<p>My family doesn't have a whole lot of money so how we were going to pay for college has always been a mystery. But now that Stanford has eliminated costs for low-income families like us, I'm very interested in finding out if I have a shot there. I'm a pretty bad student compared to most of what I've read here but here are some stats (I'll add more ECs and stuff if you need them)</p>
<p>GPA: Around 3.8 by the end of Junior year. (I plan on taking some college courses over the summer so that should boost this)
SAT: Took it 4/1 so I don't know yet. PSAT was 195 without studying at all so I'm expecting 2000-2200.
African-American/Native American Male
Low-Income
First Generation </p>
<p>ECs:
Class President (2 years)
Site Council Rep (3 years)
Key Club (3 years)
Ventures Scholar
Link Crew (2 years)
WASC Leadership Team Member
Wrestling
Ultimate Frisbee</p>
<p>um, from what you've posted up, i think you have a really slim chance. Your GPA is alright, but the SAT score and the EC's are subpar. However, I've seen people who have credentials similar to yours that got into big unis because they presented themselves very well with their essays. I think you should post up all your stats if you want more reliable replies, but ya, the chance isn't looking too good.</p>
<p>I'm actually in the process of registering with the Chickasaw tribe. My great great grandfather was governor of the tribe during the mid 1800s. Does that really make a big difference?</p>
<p>Yes, it does make a difference. Many people say on their application that they are Native American, but are unable to verify their connection with a tribe. If you are a genuine Native American, then colleges will know this and you will be recognized as a very, very scarce URM, which will help you a lot when applying to college.</p>
<p>i think you should try to apply (if it's not to late) for the QuestLeadership/QuestScholars summer program. I think you are a good fit for it with your URM statuses: African-American/Native American Male, Low-Income, and First Generation. They will help you write essays and do better on the SAT, as well as giving you an opportunity to live in Stanford dorms, learn from Stanford professors, etc. Everyone from this program gets into either HYPSM or Berkeley, with many getting into Stanford since that is where the program is mainly hosted. It is also completely free (funded by outside donors at a cost of about $25000 per person). Thus, it is also incredibly competitive (only 22 spots for about several thousand applicants) If not, try the QuestBridge program at the beginning of your senior year, which mainly helps you with LAC admission (at Williams, Amherst, etc.) but will also allow you to submit basically a "supplementary app" to Stanford and Princeton for consideration. </p>
<p>Otherwise, as a Stanford admit this year, I think you have a great shot there next year. One thing that can help is for you to really pinpoint a passion for yourself and write great essays. Stanford, I think more than any school, cares about if you have a specific area of exellence because as one admit officer said, "we want a well-rounded school" which means they prefer someone who was deeply involved with 2-3 activities over someone who superficially was involved with many.</p>
<p>NOTE: Harvard, UPenn, Princeton (? I think), and Yale all have similar financial aid initiatives like Stanford's - if you qualify for full aid at S, you should similarly qualify at HPY and Penn. Check those schools out too.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info ebonytear. But according to the Stanford website, they aren't doing the Quest Scholars program this year. I'm sending you a PM with a link to another program, do you think that one will be helpful?</p>
<p>you need to really show yourself in the essays, and if your essay is worded well, you'll get into stanford. as far as i'm concerned, stanford holds the essay in the highest regard among all the highest schools. a couple of friends of mine with exemplary SAT scores (one with a 2400 and too 800's on SAT II's) got turned away, and another friend of mine got in with a sub-2100 score and basically dedication to one EC - journalism. he was a gifted writer, and i'm sure whatever he wrote about was meaningful and conveyed his passion. i hope you can do the same, becauase if you do, you're in at stanford. if you can keep those SAT's 2000+, your chances will remain better than the average applicant, coupled with your native-american status.</p>
<p>i dont know much about registering with native-american tribes, but i'd suggest you do that as soon as possible -- bring up that issue with your parents. schools might see it with a suspicious eye if you decided to register with an indian tribe RIGHT before the college admissions process. do it before the summer, i'd suggest.</p>
<p>I have two passions, music and "leadership" (by that I mean student council and other groups that help makes changes in the school). Should I just pick one to focus on or should I include both in my essay?</p>
<p>It would help to show/demonstrate any passion in your ECs some more, but don't let anyone tell you your SAT scores are subpar, for three reasons . . . </p>
<p>1) It disregards the boost from your URM status
2) Your scores aren't een for sure yet
3) If you end up scoring 2200 range, the SAT should be above the 25% mark for Stanford anyway</p>
<p>i don't even think stanford cares that much about the SAT. actually, i doubt all the top universities do - once you pass a certain mark (maybe 2100?) you should be OK for an average student, but they will look at you holistically so any other factors like URM and socio-economic status will totally weigh out SAT score. I am Chinese (probably the most over-represented minority there is) and I got into Stanford with a 2170. Just as long as you get a 2000, you'll be fine. Of course, it doesn't hurt to do a bit better, but I don't think 100 points will make that big of a deal.</p>