stanfordpine
stanfordpine,
Stanford
B.S., Computer Science
coder & creative writer
Features Included
23
Essays
14
Schools
9
Scores
3
Advice
7
ECs
0
Sports

Background

Hometown Montgomery, New Jersey
GenderFemale
EthnicityAsian
Class of2023
First Gen College StudentNo

Results, Essays, and Advice

Accepted
Waitlisted or Withdrew
Denied
  • Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
  • Yale University (New Haven, CT)
  • Columbia University (New York, NY)
  • Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
  • Duke University (Durham, NC)
  • Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
  • University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Brown University (Providence, RI)
  • Northeastern University (Boston, MA)
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
  • University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
  • Barnard College (New York, NY)
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

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
On Witherspoon, wedged between a pub and a bank is the typical humdrum bakery-cafe. Brick walls against black canopy. Aged window panes. Passerbys nearly running into the chalkboard signs that cheesily read “Come in: we like you a latte :) .” Yet for me, it’s a portal into another universe. The dry, crisp rain immediately evaporates into aromas of broccoli cheddar and fresh baguettes swirling to embrace me. Rich waves hi from the counter, and I wave back as I slide...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
261 Words
A. What factors influenced your decision to apply to Barnard College and why do you think the College

would be a good match for you? (100-250 words)
Freshman year—I left the robotics room holding back tears. The condescending comments of “she needs help again?” and “maybe this isn’t for you” would endlessly echo for months, despite thriving in Java at school. Then I found the National Center for Women in Technology Facebook group, where impostor syndrome draws hundreds of comments overflowing with empowerment. Girls from across the world regularly fuse together to create apps against gender discrimination. Eventually, I too find the tenacity to advocate...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
257 Words
B. Pick one woman in history or fiction to converse with for an hour and explain your choice. What

would you talk about? (100-250 words)
At 36, Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code, a nonprofit that’s provided free computer science education to 90,000 girls nationwide. But before that, she lost two campaigns and was a three-time law school reject. I heavily identify with Saujani not only through her dedication to public service, but even more so her advocacy for women to break out of toxic perfection. Like many other middle school girls, I was afraid of failure, scared of trying computer science for possibly being bad...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
670 Words
Cornell Engineering celebrates innovative problem-solving that helps people, communities…

the world. Consider your ideas and aspirations and describe how a Cornell Engineering education would allow you to

leverage technological problem-solving to improve the world we live in.
Before computer science, I loved mathematics. There’s something elegant and therapeutic in the process of hacking away at a problem till the puzzle of theorems and lemmas slowly click together. But competition math wasn’t satiating enough, with that process ending at fill-in-the-blanks. Then six weeks at __summer math program__ transported me into the parallel world of computer science. Amidst the Math-CS problem sets and research . presentations, I realized that computer science was the embodiment of abstract mathematical problem-solving...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
166 Words
If you are applying to the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences as a first year applicant, please discuss why you consider Duke a good match for you. Is there something particular about Duke that attracts you? (Please limit your response to no more than 150 words.)
As a poet and a programmer, I’m a lover of the multidisciplinary—making Duke’s balanced, open environment the perfect place to synergize my diverse interests in Computer Science and English/Creative Writing. After taking Machine Learning and Law and Literature, it’d be a privilege to apply the knowledge I’ve gained to Professor Conitzer’s research on Ethics into Robust Artificial Intelligence. Equally appealing is Duke’s unique culture of collaboration and camaraderie, which fosters connections among...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Diversity statement
264 Words
Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background-we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250 word limit)
In our household, words don’t reflect their literal meanings. “I regret you both equally,” my mother will attempt to deadpan, as my sister and I playfully banter over who’s the favorite from the backseat. “Wasteful,” my dad will mutter, as he proceeds to return with three large fries (I requested only a medium). For my parents, growing up in a very reserved culture has made it difficult for them to express emotions the way I instinctively hug friends...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
668 Words
How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying. (400-650 words)
As a poet and programmer—I believe in the power of the interdisciplinary. Through developing websites and iOS projects, I find gratification implementing algorithms behind the scenes and connecting them to front-end UI elements. After developing a video game timeline of my life, I was invited to the international Apple conference. In San Jose, being surrounded by projects like LGBTQ safety apps inspired me to want to leverage my own skills into more than just creative outlets, but also tangibly...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
92 Words
List a few words or phrases that describe your ideal college community. (150 words or less)
Computer science integrated seamlessly with the liberal arts; engineering with a focus on humanity; encompassing breadth and depth; a vibrant home to culture; never do the same thing twice; internships on Fridays; plethora of art museums subway ride away; open; microcosm enabling interactions with people of all walks; pluralistic, polyphonic student body; well-read, well-spoken; unsheltered, worldly aka a change from the bubble that is Princeton; computer science department with interdisciplinary and global emphasis; intellectually stimulating; commitment to undergraduate research; modern...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
65 Words
List the titles of the required readings from courses during the school year or summer that you enjoyed

