have previously. Make sure that this is a skill or perspective that you can then transfer to other situations or endeavors.
3. Connect this skill to how you want to use it in a Stanford setting, such as a club, class, initiative, or research. This is your opportunity to show off how you’ll be able to fit into the opportunities that Stanford provides for its students, and demonstrate your maturity.
4. Prioritize specifics over labels. Name the community, role, or value that you’ll add– this is as much to help the admissions readers envision you on campus, as it is a chance to show how you are able to practice high-level critical thinking.

Conclusion

Good luck on your draft! As long as you keep in mind the core values that define Stanford, you’ll be able to write essays that stand out and prove that you’ll truly thrive as a Stanford student.

At Essay Cafe, we offer comprehensive essay reviews to make sure your essays are your biggest advocates in the admissions office. If you’re unsure about your essay strategy or need a trusted second opinion, you can request a review or book a live 1:1 session by creating an account here.

Curious about how to write the rest of your supplemental essays? Check out more advice here on how to write essays for top schools like UChicago, Princeton, and Yale.