<p>As I'm thinking about my application, i think about the things about me that impress people the most, and who those people are. My conclusion are adults that i have the chance to spend time with and I can discuss bigger topics with them. This where I showcase my "intellectual vitality" and this is what I want to show to Stanford admissions. My best "theory" if you will is one i came to in contemplation of our existence, I am a southerner and religious tradition is strong. But i am also educated and i have much faith in Science. So the question comes to me Creation versus Evolution. To accept one is to deny the other. I refuse to choose one. So i spent a lot of time thinking over the years and i came to believe in a unity between science and religion, evolution and creation (supported by a parallel i have drawn from Genesis) and most importantly the unity of our spiritual existence and our physical existence. My college guidance councilor advised against writing about it because it may be too hard to cover all things and something like this is too internalized. But this is the pride of my intellectual fruits and I want to write about it. So i drafted an essay where i posed my dilemma between religious tradition and scientific thinking and the rest just describes my theories. Is this going to be what they are looking for or am I going to have to think of some quirky smaller idea that can be fully explained and shows a practical application in how I interact with others?</p>
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I don’t see why people lose sleep over this. Why can’t the creation simply be a metaphor for the big bang & evolution? In terms of geologic history & the advent of life on earth, the creation account got the order of events correct.</p>
<p>I know plenty of deeply religious science professors & professional scientists . They have no problem reconciling this. I don’t think this is a good topic for an admissions essay.</p>
<p>Challenging beliefs deeply ingrained in one’s family or oneself takes courage. Should you choose to work with the topic you described, be sure to make your “vitality” apparent. Do not let describing complex ideas overwhelm what you attempt to illustrate about yourself. Best of luck.</p>