Are you compared to students in your school?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Is it true that students from a particular applying to Stanford, or other similar schools for that matter, have their applications read by the same person? That is, do adcoms assess you compared to students in your school as well as compared to the general applicant pool?</p>

2

<p>in short, no</p>

<p>the counselor rec is supposed to give the adcoms an idea of your place in the school</p>

3

<p>The only way I could see this happening would be if you were in a very small regional pool, where there were only so many high schools sending applications. Applications from the same region are read by the same person. Even then though, it wouldn’t be intentional, they just might remember the other students from your school.</p>

4

<p>But with you as an equal applicant, does it matter for your chances how good the others in your school are compared to you, or is your quality relative to the total pool what matters?</p>

5

<p>i think to some extent your status at your school does matter, especially as stanford reads by regions, and even more so if you’re in CA because the regions are way smaller (mine only encompassed 3 different counties). at least, that’s what our regional officer person seemed to insinuate when he visited. so yes, same regions are read by the same person, but that depends on the school—MIT for instance just has their officers go at apps randomly. idk if this proves anything, but my school’s always gotten 1-2 in early and another one in our region has had the number fluctuate from 1 to even 6…so i guess the better way to put it would be you’re definitely compared to your region.</p>

6

<p>I go to an elite public school on the East Coast that has roughly 5 EA applicants and 15 RD applicants to Stanford every year, if that makes a difference…</p>

7

<p>If you’re at the top of your grade, does it matter if you’re one of the only people in your grade to apply or if there are less qualified people applying as well?</p>

8

<p>Lol if I were you, I’d worry about my own application and not my peers’. You’ll be fine :)</p>

9

<p>Thanks, I guess there’s no use wasting your own energy in that… ;)</p>