23/08/2015

StanfordSupplement(ChemicalEngineer)StanfordEssay

Stanford Admissions Essays from StudyNotes.org

COLLEGE ESSAYS / STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Stanford Supplement (Chemical Engineer)

Stanford students are
widely known to possess
a sense of intellectual
vitality. Tell us about an
idea or an experience you
have had that you find
intellectually engaging.
Lets use sodium sulfide, I decided.
I snatched the bottle labeled Na2S and
placed three drops of the foul-smelling
liquid into a well on the well-plate. Then, I
added some of the clear unknown
solution I had been given and watched
the reaction unfold. Upon contact, the
two combined to form an obvious white
solid.
Not again!
I stared at the chart we had been
provided: seven of the twelve metal
cation combinations with sulfide were
white. The teacher had also informed us
of other methods to differentiate
between cations such as the flame test,
but many were too time-consuming to
use for the compound-identification race. It was time to innovate.
My mind wandered to when our AP Chemistry class had covered certain properties of
metals and their ionized forms. There was something special about aluminum and
zinc
Wait! Dont aluminum and zinc form acidic complex ions with water? I exclaimed to
the instructor. He smiled, nodded, and gave me an encouraging wink.
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StanfordSupplement(ChemicalEngineer)StanfordEssay

And aluminums is more acidic than zincs. So, blue pH paper should be able to
determine that its aluminum or zinc, or eliminate them from the options entirely, I
reasoned.
I took a strip of the paper and dipped it into the unknown solution. It turned a distinct
shade of red: it had to be zinc. I could barely contain my excitement as I scribbled
down the answer on a sheet of paper and turned it into the teacher for evaluation.
Good job, Kevin; four points for correct identification.
Though the method I had developed did propel me to the top of the class, the
experience was not the least bit about points. Instead, it was about the process of
creating something new and effective, which showed me the value of innovation and
applying classroom knowledge to real situations.

Virtually all of Stanfords undergraduates live on

campus. What would you want your future roommate
to know about you? Tell us something about you that
will help your future roommate-and us-know you
better.
Dear Roommate,
I dont plan on being in the room much. I have to sleep and do homework, of course,
but Id rather not experience the rest of Stanford from the dorm. Its not you. In fact, Id
love for you to join me. That said, if you decide not to and you need to find me when
Im not in the room, look in these places first:
Laboratories: I hope I can convince a future professor of mine to let me work with him
or her so I can make the most of Stanfords world-class faculty and research facilities. I
dont know where my pursuits will land me yet, but because Im looking to be a
chemical engineer, try the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology or Energy and
Environment building.
Practice rooms: I love science, but I also have a deep passion for music. I could be in a
room practicing clarinet, piano, or guitar. I hope to join a band or orchestra, so you can
also look wherever our rehearsals or concerts may be.
Athletic events: You wont find me on a college varsity team, but Im an avid sports fan.
Ill watch any game; your best bets are football and baseball. I follow the Chargers and
Red Sox too, but Ill probably be in the room for those games. Then again, I did play
volleyball in high school so I might try my luck at some intramural; give that place a
shot too.
Libraries: Stanfords libraries have some of the worlds best academic resources; I
could be studying in one of them. Some homework I can do in the dorm with a bit of
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Jimi Hendrix on, but if I really have to read, a quiet place like the library is where Ill be.
You can try the music and engineering libraries too; I could be browsing there to fuel
my ambitions.
If you join me, perhaps you can learn to love some of the things I do. Of course, therell
have to be balance; Im open to your passions too.

Tell us what makes Stanford a good place for you.

Consider the chemical equation below:
Student + Opportunity > Adult + Success
From experience, we know that the reaction above requires considerable energy input
to complete, and even with the most concentrated students and opportunities, the
products may not form at a practical rate. A catalyst should be used to provide a
surface for the reactants to collide and thereby speed up the reaction. For the equation
above, college is a suitable one.
There are many substances that are considered colleges, but as with any set of related
elements or compounds, some are superior to others for certain reactions. For some
students, crimson red will produce the best output of adults and success. Others prefer
a combination of orange and black or a mix of navy blue and white. For me, cardinal
red, also known as Stanford, is the optimal choice.
Stanford offers the best opportunities for catalyzing the development of an aspiring
chemical engineer like me. The faculty members of Stanfords chemical engineering
department are pioneers in research on medicine and renewable energy who can
provide me with insight into the scientific world in and beyond college. Stanford is also
situated in Silicon Valley, the haven for engineering and breeding grounds for
technological innovation. The area not only inspires me with names like Apple and
Google, but also presents me with the opportunity to have as large an impact on the
world as these companies did.
However, Stanford also promotes a balance of academic, extracurricular, and social
activities. The unique marching band convinces me that I can find a place for my other
passion: music. The active student body and all-important sporting events also show
me that, as time-consuming as my reaction may be, I will still be in for a fun ride.

How to cite this essay (with MLA)

Cue, Kay. "Stanford Supplement (Chemical Engineer)" StudyNotes.org. Study Notes,
LLC., 21 Sep. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2015.
<https://www.apstudynotes.org/stanford/stanford-supplement-chemicalengineer/>.
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