Am I Stanford Material?

Question

Currently, I am a Junior in High School and my dream school I would love to attend is Stanford University, however there are times when I look at the competition thats out there and i worry. So, if there are any experts out there, do u think i am Stanford Material?

Classes Taken/Will Take: Geometry, Algebra II, French I, II, & III, US History, World History, Economics, World Geography, Speech and Debate, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Art I P,

AP/Honors: Honors English 9P, Honors English 10P, AP Lit. AP Biology, AP French, AP Language

College Credit/15%: Trigonometry, Pyschology

GPA: (weighted) 3.875

class rank: 12 out of 438 students (2.7%)

clubs/acitivites: Key club, AVID, M.E.Ch.A, Art Club, CSF, Mu Alpha THeta, Students for Cultural Enrichment, California Youth Advocate Network, UC Scholars, Church altar server, church lector.

leadership: Presidnet in... AVID, MuAlphaTHeta, Students for Cul..., Secretary of Art Club, past vice-pres in CSF,

SAT: 1540 :(

and i am not doing this to brag or anything like that, i hate it when ppl do that, im just worried cuz i know my SAT scores suck

oh yeah, my SAT's are out of 2400!

ethinicity: Hispanic/Latino

the only AP classes that i am not taking that our school offers are AP Spanish and AP Cal.

and i do plan on taking the SAT over again, i know, it sucks, im a terrible test taker

i do plan on applying "early decision"

btw, brown was my second choice, and i know that i am not at the top of the list academically, but it would help to get some honest opinions... which would be best for me, Brown or Stanford, (or maybe neither?)

"wlfgngpck" who ever that is! please it would be awesome if i could contact u through email, i have so many questions and it seems as if u know about all this stuff, if u get a chance, please email me at

[e-mail]

Answer 1

I'll try my best to answer this as honestly as I can. Some of it may sound a tad harsh, but I'd rather sound harsh and help you do what it takes to get in somewhere good than the other way around.

From what I'm seeing, I'd say probably not for Stanford. The SAT is a big killer (you need to raise that at least 500 points, maybe even as much as 700 points). I understand how frustrating that damned exam can be (I took it 6 times when I was in high school, and I only managed a 1340 on the old 1600 exam), but Stanford's not going to care (nor will any of the Ivies for that matter, should you choose to apply to them).

As I look at the GPA, that makes me less enthused. I was rejected from Stanford with a weighted GPA of 4.35 when I applied for undergrad, so a 3.875 is certainly not an attention getter, nor is 12/438. The courses you're taking are good. I would recommend taking the AP Calc also if you can; you are going to want as many AP's as you can handle on your transcript....when I applied, I had taken all 7 AP classes offered at my school, and even took some of the AP exams independently on my own.

The good aspects of what you've written are your E.C.'s. You certainly seem involved, although it is better to have a few that you're REALLY attached to than a bunch that you're only casually attached to. If you write any essays related to your E.C.'s, make it clear to them that each are special to you in a unique way, and make it sound genuine. They will catch you if you make it sound like a Miss America Pageant :). You want to be as sincere as possible with these people.

So now here's some other things to consider: Stanford does consider your field of interest and your race/gender when considering admission (in fact most schools do). What this means is this: Stanford will be more interested in a Native American female interested in physics than in a white male interested in mathematics. So your race and gender could play a HUGE role in this process (it's sad that this is so, since it totally undercuts peoples' achievements for things they cannot control, but while the system is in place you should be aware of it).

Another thing to consider is how well you fit the ideals of the school. I know nothing about Stanford's "personality" as a school, but I do know Brown's a lot (I went to Brown for undergrad), and I got in mostly because I was able to show them in my essays and recommendation letters that I was the type of student that they basically made the school for (I'm someone who enjoys learning and challenging myself, and Brown is all about academic freedom so that students can challenge themselves without constraint.....so Brown and I were a perfect match!). If you want to get into Stanford, you're going to have to, on some level, convince them that you're this kind of a match for them. What that means is that you need to sit down and read as much about Stanford as you can, and see what phrases they use to describe the identity of the school (mission statements, etc.) and see how you match up, and how your teachers think you match up. It will help you a lot if teachers are writing your recs and saying things about you that will make you look like the student Stanford has been dreaming about.

So, to sum it up, no one can ever know what chances you have of getting into a picky school like Stanford. If you held a gun to my head and told me to decide, I'd say probably not, given what I've seen and my own experience with Stanford and elite schools in general. BUT, I think there's a slight hope and it's mostly tied to the things I mentioned above, and if you can address those things then you have a fighting chance (although even a fighting chance isn't very much in the game of elite school college admissions, but it's the best one can hope for). Good luck!!!

PS: I was reading some of the other responses and I feel there's more I should add. First, someone mentioned that bit about recommendation letters. Stanford is a private school, and I can promise they will want recommendation letters. There are simply too many qualified applicants otherwise, and they need to know something about your conduct as a student. Like I say above, you want to make sure you've developed a good relationship with a few teachers who can give Stanford a good impression of you (and hopefully one that matches what Stanford is looking for). Also, I noticed you said you're hispanic. That's going to help you considerably through this, though you still have a LOT of work to do. Lastly, applying early decision does improve your odds of acceptance, though many schools are doing away with it (Harvard and Princeton dropped E.D. as of last year I believe.....it was big news amongst the Ivies). I'm not 100% sure that you are simply deferred to regular admission if you're turned down E.D. I would check with Stanford to know for sure what their policy on that is.

