# I pit Stanford's "Personal History Statement" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 27, 2012, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258 "2012-11-27T12:28:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/21 "2012-11-27T15:34:22Z")
Why do you think diversity is nonsense? I don’t think it could be further from the truth. Science feeds on new ideas and challenge to the status quo. I think it’s the input from all perspectives, experiences and skills that really helps solve problems quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/22 "2012-11-27T15:44:15Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > You had the luxury of me having had to invent language for you! Urk urk grak! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/23 "2012-11-27T15:48:40Z")
Why on earth is a university asking people questions about their race and sexual orientation? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/24 "2012-11-27T15:51:28Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > One of the most important skills you can learn is to write concisely. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/25 "2012-11-27T15:51:48Z")
> [@Harmonix](#): > > I could write just this tiny blurb, but I like to think that I actually have something to say that isn’t the same old trite crap. Why in the world do you think that blurb isn’t actually “something to say”? As you can see, you can very easily describe your life’s origin and trajectory in an extremely concise amount of space (and with 290 characters to spare!). They’re not looking for a discussion of diversity, they’re looking for a discussion of YOUR diversity. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/26 "2012-11-27T15:58:59Z")
> [@Harmonix](#): > > **Background:** This is for a Ph.D application, not undergraduate. I’m expecting to realistically be competing against a hundred people, not 10’s of thousands. > > It is in fact 700 _characters_. You can look for yourself on page 10 of their Ph.D App. You could distill your essence in Haiku. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/27 "2012-11-27T16:02:10Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > “He’s just zis guy, you know?” zis GUY ! [He’s un-fucking-believable](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFKylgGk73I) ! [QUOTE=RickJay] Why on earth is a university asking people questions about their race and sexual orientation? [/QUOTE] For token purposes. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/28 "2012-11-27T16:05:34Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I write grants. Whoa, cool it with the purple prose already. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/29 "2012-11-27T16:09:08Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You could distill your essence in Haiku. Hey now, is he applying for college or committing seppuku ? ---
**Author:** ![Oukile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Oukile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oukile)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/30 "2012-11-27T16:12:21Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > At some point, you’ll be responsible for a division of the company and will need to make innumerable decisions–and will face a host of employees who need your attention in order to transform your plans and ideas into reality. One of them, responsible for developing a crucial aspect of your overall strategy, will need to convey to you the status, direction, outlook, problems, goals, and ideas as developed by her fifteen-person team. Because you have seven similar appointments that day and seven other objectives to accomplish before you can go home, you can afford to give her just 700 seconds–a little over ten minutes–to provide you with enough information to base a series of decisions on. Nice job ! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/31 "2012-11-27T16:15:00Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You could distill your essence in Haiku. Was disadvantaged Unfocused, experience Now I found passion ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/32 "2012-11-27T16:16:31Z")
This seems pretty standard from what I remember about college applications. It’s not enough space to say anything amazingly profound, but then again you don’t have to spend that much time writing it and the admissions office doesn’t have to go insane reading a novella from every applicant. What you already have sounds decent, so fix that up. It has some worthwhile stuff about your background and why it matters. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/33 "2012-11-27T16:17:33Z")
> [@Harmonix](#): > > …(700 characters max) > > Really? 700 characters? 700 measly characters? I’m not sure why you’re complaining. Shakespeare managed to write the entire play of Hamlet with just 19 characters. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/34 "2012-11-27T16:19:28Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Was disadvantaged > Unfocused, experience > Now I found passion Facebook Like. (Perhaps the most concise form of communication of all.) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/35 "2012-11-27T16:28:46Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Why on earth is a university asking people questions about their race and sexual orientation? So they can further their efforts promoting diversity. But you knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/36 "2012-11-27T17:04:10Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Whoa, cool it with the purple prose already. For real though, my post about writing concisely is one of the longest in this thread. This is not a skill I often practice on message boards. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/37 "2012-11-27T17:06:23Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But the part about 700 “characters” is very odd. 700 words, maybe. But I’ve never seen an essay like this limited by characters. I’m finding myself not believing it. I’m seeing character limitations (including spaces) more and more for these kinds of things. There is nothing really that farfetched about it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/38 "2012-11-27T17:10:57Z")
> [@Harmonix](#): > > **Background:** I’m 29, quite a bit older than the average applicant. I grew up poor, went to a top university, dropped out, but got back up and finished. I’ve had a strange career path with internships, jobs and consulting positions in a university, 3 hospitals, no less than 10 biotechnology firms and even a U.S Air Force base. I’ve made good money, but learned it wasn’t what drove me. I gave away all my things and I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world with my life stuffed in nothing but a 35 pound backpack. I could write just this tiny blurb, but I like to think that I actually have something to say that isn’t the same old trite crap. For sale. Cap and gown. Never worn. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/39 "2012-11-27T17:29:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > This seems pretty standard from what I remember about college applications. It’s not enough space to say anything amazingly profound, but then again you don’t have to spend that much time writing it and the admissions office doesn’t have to go insane reading a novella from every applicant. What you already have sounds decent, so fix that up. It has some worthwhile stuff about your background and why it matters. Most law school “personal statements” are limited to 2 pages. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258/40 "2012-11-27T17:39:38Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Most law school “personal statements” are limited to 2 pages. Which is a lot more than 700 characters. But 700 characters doesn’t sound that far off from some of the undergraduate stuff I remember doing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-stanfords-personal-history-statement/642258.md?page=3)