<p>Wow I really don't know why ppl are telling you that you don't have a chance for Stanford, I mean i'm not the person to be giving you advice, hey i'm in a third tier college with a 2.8 GPA =( but that doesn't mean only the elite students can give you advice. I have a friend who got into Stanford with similar scores to yours, and had less awards than you, he has however won one of the best maths awards in South-East Asia which I can safely say is similar to your top 5% Maths award. Have faith, don't fret, there are many people who aren't even half as good as you and wish they'd done much better at high school.</p>
<p>However here's some advice: for the summer you should focus on something that you're really passionate about since you're doing some Siemen research (whatever that is, trust me I have no clue what all this about) that should lock you in your first choice uni, depending on how well the research goes and how well you translate this passion of yours in your application. Remember your passion should be the core of the application whilst the other extra-curricular activities and awards should reveal you're also well-rounded. It's the renaissance individual they're looking for, whilst you have breadth you need depth because there are just too many applicants who fall in the field of just either one. </p>
<p>Second, keep in contact with the teachers you're trying to get recommendations for, I'm sure they'll be really interested in your progress with this research project, talk to them outside of class discuss what you did with your research, if you're a shy person start off by asking if they have time to talk about something they discussed in class to make the talk relevant, then slowly progress that conversation to some of the things you did over the summer, it's essential your recommender have something to talk about than just classroom performance, the best applications have awards and activities and recommendations that complement each other. </p>
<p>Thirdly you really want that essay of yours to be extremely unique, read some examples Essays of Harvard, Stanford students or ... you get the point. I've done some research for you and books like "50 Successful Harvard Application Essays" seems like a good bet. Look for the essays that really stand out to you, these are the winners, the best essays often exploit the inner person of the writer, whilst at the same time explore the journey they go through. Write an essay that would really capture the attention of the admissions office, it's your inner thoughts and the person you are they look for in the essays. </p>
<p>I mean since you've listed some of the awards you achieve it would be useless to mention them in the essay again, the awards you listed and the summer research should be enhanced when your recommender mentions them (thus the reason you keep your potential recommenders in touch with what you are doing outside of classroom). Unless of course, you decide to write about your summer research opportunity, which in that case don't delve into the details of what you did, but what you ultimately tried to achieve and why and how this research was important to you. They don't simply want to know that you did it (that's what the activities section is for), you need to translate your passion here and how this kinda research may help you achieve a bigger goal in the future, remember Stanford is a stepping stone to achieving your dreams, not just getting into the school. So think outside the box, think in terms of a grand-scale not just for the sake of writing an application to get into Stanford, these ppl are looking for future leaders and world-changing individuals, not students who can withstand the rigor of Stanford's academics. With that said avoid the cliches of essay writing, topics such as winning the olympiad, state championship or whatever will not be unique without your individualism, remember even the most simplest topics can reveal soo much of who you are as a person. I did my essay on losing a basketball game (yes it may seem extremely trite and simple) but trust me I individualized it extremely well, the essay was more about my thoughts and the things that went through my mind during the game, and the lesson I have learnt from losing. I also weaved in something about my grandfather in the essay, if you want to read it just post your email and I will send it (as long as you don't publish it all over the net =) ).</p>
<p>Fourthly, yes as some of the posters mentioned, test scores, you still have a lot of chance to increase them and I suggest you take one or two more SAT IIs depending on how many Stanford and Duke needs. Interviews are also important but I honestly don't know what to expect, so you may need to read up on this. </p>
<p>Yes this is long-winded but it's the best advice I can give you, you may be extremely exhausted with the application process, but trust me, it will pay off in the end use that every ounce of energy you have and nail your application.
I may not be the best student in the world but that's something you have the opportunity to achieve, do I regret and dream about changing my past? you bet, and I would've utilized every one of these tips if I had known better, but since it's ill-advised to look back at the past and sulk I hope I can translate my mistakes and help someone else out. Remember don't hope for it, but have faith you can do it. They say if you have faith you can move a mountain. Good luck.</p>