Anyways, I hope you've found all this helpful, and good luck to you!

Answer 2

Those are very good scores, but you might not make it. Your race plays a factor too. If you are Asian, then your scores are not high enough. If you are an ethnic minority, you're a shoe in! A friend of mine got 1510/1600 (on the old SAT's), was ranked 12th (just like you) out of almost 500 students, and took ALL AP and honors classes that he could for each class. So the only nonhonors/AP courses he took were French 1-3 and the required art elective (since those are considered regular CP courses). Let me tell you how SHOCKED the entire school was when Stanford rejected him! He was one of those kids that used big words in literally every sentence he ever spoke so that NO ONE in school understood him. He was so goddamn intelligent I had no idea what he was talking about every time I talked to him. He was MVP for his sport and involved in many extracurricular activities. He was Asian though. Maybe that's why they rejected him, but he was perfect.

I have two other friends that made it into Stanford. One was the valedictorian and the other was ranked 10th. Again, they took all the AP/honors courses that they could, involved themselves in extracurriculars, etc.

Btw, work on your grammar.

I'd say the biggest factor in college acceptance is ETHNICITY. Hate to say it, but it's true. I have another friend who took all regular courses and only one AP, scored below 1000 (on the old SAT scale of 1600), didn't do any sports, and was only a member of clubs. She got into Davis while others who had better scores and grades than her didn't. She was Afghan. Another one of my Pakistani friends got into Berkeley while an Asian who got better grades and scores than her, didn't. The major you chose is also a big factor. If you choose an unpopular major, you have a better chance of getting in than say, a highly demanded major. Good luck.

Your SAT score is VERY LOW for the new SAT scale. I don't think other ppl on this site have realized that the SAT has changed. 1540 out 2400 is terrible. Sorry.

P.S. I reread some of the stuff you added in. I f you are Hispanic, you should be jumping up and down right now :D. Btw, colleges do not ask for your ethnicity on your application, but they can tell what your ethnicity is by your last name. Stanford would love you. Just improve your SAT scores. Also, I doubt schools accept recommendation letters. Recommendation letters are ONLY required by private schools such as the University of Souther California. All other colleges will not accept/do not even ask for/ don't even have space on the online application for it.

Answer 3

There is no reason not to apply to the college of your dreams! What's the worst that could happen? They reject you? So what...you'll be out 80 bucks, but at least you will have tried, and hopefully you'll also apply to some safety schools just in case. I didn't apply to one school because I was afraid, and then I felt like a total jerk when I got into all my other schools and hadn't even tried for the one I wanted.

That being said, there are definitely some things you could do to improve your odds. You're a junior, so you still have some time.

First, your classes look great! Just make sure to keep challenging yourself in senior year...universities don't like it when students start to slack at that point.

Second, you have a lot of clubs, which is good. Also, all of your leadership positions are awesome! Colleges look for not only breadth of activity, but depth of activity. So one organization that you are really dedicated to will count for a lot...and you seem to have a lot you are dedicated to! In all of my interviews, they asked me how much time I spent each week on each activity, so it's best if you have something meaningful you spend a lot of time on outside of school.

One thing you haven't mentioned is your relationship with your teachers and other mentors. Good, well written, recommendations can get you far; don't just ask your guidance counselor whom you barely know for a recommendation two weeks before application deadline.

Work hard on your essays, and don't write them at the last minute. Get as many people to read and edit them as possible...parents, teachers, friends, everyone.

Your SAT scores honestly aren't the best, but you're aware of that, and it's nothing to be upset about! I took my SAT twice, and my score improved by 40 points. And that was on the old SAT, which was worth less! So, now that you know what parts were hard for you, you have until next september or october to study and prepare to take it again!

Finally, does Stanford have an early admissions policy? Some schools (Princeton and UPenn I know for sure) separately evaluate candidates who apply early. If they accept you, you find out in early winter. If they don't accept you, they won't deny admission at this point either; you simply go into the large pool of regular applicants. Some people say that early admission gives you better odds of getting into the school; since you can only apply to ONE school early admission, that school knows they are your top choice, and they weigh you nicer accordingly.

Good luck! I'm rooting for you!!!

Answer 4

Your SATs and Extra Curriculars are good, but I'd say your GPA and courses could be better. You may get in if you do good on the interview and essay. I'd apply to some safety schools, of course.

EDIT: Oh this is the new SATs... no you don't have much of a chance unless you're an ethnic minority.

Answer 5

probably not...

when i was in high school, i applied to about 8 schools (such as Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, etc.) and Stanford was the only one that turned me down.

I had a 1420 SAT (out of 1600) and a 3.9 GPA, 3 AP classes, 1 college class, several clubs and sports, etc.

Answer 6

Based on your SAT and class rank and extras you appear to have a realistic chance of admisssion. See http://www.stanford.edu/home/statistics/ for more quantitative info.

Spend an enormous amount of time on your essay. It may well be the determining factor. Similarly, choose your references well. They are as important as all the other infomation put together.

I have two graduate degrees on fellowship, so I am qualified to give you advise that way.

Answer 7

from what i know, stanford looks for sports. its good that you have leadership skills and a very well rounded looking transcript. its just hard to imagine you are in 2.7 percentile with a 3.8 i have a 4.3 and im in 9.3 percentile. also, stanford looks at AP classes from what i heard.

Answer 8

I am not an expert but from your SAT score well I think you are more than a stanford material.

Answer 9

You should read this article.

Answer 10

as long as you are rich!