<p>Hey, I'm a sophomore in high school (in CA~)..um.. I'll get to the point. I always wanted to attend Stanford, but through my sophomore year, I noticed there are so much more better (smarter) ppl than me...This year, AP World is the only AP class I'm taking, but because I procrastinate so much I'm not doing so well. I kind of wanted a 4.17 for this semester, but I can only get 4.0 at best. And probably, I'll get a 3 on the AP Test. Well, I think to myself, if I'm struggling with this one AP should I even try for Stanford?.. I'm really depressed...Cause I see SO many people with crazy GPAs and EC's.. Do you really need to win a pulitzer prize to go to Stanford? (haha. --) I just really want to talk to someone. Can anyone give me advice and help me out ?(someone who's attending Stanford right now)..haha;; PM me too~</p>
<p>Hey, I'm a sophomore in high school (in CA~)..um.. I'll get to the point. I always wanted to attend INSERT ELITE COLLEGE HERE, but through my sophomore year, I noticed there are so much more better (smarter) ppl than me...This year, AP World is the only AP class I'm taking, but because I procrastinate so much I'm not doing so well. I kind of wanted a 4.17 for this semester, but I can only get 4.0 at best. And probably, I'll get a 3 on the AP Test. Well, I think to myself, if I'm struggling with this one AP should I even try for INSERT ELITE COLLEGE HERE?.. I'm really depressed...Cause I see SO many people with crazy GPAs and EC's.. Do you really need to win a pulitzer prize to go to INSERT ELITE COLLEGE HERE? (haha. --) I just really want to talk to someone. Can anyone give me advice and help me out ?(someone who's attending INSERT ELITE COLLEGE HERE right now)..haha;; PM me too~</p>
<p>ROFL</p>
<p>The simple but sufficient answer is:</p>
<p>1) If you care enough about Stanford to think it's your dream school, do a little bit of research on their admissions standards. Look at test/grade averages for freshman classes, and check old CC threads for the stats of those who got in and those who were rejected. This will take you literally 30 minutes and give you a decent idea of what to aim for. </p>
<p>2) If you care enough about Stanford to think it's your dream school, DO THE WORK throughout high school to meet those standards. Honestly, if you can't bring yourself to do the work, then your odds won't be good. You're a high school sophomore so you're still pretty early in the process; "you control your own destiny", as the saying goes.</p>
<p>3) For the record, I took my first AP test (Euro) as a sophomore and got a 3. Doing poorly on that test was a reality check, and it motivated me to suck it up and work harder, and I'm a freshman at Stanford today.</p>
<p>Jimmy, I totally agree with you. And I also got a 3 on that damn AP Euro test.</p>
<p>Hoping and wondering isn't enough. See what "standards" you need to meet to get into Stanford, i.e. what the average GPA and SAT scores are, what typical ECs might be.</p>
<p>For the record, there's a world of difference between a 4.0 GPA and achieving a Pulitzer Prize. Many at Stanford are in the middle somewhere. I had over a 4.0, but I most certainly did not go out and write an award winning book... all I did was excel in school activities. It's absurd and disappointing that students have an unrealistic view of what you need to get into a top-tier college. I definitely agree with Jimmy in that the best way to figure out what you need is to surf around the CC boards.</p>
<p>If you're not going to take the time to do that, or take the time to do well in school, then your chances are slim. Find something you like to do, commit to it, and do it well. It could be community service, Science Olympiad, Jazz Band, or yeah, writing novels.</p>
<p>P.S. A 4.0 is by no means bad, if you do your research. But perhaps your attitude and priorities need a slight adjustment.</p>