I really want to get into Stanford, like I will sell my soul to the devil badly. It’s my dream school and I wanna know, what do you think my chances are? I go to a small selective public school in Chicago, it’s in the top 50 for public high schools in the US. We have some AP classes, but not a ton in humanities which is where I want to major in. I have taken 1 AP so far, and this year am taking 3 APs. I’m a junior and have taken a total of 17 honors classes. Anywayssss, here are the stats:
Weighted GPA: 4.82
Unweighted GPA: 3.89
PSAT: 1240 (Math: 570 Reading:670) I didn’t study for it since I took it my sophomore year and it didn’t count, so this is no prep and not knowing it was even on that day.
In terms of classes, I’m taking lots of classes that will help with what i want to major in. They’re all subjects I enjoy rather than just a bunch of random APs.
Extra Curriculars:
NEST initiative (Volunteer Initiative for an underprivileged school)- President 9,10,11
Women’s a cappella ensemble- Section leader 10,11
School Honor Board- Committee member 9
Queer Student Alliance- Member 9,10,11
Young Entrepreneur’s Academy- Student 10 Mentor 11
Theatre Club (Was in all musicals)- 9,10,11
CEO of my company (fully funded and awarded)- 10,11
Lyric Opera Youth Council- 10, 11
Allowance for Good- (philanthropic outreach) 9, 10
Work/Volunteering
Roughly 100 hours-ish? I get most of my community outreach done through my company since it is philanthropic and gives a part of its sales to Chicago Public Schools.
Summer Institutes:
NU- Physics and US History 9,10
Stanford- International Relations 11
Awards:
YEA Regional Winner (Was awarded over $4000 in investor money for my start up)
YEA Semifinalist
Saunders Scholar
You need to take an SAT or ACT. You didn’t provide the score on the AP you took. Seven ECs junior year seems over-ambitious; quality ECs trump quantity of ECs for your college applications next year. Plus how do you do all those and a “start up”? Check your school’s Naviance data.
Shoot for 1475+ on the SAT or 33+ on the ACT. Though Stanford seems to be a tad bit more holistic than most other elite schools, it still behooves you to turn in competitive test scores.
Keep that GPA up, obviously.
…and Stanford will still be a reach for you, as it is for everyone else who lacks a serious hook.
If it remains your #1 until this time next year, you might consider applying REA – there is a bump in chances.
I suggest, in your down time, spending a few minutes here and there reading about other colleges; you’ll want to apply to other schools for backup so that, even if Stanford says “no”, you’ll be going to a school you like and can afford.
As you read about schools and begin forming your list, I think it’s a good idea to evaluate schools based on five main “fit” criteria:
- Academics
- Does the school have majors and classes I like?
- Is the academic calendar (semesters, trimesters, etc) ok?
- How easy is it to change majors?
- Are (most) classes the right size for me?
- Are the degree and distribution requirements acceptable?
- Will there be internship, study abroad, and research opportunities, as applicable?
- Environment
- Is the weather going to be an insurmountable problem?
- Do i prefer a rural, suburban or urban setting?
- Is the campus appealing?
- Are there safety concerns?
- How easy is it to get around campus, to and from town or the airport, etc.?
- Social vibe
- Is the party scene acceptable?
- Is the amount of Greek participation/involvement/influence acceptable?
- Is the political culture -- activism, discussion, etc. -- acceptable?
- Is the sports scene adequate?
- Are there enough cool things to do, clubs to join, etc.?
- Housing and food -- are they adequate?
- Cost -- can I afford to attend? (check NPC)
Once you figure out your preferences, it will become easier to choose some schools that you like and can afford.
Most of the ECs tie into each other since I’m active in the music community. For example the a capella ensemble and theatre club sometimes mix. My school also has an EC period which allows me to have lots of at-school ECs and allows me to do my start up at home as well as YEA, AFG, and the Opera Council. (We have a rep with Stanford who understands our schedule, it’s really weird, but 7 ECs is a pretty normal number for applicants coming from the school) I wouldn’t say I’m going for quantity, I just happen to do a lot of music and philanthropy because I like those things a lot, so the time I dedicate to those things kinda consumes everything. I got a 5 on the APUSH exam. Thanks!