An unconventional way to answer the Why Us essay

RReaders in Stanford's admissions office, the office we learned from, described a kind of Why Us essay that may be the most daring thing a reader sees all season, and one that suits only a particular kind of student. Most advice about the Why Us essay is defensive, a list of cliches and generic praise to avoid, and it keeps an essay out of trouble without making it memorable.

The attacking play works differently. Because it takes a real risk, the gap between a brilliant version and a failed one is hard to see from the inside, and a student who misjudges it can spend a supplement saying nothing about the college at all. Done with care, it shows a mind at work, and done carelessly it reads as a dodge.