most in the past year.
The Scarlet Letter—dark, arduous journey with inspiring gems about compassion, autonomy, and change The Great Gatsby—gorgeous, evocative prose that raises still relevant discussions regarding the American dream The Canterbury Tales—how can you not love Medieval gossip with a nice dose of Horatian satire? Walden—nature gives us ideals for how to live, "the sun is but a morning star"
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
117 Words
List the titles of the books you read for pleasure that you enjoyed most in the past year.
Literature and Fiction: Wuthering Heights—cruelest character teaches the most empathy ; Handmaid’s Tale—woke me up to gender issues ; One Hundred Years of Solitude—fantastical magical realism that reflects universal truths ; Circe—The Odyssey re-imagined through the life of Circe, doing justice to her shortchanged story Poetry Collections : Night Skies with Exit Wounds—messy, ambiguous, authentically beautiful ; Life on Mars—the otherworldly seamlessly merged with our own Non-fiction : The New Jim Crow—eye-opener into a complex, broken system; This...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
16 Words
List the titles of the print, electronic publications and websites you read regularly.
The New Yorker, The Adroit Journal, The Onion, The Atlantic, The Verge (tech section), National Geographic
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
75 Words
List the titles of the films, concerts, shows, exhibits, lectures and other entertainments you enjoyed

most in the past year.
Exhibits—Gustav Klimt paintings at The MET. Salvador Dali at The MOMA. Ada Lovelace Exhibit at the Computer History Museum Concerts—Chance the Rapper, Snarky Puppy Films—Y Tu Mama Tambien, Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 Shows—Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreations Lectures—Cathy O'neil on how Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy; Rana el Kaliouby on emotional, humanizing technology Podcasts—Freakonomics, This American Life
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
315 Words
Please tell us what you value most about Columbia and why. (300 words or less)
Mezcla—meaning “mixture” in Spanish—is what I value most about Columbia. As a computer scientist and creative writer, I believe in the power of mezcla. Code is my problem-solving tool, and literature my vehicle of empathy. All too often, the technology sector is so caught up churning out the next Facebook or self-driving Uber that we forget to consider the ethical side effects. We forget that investing our skills into developing blockchain software for the homeless is equally crucial....
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
302 Words
For applicants to The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, please tell us what

from your current and past experiences (either academic or personal) attracts you specifically to the

