For Stanford admission officers, it's an annual challenge: come up with questions that inspire revealing essays -- and can be answered in less than a page. "We don't interview, so these questions become very important," says dean of admission Robert Kinnally. "When the real person emerges [in an essay], that's a great moment for us."
Each year, Kinnally and his colleagues meet to discuss the application form. If the essay questions from the previous year aren't doing the job, staff members study questions from other schools, brainstorm new ideas and consult current students. The result in recent years has been a string of creative questions -- nothing like the sober instructions of 30 years ago. A sampling:
1969: Describe in your own handwriting which academic subject in high school has been most challenging and stimulating to you and comment on any individual study or research you have done in this subject area.
1987: Drawing upon some personal experience, write a fable.
1990: If you could spend a day with anyone, real or fictional, with whom would it be, and how would you spend your time?
1991: If you could spend a year pursuing any activity, all expenses paid, what would you do? Be specific, and describe why your choice is meaningful to you.
1992: Jot a note to your future roommate relating a personal anecdote that reveals something about you.
1999: Traditions are an integral part of our lives. Tell us about a tradition that is honored by your family, your friends or your culture (or describe one you would like to create), and talk about why it is or would be important.
