Any chance in hell?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Stanford?</p>

<p>I am currently an Hispanic male Senior from southern California. Here are my stats.</p>

<p>Current GPA: 4.0 uw, 4.5 w (GPA 4.58 sophmore+junior year)
Rank: 1 of 529</p>

<p>AP/honors courses taken:
Freshmen (Eng.1 honors, world hist honors)
Sophmore (AP Bio, AP World, Eng.2 Hon, Algebra 2 hon.)
Junior (AP Chem, AP US, Eng.3 Hon)
Senior (AP Gov, AP Calculus)----currently taking</p>

<p>ACT Score: 30 comp. (33 math, 27 english, 30 science, 29 reading)</p>

<p>Will take SAT I and SAT II's in Oct/Nov.</p>

<p>AP scores: AP Bio (4), AP World (4), AP Chem (4), AP US (4)
AP scholar with Honor award</p>

<p>EC's: (crap, trust me)
Chess club (10th-12th), Positions: Co-founder 10th, Vice-President 12th
Junior Statesmen of America (11th-12th)
Creative Minds (art club) (11th-12th) Positions: Treasurer 12th
National Honors Society (12th)
Playing Electric Guitar (2-3 hours daily since 8th grade)</p>

<p>Other stuff:
MESA National Champion 8th grade (2nd place)
MESA Regional Champion 9th grade
Honor Roll (9th-12th)</p>

<p>I already asked about other schools, sorry for starting a completely new thread. I am just reconsidering Stanford because it is so far away from where I live. If I got in I would go, but I need to know what others think of my chances.</p>

2

<p>yeah, ECs are weak, but everything else is pretty good.</p>

<p>Just study hard for your tests because if you can get among the top decile of hispanic applicants then a lot of colleges will be loving you.</p>

<p>i don't know about stanford, but if you do some really hard work in the next couple months, you may have a chance!</p>

3

<p>Perhaps in hell, but not in college admissions.</p>

<p>Actually, you have a fairly decent shot, were it not for the fact that Stanford focuses heavily on being a well-rounded scholar, rather than someone with just extremely strong academics. You have nearly no leadership positions, do not appear to play a sport or excel at music or art, which will severely hurt you in Stanford's admissions.</p>

<p>It seems like you would have an easier time getting into the Ivies, which place stronger emphasis on grades, since yours are superb.</p>

<p>I hate to play the race card, but you are academically excellent, and especially so for a Hispanic male. Who knows? You definitely have a better chance than an Asian male with your stats.</p>

4

<p>"Playing electric Guitar 2-3 hours a day"</p>

<p>That may be something that you missed. I didn't get awards for it, and don't have any professional training. But I did buy over 30 music/guitar theory books and just went teaching myself. How do I show that to a college admissions office? Cause I have talked to people who have been involved in music for 5-6 years (since elementary) and though they can play and sight read and all, they don't know theory. Its ridiculous. How are they musicians? I see people who play in huge concert orchestras as merely slaves. You do as you are told and play as you are told. Where is the creative expression, the freedom that music allows? I am more dedicated to my music then my studies, and that is what I am going to show to college admissions offices. So the whole well-rounded concept is mislead by my numbers, but will be shown in my essays. But you didn't know that, so I don't blame you.</p>

5

<p>I saw it, but it is probably not going to make too much of an impact overall. Sorry.</p>

<p>But that's only because you have never competed in anything or won recognition for your talents. Are you in a band? Creative expression and musical freedom is excellent, and you can show this in your essays, but I seriously bet you that I could write a similar one myself about my passion for the electric guitar, despite the fact that I have never played one before in my life.</p>

<p>What you could do is record your playing and send it in the fine and performing arts supplement of the Stanford application. Perhaps Master of Puppets or JerryC's version of the Canon in D? Pretty impressive guitar parts, at least for someone unversed in electric guitar such as myself. It could help you with your lack of development in the arts that your application shows, but the fact that you have never done anything with your guitar talents (besides creative expression, which is great don't get me wrong) such as competitions or started your own band (a few friends getting together to play some songs doesn't count) will at least slightly diminish your dedication and hard work in that area.</p>

6

<p>Yes you are 100% right, I have no proof. I just hope they will see that I am not lying. I was playing Master of Puppets in 9th grade, yes with the solo. Too easy. Its just rare to find eletric guitar competitions. You are very right because I do have no proof. I was in bands, but I couldn't find good enough musicians. I usually just play Dream Theater and Symphony X stuff now (look them up if you want) cause it is the hardest stuff there is. Thank you for your seriousness. I was in this Jazz Band that toured the country in 7th grade, but I don't know if I can put that on applications. Can I?<br>
I think I am going to write some music, jam it with my friend (piano) on a video and send it to Stanford.</p>

7

<p>I know who they are. Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess is a monster, but I'm not too fond of John Petrucci (just a personal thing however). Herman Li from DragonForce and Steve Vai are among my favorite guitarists.</p>

<p>I don't think you should put that Jazz Band thing on your list of accomplishments on the application, but definitely talk about it in your essay. That's a really cool thing to be doing, especially in middle school.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for the info, but yeah, everyone in Dream Theater is pretty much godly. Herman Li is wack, he just knows how to use a whammy pedal. He has some technical ability, but focuses too much on speed and not on melodic ability. Steve Vai is one of the greatest of all time, one of my favorites. I still like Satch (Joe Satriani) better though, he is just the godfather of solo guitar. I can play a lot of Satch and Vai, but not perfectly note for note. My vibrato needs to be more perfect. I think vibrato is the difference between a normal guitar player and a guitar legend. </p>

<p>Oh yeah and the Jazz band thing was when I played drums and did announcing for our band. Raspberry Blues, lol, I know its kiddy sounding, but the musicians that used to be in there were straight thug. We won all these competitions in Coronado and at Knotts Berry Farm. I just don't think I can put that on my college application because it was from middle school and not high school. My high school doesn't have a music program, lol, yeah terrible I know.</p>