Acceptance Advice?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

Freshman Schedule

  • AP US Government and Politics
  • Honors English, Biology, Algebra 2, Earth Systems (required)
  • Business Apps with Certification
  • Mandatory Health/Gym

Sophomore Schedule

  • AP Human Geography
  • Honors PreCalculus, English, Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, French 2
  • Gym

(Potential) Junior Schedule

  • AP European History, Physics I, Environmental Science, Literature, Calculus AB
  • Honors French 3
  • Digital Photography

Still not sure about a senior year schedule.

I am an incoming sophomore.

Any advice to getting into Stanford??

It’s my top choice college.

Thanks!

2

Hopefully majoring in biology atm

3

Get a 4.0 GPA, a 2300 SAT and do some amazing things the next two years and you will have a very slight chance of being accepted.

4

Your schedule looks pretty good. I will give standard advice. You need to separate yourself from other students by finding something you are passionate about and accomplish something in that area out of the ordinary. It could be anything from research in a lab to starting a charitable undertaking to getting a paper published to something in the area of digital photography. Just do something that you enjoy and things will work out.

5

The advice from TomSrOfBoston may seem harsh (and hilarious) but it is so incredibly indicative of a much larger picture. Get over Stanford right now. You know that you plan to apply. Great. Come the summer before senior year, work hard on your application(s), make them the best they can be, submit them in the fall and then STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. I know firsthand how hard that is, I just did it, and all those who came before me told me to do the same and I didn’t take their advice. Trust me, you WILL get into a wonderful college, especially with your early start on a great academic and extracurricular trajectory, but you should follow this advice to make sure that you don’t fall into the trap that the other 95% of non-accepted applicants fall into.

You have two, golden years left. Spend them passionately, thoughtfully, and without regrets. INVEST yourself into what you love. What do you want to study in college? If it’s CS, do THAT! If it’s physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, English, French, sociology, or even basketweaving, do THAT. There is no secret to college admissions. Every year, the majority of the passionate, deserving, and extraordinary students that apply to these ‘elite’ schools are rejected. Do not be one of those students who gets rejected and is then filled with regret. The way to do that is to live every single day in high school thinking about how you can contribute, learn, flourish, grow, thrive, succeed, and help others to do the same. If doing that happens to get you into Stanford, or any of the other 50 TRULY elite, wonderful, prestigious, and opportunity- bountiful schools in this country, then congratulations, you lucked out.

The odds aren’t in your favor, but you can make it 100% that you a) spend your time and fleeting life in a worthwhile way and b) that you get into at least ONE college, and that you are ready to take advantage of all the opportunities on offer once you get there.

I wish you the best of luck, and may you not fall into the trap that so many others continue to fall into during this horrendous process.

6

You’ve finished one year of HS. Fine. Being interested in top schools is a laudable goal. Fixating on any one of them is the height of foolishness. Please read @Senior2016M 's great advice to you. Good luck.

7

Let’s turn the tables - why should you be Stanford’s top choice?