Chance me: Stanford University (WILL CHANCE BACK)

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey everyone, I'm a Canadian student, all my courses that are listed are in the full university level, (the highest available at my school). Could you please give me tips on how I can improve and what kind of things I could do to get in?</p>

<p>Stanford has always been my dream school from the moment I knew what college was!</p>

<p>Thanks, put the link to your page, and I will chance back as well.</p>

<p>Here are my stats (took off the Decisions page for Stanford)</p>

<p>[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): still have to take
[ *] ACT: n/a
[ *] SAT II: still have to take Bio, Chem, and Physics
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a (probably top 3)
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): Self Studying Bio and Environmental Science
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: Calculus, Computer Science, English, Bio, Chem, Physics, Philosophy: Question and Theories, Studies in Literature, Building Financial Security, Issues in Human Growth and Development,
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Dr. Abdus Salam National Science Fair winner (2 years), Honor Roll (4 years), Top Standing (Math, Science, English, Computer Science, Physics, Functions, Biology)</p>

<p>[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): DECA (business club), Muslim Students Association MSA (Executive Treasurer), Debate Club (vice-president), Math Club (president), Hands of Hope/ Society for Human Rights Awareness (Founder, President), Diaspora Collective Member (3 years), Badminton Team (3 years), Tennis (3 years)
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Started up small scale snow-removal business, worked at Tim Horton’s.
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: hospital, volunteered for Mosque (leading position for youth and children), library student member, member of youth board for public library, founded a non-for-profit organization to raise money to build wells in poor regions of the world, St.John's Ambulance volunteer
[ *] Summer Activities: Thinking of volunteering in Costa Rica for sea turtle conservation, and in Ghana for Human Rights work
[ *] Essays: KILLER (WORKED ON FOR 3 YEARS)</p>

<p>[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[ *] Intended Major: Philosophy and Neuroscience
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant): Canada
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: South-East Asian
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: below 90,000 (qualify for full financial aid)
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): letter of reference from Stanford PhD Alumni</p>

2

<p>Note also that financial aid for international students at Stanford is limited:
[International</a> Applicants : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/international/index.html]International”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/application/international/index.html)
This will make it an extreme reach even if you make the top end test scores (700+ on each SAT section or 32+ on each ACT section).</p>

3

<p>It’s really hard to give you an accurate estimate without your test scores, but based on your GPA and ECs, you seem like a strong applicant. As ucbalumnus pointed out though, Stanford admissions are extremely competitive, particularly for international applicants. No reason to not apply, but have some backup schools if your reaches don’t work out.</p>

<p>Please chance me back! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1234291-chance-alaskan-top-schools.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1234291-chance-alaskan-top-schools.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>To say strong applicant without score. is just irresponsible. The OP could not be called a strong applicant with A 2300! The majority of vals with a 2350 are rejected!</p>

<p>So unfortunately, unless you’re an athlete or a URM with a 4.0 val status and a 2350, you’re just another applicant with an under 20% chance.</p>

5

<p>another one that does everything and has no real passion or specialization. reject</p>

6

<p>dasdui: what would you recommend I do?</p>

7

<p>The 3% of the unhooked who get in needed to ask that question in 8th grade.</p>

8

<p>I’m sorry, but the harsh responses in this thread are just remarkably entertaining.</p>

9

<p>i dont know what you all are saying, “no passion, so specialization” i have a passion for Human rights, thats why I founded a friggen charity to help create wells in drought regions, I created a Society for Human Rights Awareness, and I’m going to Ghana to do some human rights work. And my essay is about how I personally went through times in Pakistan with no human rights as a religious minority, and how all the persecution and my parent’s and grandparent’s perserverance inspired me to do human rights work. If you all think Im a weak applicant with no chance of getting in, please tell me what I have to do to get in.</p>

10

<p>Smac: The most control you can have over your application right now is your test scores. Go perfect score everything; everything else is a bit late.</p>

<p>Assuming 770+ on all the SAT IIs and 2300+ on SATs, you would be a strong, but generic, domestic applicant; these would probably be mid reaches. However, being international drops your chances significantly; I’d say very high reaches for both (I have international friends who have been IOI medalists get rejected from all of HYSPM… standards are pretty high). I think you would be a low reach at the lower ivies though (given these scores).</p>

<p>And to clarify some people’s responses, though I have no doubt you are extremely passionate about human rights, the point is that tons of kids apply with exactly your credentials (including a passion in human rights), so it’s extremely likely for you to get lost in a sea of applicants, especially without any high level awards in anything you’ve done. If you get an interview, try hard to differentiate yourself in some way.</p>

<p>Best of luck! Though again to be frank, probably not going to get in. (but try anyways!)</p>

11

<p>im in my sophomore year so I still have a chance to change my application completely. what is there that I must do whatever it is I will do it</p>

12

<p>Wait you’re a sophomore!!! That changes a lot… It’s pretty annoying when non-seniors post chance threads… try to wait until senior year before you do this again.</p>

<p>I’d say things you could do

  1. Get involved in research, do ISEF
  2. Make Canada equivalent of USAMO etc
  3. Self-Study way more APs
  4. Make your human rights organization even more awesome
  5. Attend some of the more elite summer programs (look at that thread)
  6. Perfect score your SATs and SAT IIs
  7. Become captain of your sports teams
    etc.
    etc.</p>

<p>You’re a sophomore, so you have a lot of control. I have nothing really to say other than be friggin excellent. Your current “stats” are not enough.</p>

13

<p>thanks math+sci=asian, I realize this was an early time to post this, but im so worried of not getting in and my school is pretty garbage as less than 30% make it to post-secondary ed and they dont care about US colleges.</p>

14

<p>Didn’t mean to be harsh, just honest. What you wrote made you sound like just an average Stanford applicant, and the average applicant doesn’t get in. When you back out all of the hooked candidates, and Stanford has a high percentage of those due to athletes, the tiny percentage that gets in must really stand out.</p>

<p>Some of standing out is out of your control, things like your ethnicity, where you’re from, your income bracket, etc.</p>

<p>The things you can control are your stats and activities. So if you’re applying from a crummy school you need to be number 1. You should be able to still do it as a soph. At Standford and the ivies, the majority of unhooked applicants were number 1 or 2, and that includes many from top high schools.</p>

<p>But where you really need to stand out is by having spectacular accomplishment in an EC. So if you’re doing human rights work by going to Ghana, make sure you raise the money, don’t do any of this on your parents’ dime. On an objective basis, really accomplish something with your good work. That, with great grades, will go a long way to getting you in.</p>

<p>However, i think you need several schools to aim for. I have seen enough unbelievable candidates get rejected from Stanford and ivies to know even with the best preparation it’s still a total crapshoot.</p>

15

<p>Go back and read the link in post 2.</p>

<p>If you are an international applicant who cannot afford to pay [list</a> price of $57,198 per year](<a href=“Financial Aid : Stanford University”>Financial Aid : Stanford University), then your chances of admission with financial aid are microscopic no matter what.</p>

<p>Be sure that you have safety schools (probably some excellent Canadian universities).</p>

16

<p>thanks guys for the info, im expanding my orginization to my school district and hopefully to others, and I am aiming for a perfect SAT score. I am 2nd rank in my school, but will be first.</p>