field or fields of study that you noted in the Member Questions section.
My love for mathematics and problem-solving was my portal into computing. Amidst the Math-CS problem sets and research presentations at __summer math program__, I realized that code was the application of abstract mathematics in tangible, technological solutions. Computer science hooked me in for its innovative nature and more direct impact on society, which theoretical mathematics lacked. The following summer at governor’s school, my research project on _engineering topic_ was also grounded in theory. But we optimized the system for...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: “Why us” school essay
46 Words
One thing you are looking forward to at Stanford
With far too many interests to confine myself to one or two, the quarter system enables me to take a vast array of classes without sacrificing depth—facilitating the synergistic connections and multidimensional perspectives I constantly look for. Also can we talk about Coho’s paninis.
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Issue of personal significance
49 Words
What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 word limit)
Decreasing interest in the humanities. Though technology is undeniably a powerful tool for progress, the liberal arts are invaluable in learning creativity, empathy, and awareness. Especially with the recent artificial intelligence ethics scandals, we need those traits now more than ever to establish fair regulations and create humane products.
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Amusing anecdote
58 Words
How did you spend your last two summers? (50 word limit)
-Won governor's school ping-pong tournament and cutest couple superlative!! with roommate-turned-best-friend -Co-authored published paper on _removed_ -Discovered graph theory at _summer math program_ -Writing mentorships -Cut my own hair, which surprisingly turned out ok -Hiked Mount Holyoke -Dragged fam to art museums -And Costco many times just for the acai bowls
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Amusing anecdote
52 Words
What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 word limit)
Psychologists say that your childhood behavior is your uninfluenced, true self. According to my mom, I'd never sleep, instead secretly escaping every night to crawl around the apartment for hours. I'd wanna third-person witness my early years between 1-5 am to see what I was doing during all that time.
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
5 Words
What five words best describe you? (10 word limit)
Always searching for the unexpected
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
66 Words
When the choice is yours, what do you read, listen to, or watch? (50 word limit)
The Onion—my favorite article is the “8-Foot-Long, 250-Pound Tampon” Wikipedia rabbitholes and New Yorker—normal news intake Algorithms to Live By—CS teaches us how to live Night Skies With Exit Wounds(poetry)—messy, ambiguous, authentically beautiful Anything by Marquez—magical realism is paradoxical 3Blue1Brown—his linear algebra animations are soooo therapeutic Netflix—Friends, Parks, Grey’s Anatomy
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
40 Words
Imagine you had an extra hour in the day — how would you spend that time? (50 word limit).
I'd explore ambiguous trails, go on midnight hikes with my friends, or maybe even take a roadtrip through the desert while stargazing every night. Nature is the land of magic in the mundane, and I'd love to visit more.
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Intellectual interest
266 Words
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)
Out of falling snow, dropdown gradients, and effervescent icons, fantastical settings straight out of a Gabriel García Márquez novel materialize. As I apply APIs like Core Graphics with parallax, the characters I construct dimensionionalize and transitions from scene to scene gain depth. Through developing iOS projects, my duality as a programmer and poet is unified by my itch to create. Piecing together these subtle yet powerful elements with code is like writing magical realism—narrative structures are analogous...
Read more...
Supplemental Essay: Unique question posed by school
277 Words
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)
Roomie, It's so nice to finally meet you! One thing you should probably know about me—I come from a banterous family that expresses
Read more...

School Specific Advice

More Essays

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

General Admissions Advice

How to deal with the stress of applying to college
127 Words
- the process is super stressful and trying, so find something constant you can do / someone you can turn to during those few months that will help you get through it - it can sometimes bring out...
Read more...
How I narrowed down my essay topics
254 Words
- don't write your common app about academics, clubs, or sports. you can talk about that all you want in the supplementals, which often ask why major or why this school, where you can interweave those in. focus on one defining aspect of your personality or a core value of yours instead, which is equally if not more important. because that's what shows another dimension of you, makes you impressionable & memorable & unique. common app is...
Read more...
What I’d change about my application process
123 Words
- never underestimate yourself, always apply to that dream or top school of yours even if you think you have -1% chance of getting in - at the same time don't only shotgun the T1...
Read more...

High School Performance

Weighted GPA
4.63
(equivalent to 3.99 unweighted)
Rank
Top 1%
 
Academic Performance in High School Steady

Test Scores

Highest SAT
1570
 
SAT Score Details
 
Other SAT Scores
SAT Prep

AP / IB Classes and Scores

Details8 classes and scores

Sports

Extracurriculars

ActivitiesComputer / Technology Volunteer, Tutoring/Mentoring, School Newspaper/Magazine/Journalism, Community Cleanup / Service, Academic, Music: Instrumental, After School Sports Coach
Elaborate on Extracurriculars or Work

Experience & Awards

Volunteer Experiences
Awards Received
Application Additional Materials

Similar Profiles

mkim17
Stanford


Accepted to UC Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, USC, BC

from San Jose, to wherever life takes me (currently palo alto)
FeartheLee
Stanford


Accepted to Stanford, Williams, Brown, Pomona, Duke, Bard, Kenyon

Stanford 2019, creative writing and education. Full essays! "Lopsided," less-than-stellar numbers.
Meredith Marks
Stanford


Accepted to Stanford

Stanford Computer Science student from a small farm town in the Midwest.
tannar2020
Stanford


Accepted to Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA

Born in small town, interested in math, science, and literature. Attending Stanford University starting fall of 2016, planning on studying engineering or computer science, with a minor in a foreign language.
puzon
Stanford


Accepted to Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Harvard, UMBC, Rutgers, UVA, UNC, UC Berkeley, UCLA, WashU, Johns Hopkins, GA Tech

Computer Science Student and Research Assistant at Stanford University