VincentN
VincentN,
Stanford
B.S., Computer Science
Technophile and coffee lover. CS major and Classics minor with a passion for STEM and the arts.
Features Included
7
Essays
6
Schools
16
Scores
11
Advice
9
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown Rancho Santa Margarita, California
GenderMale
EthnicityAsian
AdmissionEarly Action
Class of2020
First Gen College StudentYes
English First Language Yes
Other Language(s) Spoken Spanish

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
  • University of California - Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
  • University of California - Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
  • University of California - Irvine (Irvine, CA)
  • University of California - San Diego (La Jolla, CA)
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Tap/click a school logo above to view essays and advice specific to that school.

Stanford University (Stanford, CA)

Applied for a B.S. in Computer Science

Accepted and Enrolled Legacy: No

School Specific Essays

Newton's first law of motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force; in other words, the object needs an impulse in order to change its momentum. While Newton's principles certainly apply adeptly to physics, I think it also reflects how my views were acted upon when I was hit by an external force of my own: mathematics. From an early age, I saw mathematics as a fun diversion; numbers...
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Supplemental Essay: Issue of personal significance
258 Words
I have multiple canvases—InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop—and with them I am able to create a living, breathing identity that interacts with others in positive ways. Each time someone asks me to make a book cover, a logo, or a website, I use it as an opportunity of mutual discovery; I learn about my likes and dislikes and what fonts I prefer (recently, I've been hooked on Karla, a grotesque sans-serif that carries a sense of eccentric seriousness), but...
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Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
262 Words
To my future roommate, I hope this reaches you in good condition and not found underneath a mound of boxes or pinned underneath heavy furniture; in which case, my deepest apologies (and no need to thank me for the exercise). While we're on the topic of apologies, I'd like to preemptively apologize for some things: my singing, which has gotten worse ever since the new Hamilton musical soundtrack came out; my puns, which in my opinion are a form of...
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Supplemental Essay: Issue of personal significance
254 Words
In my room above my desk, there is a shelf where I hold my most prized possession: my Mickey ears collection. Over the years, I've collected a half dozen of them from my various trips to Disneyland, with their destination being on this very shelf, awaiting to be used again. Though all different in appearance, each hat has its own story: the faded royal blue one came from my first trip when I was seven and I cried on the...
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Supplemental Essay: Scholarship application
354 Words
Service was never a focal point in my family—at least, not to the extent that they would focus intensely on it. They would take me to the numerous events I’d be working at and ask me why I do this all the time without getting paid or if I ever got tired of volunteering. Unbeknownst to them, however, service carries a different connotation to me. It’s defined neither by the number of hours I do nor the...
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Supplemental Essay: Scholarship application
369 Words
A person's Twitter description says a lot about a person; after all, they are given a limited amount of space to truly express their very being in a succinct manner. As for @VincentNicandro (me!), after stating that I am a student, I say that I am a writer as well. I'd like to think that it is not too far from the truth; after all, I have self-published one novel and one anthology, created an online literary magazine, and am...
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Supplemental Essay: Scholarship application
304 Words
As Warren Bennis said, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” However, the unsaid truth to this is the necessity of teamwork in leadership. In the spring of my sophomore year, I was tasked with leading the direction of a county-wide MUN conference. It was a daunting proposition; my responsibilities entailed organizing and editing all print and online media over the course of six months for everything used before and the day of the conference. At first, I...
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School Specific Advice

Why I ultimately chose my school
91 Words
Stanford has been my dream school since sixth grade (but only seriously since sophomore year). I loved its proximity to San Francisco and Silicon Valley, how it's...
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What might make for a good “Why Us” essay topic at my school
182 Words
Right off the bat, I want to say that Stanford does not have a "Why Us" question; instead, it asks "Why You" through this prompt: "Reflect on an idea or experience that has been important to your intellectual development." This is what's been elusively dubbed the intellectual vitality prompt, and as strange as it...
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What I like about my school’s location and culture
102 Words
The biggest selling point for Stanford to me was the location, both the campus and its surrounding area. I would argue that Stanford combines world-class academics and Ivy League-level prestige with...
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How to increase chances at my school
147 Words
I think the biggest thing to realize is that school is just one component. Yes, grades are important, but they're not nearly as important as you think they are. Academics are a benchmark; obviously, aim to maintain at or around a 4.0 and mostly/all...
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My extracurricular activities in college, and why I chose them
100 Words
As someone who I would say was generally deprived of artistic outlets in high school, I found that college was such a great place for me to try my...
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More Essays

These essays haven't been tagged by school. Click school logos above to see tagged essays.

General Admissions Advice

What I’d change about my application process
104 Words
Above anything, I would have started earlier. The hardest part about sitting down and writing essays is the very act of sitting down and resolving to work on them. Because I...
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My advice about getting recommenders
99 Words
Develop strong relationships with every faculty member you work with: teachers, guidance counselors, club advisors, even the principal, if you work with them. Not only are they fun to talk...
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Whether I used a private admissions counselor, and advice I received
180 Words
Did I use a private admissions counselor? In a word: no. Would I recommend using a private admissions counselor? In two words: probably not. I didn't have the financial means to get a private admissions counselor, though even if I did I don't think I would have anyway. College consultation is very similar...
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Whether I took out loans or applied for scholarships, and my advice
117 Words
My goal as a student is to come out of college debt-free, so I don't plan to take out any loans. Prior to my freshman year at Stanford, I covered my student contribution portion through...
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Recommended summer activities during high school and college
267 Words
Although the common advice here is to do internships and programs (and lots of them!), my advice is to use your summer. Period. That sounds weird, but I promise it makes sense! "Using your summer" is a loose enough concept where you can interpret it to mean pretty much whatever you want. It could mean taking an internship at a local university working on genetics, or it could mean going to Disneyland at every possible moment (and before you...
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What I learned transitioning from high school to college
131 Words
The transition from high school to college is a stressful one: you're likely gaining a new sense of independence that you've never had before, and in a place like Stanford it can be really overwhelming to enter an environment...
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High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.50
 
Rank
Top 1%
 
High School TypePublic
College Classes In High School
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1580
on 1600 scale
Highest SAT
2340
 
SAT Score Details
 
Original SAT Score2340
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep
PSAT Scores

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details14 classes and scores

Sports

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesModel Congress / Model UN, Key Club, Community Cleanup / Service, American Red Cross, Hospital Volunteer, National Honor Society, Nonprofit, NGO or Charitable Organization, Spanish Club, Tutoring/Mentoring
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

How Spent Summers
Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received

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