Another dreaded CHANCE ME thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
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<p>...but I couldn't resist. My apologies beforehand</p>

<p>Asian, female, US Citizen, applying to Stanford EA
GPA: 5.something on a 6.0 weighted scale. It's weird... but I've gotten mid to high-A's for the majority of my classes all through high school
Rank: 5th(-ish) out of 1100
Public school, has had a few students matriculate to Stanford in recent years</p>

<p>Senior Year Schedule:
-AP European History
-AP Spanish V
-AP Statistics
-AP Macroeconomics
-Academic Decathlon
-AP Biology
-AP English Literature</p>

<p>Junior Year Schedule:
-AP Computer Science A (4 on the AP exam)
-AP Spanish IV (4 on the AP exam)
-AP English III (5 on the AP exam)
-AP Chemistry (3 on the AP exam)
-AP Calculus BC (5 on the AP exam)
-AP US History (4 on the AP exam)
-AP Physics C (Did not take the AP; had a piano comp the same day)</p>

<p>Sophomore Year Schedule:
-All PAP/H, with AP World History (5 on the AP exam)</p>

<p>SAT: 800V 800 WR 760M
PSAT: 230, Nat'l Merit Semifinalist so far</p>

<p>SAT Subject Tests:
-Chemistry: 740 (will retake in October)
-US History: 750
-Math II: 760 (will retake in October
-Also planning to take Literature test in October, should get high700s - 800</p>

<p>ECs:
-Debate: 4 years, qualified for TFA State last year
-Piano: I've been playing for a decade now, though I haven't done many competitions. I'd say I'm a competent player, and I plan on including a music supplement
-Art: Oil painting for 4 years, may include some slides depending on if I figure out how to make them in time
-Academic Decathlon: caught my interest junior year, but couldn't join because of my schedule; enrolled in the class senior year and will probably make the team; takes up a lot of time and is sort of mentioned in one of my essays
-NHS: 4 years, minor officer junior and sophomore years; haven't held elections this year and didn't feel I'd have the time to be a major officer come senior year, so I didn't run
-Spanish NHS: 3 years, VP my junior year
-Secretary of my class junior year, student body rep my sophomore year</p>

<p>Volunteer:
200 hours; 100 of them at Shriners Hospital, will probably feature the experience in an essay</p>

<p>Recs:
-Expecting an outstanding one from my English teacher who taught me my junior and senior years
-Great to outstanding one from my Chemistry teacher junior year</p>

<hr>

<p>So... what do you think? Do I have a decent shot at getting accepted?</p>

<p>Also, if any of you are the artistic type, I'd like an opinion about whether or not I should submit slides of my paintings; there are some pictures online you can view: <a href="http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v107/109/105/1537920024/n1537920024_30025794_1148.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v107/109/105/1537920024/n1537920024_30025794_1148.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Thanks so much.</p>

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<p>wow!! that painting is really beautiful! :)
i'd say you have a good chance - good SAT/SAT II's, really strong schedule, nice EC'S...</p>

<p>what are u interested in majoring in? music or art?</p>

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<p>First off, a word of advice. If you're dead set on sending a supplemental app for either your music or your artwork, I would choose one or the other, but not both. Unless you are truly world class in both areas, sending both a musical and a visual art supplement is likely too much for your application. It's debatable whether too many supplements could actually hurt your application, but more than one (again, unless it's truly world-class) won't help.</p>

<p>You'll certainly be competitive. Your GPA is likely good enough, your class rank is superb, and your SAT is excellent as well. I know this will sound like a broken record, but your EC's and essays are going to be the important part of your application. I think the hard part for you with your EC's will be ensuring that the AO's see them as 'legit'. The fact that some of the more impressive things you did, the painting mainly, but the music to a lesser degree, was done outside of a controlled setting makes it harder to bring it across as a legit, meaningful and time consuming activity. A great way to give your art some significance would be to talk about it in your essays, but that's only one and certainly not the only way.</p>

<p>Other than that, you've certainly got a great shot. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Wow! What a beautiful painting!</p>

<p>IMO You are looking good for SCEA ...just make sure you work and
rework your essays....</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the encouragement! To be honest, I've been snooping around these forums for a while now, dying to post one, but always frightened to as some of the people here are rather... intimidating.</p>

<p>I wasn't planning on sending both supplements, but the issue is, of course, with legitimacy. I did very few (and by very few, I mean like... two... during high school) competitions for piano, though I did get NPPA certified annually. I did not participate in any art competitions, although an old drawing I did back in middle school is displayed in some waiting lounge at Texas Childrens Hospital... but that was just an arbitrary thing of very little significance. </p>

<p>There is the option of essaying about one, then submitting a supplement for the other... but I just don't see myself doing that. Piano and art were two
passions I devoted many hours weekly to (usually around 5+ for each), but it's not something I want to write an essay about. My writing style is very informal/sarcastic/rather quirky, whereas I'm very serious about piano and art, and I've tried essaying, but the two elements don't mix well at all.</p>

<p>As for teacher recommendations, both my teachers are first-generation Chinese immigrants, and their grasp of the English language is competent at best... distinctively FOB-ish at worst. While their intentions may be solid, I can't rely on the recs to convey my dedication to the arts.</p>

<p>So now I'm at a loss for what to do. =[</p>

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<p>Oh, and I'm thinking of majoring in... Chemical Engineering. No joke.</p>

<p>That'll change in a few months, though; it always does. I am, however, planning on minoring or getting a certificate/something in musical performance, if that's possible. I know some schools allow it, but I'm not sure about Stanford.</p>

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<p>Well, you do have one thing going for you in that you seem to be very competent about how you want to include (or not) certain things in your application, and in what way. The problem with your plan as it stands now, in my opinion, is that if you try and submit anything extra about piano, art, or both, and you don't really talk about it in any other major way in other parts of your application, I'm guessing they'll largely disregard it. Even if you could only talk about it in a short answer question, I would highly suggest at least considering talking, in some way, about one of the two subjects in order to give them some context for your extra submissions. </p>

<p>In summary, if you feel as though you have to submit anything extra, and in my view sending your artwork would be the way to go, I think your almost obligated to commit some pretty serious space to it in one other part of your application.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all your advice! I'm definitely going to be including painting in one of my short answers, and a friend of mine (who's currently at Stanford, the lucky guy) said he'd help me make slides this weekend.</p>

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<p>I would like to add, there's really no point in retaking your SAT II's, you received fine scores already, and it's not like higher SAT II scores will make you any more attractive as a student. So really, don't feel like you have to retake them or something, because they're fine. Save yourself some money, and enjoy more of your Saturday instead.</p>

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<p><a href="https://www.prodigitalphotos.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://www.prodigitalphotos.com/&lt;/a> is a good way to make slides. But if you can submit digital images on CD, it is much cheaper.</p>

<p>Sending art and/or music supplements can only help you, it does not hurt in any way. The supplements are reviewed by the respective departments, and it really is the only way you can get "credit points" (admissions wise) for your artistic or musical talents. The quality of writing on your supplement recs is probably not important. I think those are only required in order to weed out all the self-proclaimed artists and musicians...</p>

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<p>maybe an essay on the intellectual topic, or letter to a roommate. about how your room will be all full of art (link to metaphor?) cheesy maybe</p>