As I'm assuming you've already figured out, I attend Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. My Stanford experience has been a busy and fulfilling one: I've taken a wide range of classes, been through the frat party scene, done practically all the "freshman things," been a section leader for a class, taught a class, been residence staff, pulled multiple all-nighters in a week, written for the Daily, slept through an entire day of classes, lived on the row, started a company with friends, and been part of countless clubs and organizations.

The upshot of all this is that I love Stanford, I feel truly privileged to be able to attend, and that I honestly couldn't imagine having been happier anywhere else.

That being said, I will be the first to admit that there has been numerous times during my Stanford career that I have been extremely bitter, upset, frustrated or a combination thereof at one thing or another.  Usually it's been centered on the demands of my courses: Though "grade inflation" may indeed exist here, our professors by and large expect ridiculous things from their students. The problem is that we almost always give them what they ask for and then some, leading to one heck of a vicious cycle.  Certainly, this is to be expected from a school comprised almost entirely of over-achievers, and I've done my fair share in contributing to this but it's still really difficult to deal with, especially the part about consistently sleeping four or less hours a night, even on weekends.  Another topic that always gets me pretty irate is our concept of a "dead week"-- everything imaginable is due this week, class still meets, and as an added bonus, all the material presented in this supposedly "dead" time inevitably appears on the final. But wait, it gets even better: In Spring Quarter, Dead Week is actually "Dead Day." And dammit, despite the stereotype, it rains practically every day winter quarter, El Nino or not. 

So it's not perfect, but in spite of its relatively few flaws, Stanford still amazes me on a daily basis. What other school produces some of the greatest minds of our time and simultaneously can go to the Rose Bowl or can be a number one seed in the basketball championships?  Where else is it not surprising for undergrads to be talking IPO-- of their own businesses?

I would have to say my favorite thing about the Stanford experience has been the residential life. Living in a dorm of 80 people has spawned some amazing friendships and memories. My freshman year living in an all-frosh dorm called Otero was a great experience. Many of us have stayed very close in the following years and I think we were really lucky to have such an overall great group of people to spend our first year with. 

My second year I lived on the "row," which is comprised of spacious, independent houses containing about 40 students each. I loved my roommate, my room, and the 24 hour kitchen, but I truly hated living there because of its entirely stifling social atmosphere.  A live-in library would be an accurate description of the place and I basically made no friends while there, and I think it's safe to say neither did anyone else. I think that's really sad because I have all my time later to live in nice, isolated housing where you really don't get to know anyone else. But I feel that my college years are extremely limited and I should definitely take advantage of the opportunity of living with and getting to know the amazing people found here.  

With that in mind, my third year I chose to be staff in my old freshman dorm. Though my position has been extremely demanding at times, I have never regretted it. It is really fulfilling to be a part of a house where people actually give some sort of crap about each other, not just the five or six people in their draw group.

To cut it short, it's all about Stanford. If you're a prospective student and you're nervous about getting in, don't be. If you don't, some things are meant to be. You'll go somewhere else and you'll most likely love it, and your life will be none the worse for it. But if you do, congratulations, you're coming to one of the most unique and amazing places of higher study.