<p>I’ve heard a lot of different opinions on the value of a school’s prestige in Stanford’s admissions process. Some say that “bad” schools are better, since they produce fewer qualified applicants. Others point out that prestigious prep schools always have a few students get accepted, so if you’re the most qualified candidate there, you’re in. My question is: </p>
<p>For an otherwise qualified applicant, is it more of an advantage to be applying from an unknown public school or a fancy private one?</p>
<p>Full disclosure: I’m the top student at a public school that has produced exactly two Stanford acceptees in its entire history, and no Ivies. So I’m clearly biased.</p>
<p>Well how good is this student from a fancy private school? Is he also the top student? If he is, then he’s a lock everywhere pretty much. But I was like you applying last year (top student at a bad public school). It’ll depend on how much you took advantage of the opportunities you had/if you created new ones/if you have the recommendations to back that up/if you have something “interesting” about yourself (whether that be a hook, unusual life story, unusual extracurricular).</p>
<p>i dont think there is any direct advantage of either type of school. for the private schools that send a bunch of kids to stanford every year, it has less to do with the school itself and more to do with by virtue of going to that school there’s a pretty high probability that those students are doing a lot of other things right too (i.e. they know how the admissions process works, the probably do lots of test prepping, have private college counselors, know which classes to take, etc). </p>
<p>so ya i think when people try to make comparisons between public vs top private schools they are kind of ignoring a lot of information.</p>
<p>it depends on how much of your resources you will be able to use
if you do not make use of the resources at a top private school, you will in no way be able to make use of the resources at stanford</p>