This is a continuation of my series of US admission essays which I promised to post from time to time. I have not been admitted yet, and I have been deferred by Stanford already actually.

Why did I ever want to go to Stanford in the first place? This essays reveals something about that. Enjoy!

Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you. (1800 characters)

Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by successful entrepreneurs and read a great deal about them. Now I want to learn how to be one. I believe that Stanford’s Management Science and Engineering major will offer me an excellent technical foundation in business, most notably in the ability to conceive systems, resolve management problems and conceptualize frameworks from the engineering viewpoint. I am amazed at the relevance and breadth of Stanford’s Management Science courses which range from the hardware of complex mathematical computations and entrepreneurial establishment to the software of influence, leadership, negotiation and creativity. Stanford’s commitment to equip its undergraduates with an encompassing variety of must-have expertise on the ground of solid engineering principles makes Stanford a good place for me, mainly because of my passion for systematic organizational management coupled with core values (my Head Prefect experience). In addition, I am eager to explore innovations in other departments within the School of Engineering to harness potential business ideas. Stanford’s inclination towards interdisciplinary learning would also imbue in me the versatility to amalgamate various engineering disciplines and extract new answers from them. The intense mode of self-discovery and the environment of intellectual diversity in Stanford would catalyze this search for novel methods. Furthermore, Stanford’s vibrant social atmosphere and vivacious School Spirit would provide an unpretentious platform to exchange ideas freely. The Stanford motto, “The wind of freedom blows,” is an apt metaphor of why Stanford is the best place for me. To be unrestrained, unfettered and unimpeded to explore the desires of the heart—that is the beauty of Stanford.

Disclaimer: This is by no means a model Stanford essay. I was deferred in EA for admission in fall 2008.