What Stanford's Admissions Office Wrote About Me
Dec 20, 2025 · Admissions Story

"You've shown what it means
to build, lead, and innovate with purpose."

What Stanford's admissions office wrote about me — in their own words, on a postcard mailed to my door.

Getting into Stanford as a transfer student was one of the best moments of my life. But what made it unforgettable was a handwritten postcard from my admissions officer — a note that captured pieces of my story I didn't even know they'd noticed. Every line traces back to something specific in my application.

Here's exactly what it said:

PALO ALTO, CA
OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSION
POSTMARKED DEC 2025

From mastering Lego pieces as a child… …to advocating for 30,000 students… …and pursuing engineering across five community colleges… you've shown what it means to build, lead, and innovate with purpose.
Your vision and voice will not only thrive — they will help shape what's next.
Stanford will be a better community with you in the mix, and I can't wait to see the change you will create here. Congratulations and welcome to the Farm!

— Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admission

Every line in that note ties back to something specific in my application — and I know exactly which parts, because I have my full admissions file, with the reader notes attached.

Wesley's Stanford Admissions File

See exactly what the committee saw

My actual reader file from Stanford's Admissions Office, with the committee's direct quotes and annotations intact — a real look inside the room where the decision was made.

  • My complete Stanford admissions file & reader notes
  • Direct quotes from the admissions committee, unedited
  • See which parts of my story carried the most weight
Want the essays that got this response? Read my Stanford transfer essays

Wesley Marshall

Wesley is a Stanford University transfer studying Engineering Design & Business administration with goals in engineering leadership and higher education advocacy.