Stanford University's wording, checked October 26, 2026“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—get to know you better.”
How to approach it
- 1Write an actual note: "you", a greeting, a sign-off.
- 2Share habits, quirks and values through specifics a roommate would care about.
- 3Include one thing that shows how you treat the people you live with.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1A greeting and a first, honest detail of daily life.
- 2Two or three quirks or habits, each with a small story.
- 3Something that shows what kind of person you are to live with.
- 4A sign-off in your own voice.
Where the 250 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| The moment or example | about 100 |
| What it shows or changed | about 90 |
| Why it matters, or what you bring | about 60 |
"Fair warning: I talk to my plants by name, and Gerald the fern gets jealous if you water him second." A small, specific habit that tells a roommate something real.
Mistakes to avoid
- A résumé disguised as a letter.
- Jokes only, with nothing real underneath.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Stanford answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 100-250 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| Takes the form seriously | It follows the prompt's premise and form (a note reads like a note, an imagined event has rules) instead of turning into a standard essay. |
| An angle of your own | The idea goes past the first one most applicants would have, with a specific, surprising choice. |
| Shows who you are | The play reveals the applicant's mind, values or humor; a reader learns something real about them. |
| Stanford's ask | Is written as a note to a future roommate and reveals something real about daily life, habits or values. |
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Questions
More on Stanford and this kind of question
- Penn: A thank-you note · 50-200 words
- Dartmouth: Introduce yourself · 250 words
- UChicago: How do thoughts eat? (Ernest Leong, Class of 2026) · no set limit
- UChicago: An artistic practice that solves a problem (Akhil Korra, Class of 2028) · no set limit
- UChicago: Make up a mixed metaphor (Julia Nieberg, Class of 2029) · no set limit
- UChicago: An Olympic event for the mundane (Ewan Smith, Class of 2028) · no set limit