Essay #1: Please summarize the reasons that you are applying for the SIMR Program, how your participation in the program fits into your future educational and career objectives, and why you feel you are a good candidate for the program. You may also discuss your institute/area of research preferences and personal goals.

Essay #2: At Stanford, we are committed to increasing the diversity (broadly defined) of students in the sciences and engineering. Please describe how your interests and background (in terms of culture, class, race, gender, ethnicity, work, hardships that you’ve faced or life experiences) would contribute to that diversity.


ESSAY 1

When I was a small child, I went to the supermarket every week with my mother. There would always be an old African-American man by the parking lot, holding up a frayed cardboard sign that said: “Need money for operation. Vietnam veteran—please help. God bless you.” I remember looking at him time after time, wondering why he didn’t just go to the hospital to get help but just stood in a parking lot begging instead. The one time I asked my mother why, she merely responded with, “Because that’s the way the world works, son.” Then, one day, he just stopped coming to the supermarket. I never saw him again.
As I grew older and became more knowledgeable, I became acquainted with the norms of American society and slowly began to realize the harsh realities of the health care system in the United States—from the skyrocketing bills from expensive operations to the exorbitant sums charged for the simplest diagnostic procedures. I began to see that money was, in many cases, the sole determinant of whether a patient had a chance of survival or not. That realization sparked an intense desire within me to extend the invaluable services of medicine to all, so that no more people would have to suffer the fate of that poor veteran by the supermarket.
Indeed, I envision a future where quality, affordable care is available to all the people of the world: rich or poor, black or white, Catholic or Muslim, and I intend to help humanity take a step towards that grand vision—that ideal world—by performing research that will help to develop new, innovative, and inexpensive means of medical care. However, only a fool builds his house upon the sand. I must develop a sturdy foundation upon which I may build, and attending the SIMR program at Stanford, a school renowned for its medical research, would not only serve as an invaluable step towards preparing me for research as an undergraduate, but also as a precious opportunity for me to experience the thrill of working in an actual research lab alongside brilliant professors who share my passion for learning and helping others.
It is not merely my outstanding test scores and academic performance that show my worth as a potential participant in SIMR, nor only my hard work and determination. Those simply demonstrate that I have the capability to carry out what I promise—that is no question. Rather, it is my undying passion and drive that make me a valuable addition to the SIMR program at Stanford University—passion and a drive that compel me to continue when any other would cease—passion and drive that undoubtedly place me in the top ranks of your applicants and guarantee success in the endeavors I am sure to undertake in the future.

ESSAY 2

There is no doubt that most of my Asian friends are hardworking, studious young pupils, and that they excel in many aspects of life, especially in academics, performing at a level which many can only aspire to someday reach. Yet I cannot help but feel a pang of sorrow for them, knowing the hardships they must endure against their will to reach these levels of excellence—the endless hours of studying forced upon them by their draconian parents and the constant expectation of being admitted into an Ivy League university, as well as the horrific consequences that await them should they fail. Indeed, as their friend, I truly wish they could follow their hearts’ desires.
But what of myself? My parents have always allowed me a larger degree of freedom than others, and I have never had to live up to the grand expectations that weigh down on my friends. I have never been scolded heavily for my grades, nor have I ever been constantly pressed to study for standardized tests. Regardless, I hold myself to a high standard of academic excellence, constantly performing just as well as those who are under heavy parental pressure. In fact, I have always sought to distance myself from the unfortunately common stereotype of the Asian student who is constantly pushed by his parents to succeed at any cost, regardless of his own wishes. It is through my own volition that I perform as well as I do, to achieve my own goals and to drive forward toward my own desires, and not the expectations of others who wish to succeed vicariously through me. I constantly seek to transcend this stereotype—to prove to the world around me that the stereotype does not apply to all Asian students, that I am one who succeeds not because of constant parental pressure but because of my heart’s genuine desires—and to become a person who succeeds for myself rather than for others.
Moreover, during my journey through high school, I have seen many examples of intolerance and discrimination. I have seen students my own age judge others not by the content of their character, but instead by the level of their intelligence. In contrast, I strive to understand those around me instead of rejecting their differences, and to stay true to my values; unlike many of my age, I genuinely seek to practice what I preach—I do not derive my views from the current popular trend. Regardless of what those around me want me to believe, I refuse to compromise my own principles simply to conform to how my friends act just to ‘belong’, and I will bring an open, unprejudiced mind to SIMR, not only happily accepting other people’s differences but also remaining open to new ideas that challenge conventional thinking—the true soul of scientific research.