Application Advice

I am a junior in high school and will be applying to Stanford for the class of 2023. My “spike” or the thing I really excel at is biology. I am consistently a grade level above the science classes everyone else in my school is taking and will be taking college level (above AP) biology courses next year at a local college. Will this be enough to set me apart? Most people have their “spike” in something that they do extracurricularly or outside of school, so I’m afraid Stanford will just see this as academics. If so, what could I do to set myself apart in biology? There really isn’t much opportunity in my area at all

While it definitely shows that you’re challenging yourself, classes in biology are unlikely to be seen as a spike. You should consider doing research this summer and perhaps entering some related contests such as the Biology Olympiad. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply! Do you have any general suggestions as to where I could try to find research opportunities? I live in a relatively small town. I’m not sure if any of the colleges around here do research. If they did, would I have to be a student there to get involved? Where else could I try?

Do you think doing something different like starting a blog where I comment on different biology related topics/discoveries could act as a spike?

Unfortunately most of the high school students applying to Stanford will have similar accomplishments.

I think that you should be aware that there are a very large number of very good universities, and most of them have excellent biology programs. While Stanford is a great school, I wouldn’t obsess much over what it takes to get in. I would apply, and then concentrate on other schools for which admissions is more likely. Between now and then, have some fun in high school and participate in activities which are interesting for you.

Also, biology is an area where graduate school of one sort of another is probably likely. As such you need to pay attention to the cost of undergrad, and be aware that doing very well as an undergrad will stand out more clearly than anything that you can do in high school. When it is time to consider grad schools, Stanford will still be there. When I was a graduate student at Stanford, the vast majority of students (literally everyone that I knew) had done their undergrad elsewhere – probably most had attended their in-state public flagship for undergrad.

@Kyle00 No, blogs would give you a spike. Do not let your local situation stops you. You should pick a topic and be an expert on that topic, and then search out professors across the country that do the research that interests you. Email them and tell them what you want to do. Some will laugh at you; but some will interview you. Prove to the prof that you are smart and know your stuff: expect to have Skype interviews. Then spend summers over in his/ her lab and works like a slave and get publishable data. Simultaneously submit those data for STS and ISEF, as well as journals. If money is a problem, do part time job to support this. Better yet, figure out how to start a business (startup, etc) and make money as a high school student. Then use your struggle to fund your research as part of your admission essay.

So would I even want to include my blog in my application?

Having a blog isn’t really impressive unless you have a very high subscription rate or get national mention or something. Why don’t you start by looking at the profiles of professors at the schools near you and see if any of them are doing research in an area that you’re interested in? If so, you can contact them and see if you can meet with them to learn more about their research and whether they might be interested in having you volunteer in their lab.

If it doesn’t look like something in bio will work out for the summer, find something else productive to do. Volunteer, get a job, etc. Not everyone that gets accepted into college (even Stanford) has a “spike”.

As someone earlier said, statistically it is highly unlikely that any applicant will be accepted by Stanford. Since you’re a junior, it would be wise to begin researching alternative schools and beginning to work on your applications. Also, speak to your parents about what they can afford so that you develop a range of schools that are good possibilities. You can still apply to Stanford but you need a backup plan as well.

I understand that the acceptance rate at Stanford is incredibly low (4.3%)… I’m just trying to figure out if there’s even any point in my applying without a “spike.” I forgot to mention though that last summer I did a month long camp at university of Pittsburgh that was related with the health sciences so that could help me. This summer I am also doing a week long Spanish language camp and will be working the rest of the summer. Do you think this could make up for not doing research?

These camps are not helpful by themselves unless it is one of those camps that are very selective. They cannot make up for lack of research or a meaningful activities. If getting research opportunities is difficult, think about doing something else that shows that you care about the world and can do things that make a difference.

The one at Pitt was a former Pennsylvania Governor’s school… (they lost state funding but Pitt kept it going with the same curriculum)

@Kyle00 Working is fine. Colleges understand that not everyone has access to research opportunities, etc. There is no harm in applying to Stanford if you have the grades and test scores that put you in their range - and your family can afford to send you there. However, you must also put together a good list of alternatives to make sure that you have a realistic backup plan.

@HMom16 Than you for the advice! I think I’m going to look at applying ED to somewhere where I have a better shot at actually getting in (probably either UPenn or Cornell)

If you did something quirky like doing this research in a Third World country or out in an ocean, those are some of the unique things that sets you apart that Stanford likes.