Hi everyone, I will be applying to Stanford this year and will be majoring in Engineering Physics. I am a legacy (my step-father went to Stanford for the last two years of undergrad but has never donated). In addition, I am Hispanic and Jewish (Although I have some Hispanic heritage I have mostly grown up with the other side of my family and as thus know nothing about the culture). I go to a very competitive public school in Kansas, we have a track record of admitting a person a year to Stanford. We have 400 kids in my class and the top 20 or so all have very good GPAs and ACTs (there is 5 36 scorers for reference, and the valedictorian has a 4.8) Anyways, thanks so much for your input, here are my stats:
GPA: UW: 3.8(yeah I know yikes, most of Bs are from early in high school/middle school though)
W:4.45
10 APs plus Honors Multivariable Calculus (our school offers pretty much every single AP except like 2)
AP Calc AB: 5
AP Calc BC: 5
AP Physics C(self studied): 5
AP Chem: 5
AP Lang: 4
Ap Euro: 4
APUSH: 3(yikes)
SAT Subject Tests:
Math 2: 800
Chemistry: 750
US History: 650(yikes)
ACT: 35, with 36 subscores on all 4 sections over the course of two tests (should be able to get this to 36 in October)
I also went to Stanford Summer session(an 8 week full semester at Stanford) where I took an astrophysics, piano, and electrical engineering class earning straight As (an unusual feat even considering the caliber of students there) and am getting a supplemental recommendation from my astrophysics professor.
I am a national Merit Semifinalist(probably finalist soon)
Activities:
I am involved in a lot of things, in truth I am very spread out but on my application I tried to focus on a few of my extra curriculars.
President and Founder of Technology Student Association (senior year)
Science Olympiads -11,12 won several awards at regionals
Relay for Life Team Captain (10,11,12) I also wrote about this in my essay, I organize a performance with my drumline and activity for our relay every year and its the biggest relay in the country
Marching Band- 9,10,11,12: I am an avid musician whose lettered in band and received a dozen awards for duets, solos and ensembles, I am on drumline, and am also in jazz band.
SkillsUSA 10,11: Vice president 11, officer 10, 1st place state math contest, 6th place nationals
I disbanded SkillUSA in favor of Technology Student association when I took over it my senior year.
Secretary of Latin club-11,12 and member 9,10
National Honors society -11,12
Science national honors society - 12
Theoretical science club - 11,12 secretary-12
BBYO (Jewish youth group) 10,11,12
National Latin Honors society 11,12
DECA- 11, 12
Earned the presidential service award bronze 10,11
Mustang community service club - 11, 12
Common App essay: I wrote mine about how my different activities acted like the different layers of an atom, each paragraph compared itself to a different level and expressed a different trait about me.
There are a several better applicants at my school but they arent minority or legacy.
Thanks again for helping me with this!