The 650 words in the Stanford What Matters essay limit the number of values that you can capture. This is the only essay that came organically, and by the end of the essay, I had captured four aspects of a human life – personal, professional, social, and spiritual.
Instead of making the narrative too meta, I captured multiple stories from the applicant. One a tragedy that would have been a permanent setback in his career if it wasn’t for an intervention from a professor. Second his gratitude for finding meaning from his technology role. Third his motivation to collaborate with the Big Idea Club at Stanford, and finally the spiritual side of his thinking where entrepreneurship is considered as a means to democratize societies and align the best values from across the world.
Balance in Life as a theme is one of the most fundamental yearnings we all have.
Apart from a few driven entrepreneurs in the top 1%, most of the applicants have the desire to find balance in profit and inclusive growth, progress in technology with community building, and a deep awareness of values that are universally appreciated.
Stanford truly looks to build a class with applicants who think beyond the short-term horizon.
For the what matters essay, capture a thinking that demonstrates gratitude, inclusivity and an affinity towards community building.