Chances for Early Stanford

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Stanford is my absolute number one school. i LOVED everything about it when i went to visit it. I just want other people's opinions on what they think =) </p>

<p>Caucasian Male, Nebraska, Big public school</p>

<p>GPA: 3.99 UW, 4.36 W (1 B+ in AP U.S!! BLAH haha =D )</p>

<p>Class rank: 5/419.. top 1%</p>

<p>Courseload: Have taken all APs and Honors classes possible =) Also lots of music classes, I have a passion for the arts in all forms (minus drawing...can't draw to save my life!) Had hardest course load that our school could offer.</p>

<p>ACT: 32 composite (33 english, 35 math, 31 reading, 28 science- october 2009
11/12 writing-from June 2009 test (33 combined eng/writing)</p>

<p>SAT: n/a</p>

<p>SAT IIs: 630- Literature, 620 Math Level II, 600 Spanish- I know they are mediocre but Nebraska is an ACT majority state so it might show initiative that I even tried to take them! </p>

<p>Honors/awards: NSAA Academic All-State for Swimming, Scholar Athlete, Top 3%, Delegate to Nebraska Boy's State, National Honor Society, chosen for Youth Leadership Lincoln Class XII, AP Scholar with Distinction
3 Academic Letters
3 Varsity Swim Letters
3 Band Letters
1 Student Council Letter (was on StuCo for one year)</p>

<p>APs: 5 in Psych, 4s in English Lang and World History, 3s in Spanish Lang and US History. Taking AP Calc BC and AP English Lit tests this May</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Band (4 years)- Varsity Wind Ensemble (9-12th), Varsity Jazz Band (best in the state, 11-12th) Marching Band (9th-12th) Section Leader- Alto Sax</p>

<p>Varsity Swim Team (4 years)- On varsity team since freshman year, club swimmer for 9 years, current team captain, competed in state meet last 3 years</p>

<p>Key Club (3 years)- Many volunteers outings/hours put in, current president and district lieutenant governor of the Nebraska-Iowa District</p>

<p>Choir (1 year)- Was unable to fit choir in last three years, tried out and made the varsity swing choir and made All-State Chorus</p>

<p>Volunteer at Local Hospital (1 year)- 3 hours a week in which I interact with patients and entertain them =) I love it because I get the feel for hospital life.</p>

<p>Theater (2 years)- Actor in various productions at school such as Little Women the musical and Our Town</p>

<p>Peer Mediator- (2 years)- Team Leader- Pretty much I'm one of the school's student counselors that helps dissolve drama that is causing major havoc in the school. Also help out foreign exchange students. </p>

<p>I also take private Alto Sax lessons (3 years of lessons) and piano (10 years). I am very very involved in the community with my Key Club and other organizations. On top of that I have a life and am not a recluse =) I have a passion for music but more importantly, a passion to become a pediatric surgeon someday.</p>

<p>Teacher/Counselor Recs: Stellar in my opinion =) nicest things I have ever read.</p>

<p>Applying for Financial aid: yes</p>

<p>Essays: IMO I worked my butt off so I hope it payed dividends =) I poured my soul into my essays</p>

2

<p>Scores are a little bit low, especially your SATII’s, but those shouldn’t matter too much (they’re optional in the first place).</p>

<p>Your class rank is great, your EC’s are good. The impression I get is that your school doesn’t offer that many AP classes, thus why you took 7 classes yet still took the hardest courseload possible. Colleges like to see that - it seems like you’ve done the best you could within your school’s limitations.</p>

<p>So I think it’s a slight reach to a rough match. Honestly, you seem like a “good” candidate, but Stanford gets lots of great candidates. If your essays are stellar, you have a good chance.</p>

3

<p>The biggest advantage you have is Nebraska. Adcom will compare you with kids in midwest, not coasts. So you can find your chance by looking up for stats in midwest states.</p>

4

<p>As a fellow midwestern, i don’t think that you really have a competitive chance. First geographic diversity doesn’t matter at all. If it did, at least one person from South Dakota would get in every year, but do they? no. They’re never like “he’s mediocre, but he’s from Minnesota! Admit!”
You could get lucky, but for white/asian applicants you’re in the bottom 25th quartile of ACT scores for accepted Students (it’s roughly 32/33-35/36 depending upon the year)
Your ecs are very average for Stanford. Class rank is obviously great, but there are a lot of vals/top1% so that alone doesn’t really do much for you. I would agree with you that taking SATIIs at all shows some initiative, but like the classic Q&A "Should my kid take an AP class and get a B or an easy class and get an A? AdOfficier: “He should take the AP class and get an A.” </p>

<p>If you get in, it will certainly be because of your essays/recs, and I do hope that you do!
I’m only being harsh because I don’t want you to have inflated notions on Dec 15, you have a shot, but certainly don’t bank on it. </p>

<p>I wish you the best of luck! I can’t wait to get out of the midwest either =D
I’d be curious as to where else you are applying, I think you’ve got great chances at schools like: UChicago, Cornell, Georgetown, Rice, Emory, Vanderbilt, USC, Pomona (and the Claremont Consortium), John Hopkins.
Tier 1 schools like Stanford are certainly reaches, but don’t let that discourage you from applying! You have a 0% chance if you don’t apply.</p>

5

<p>I’m from the midwest too and applied to stanford scea! I think for anyone it’s a “reach” school no matter how amazing someone is. People from my school with perfect SAT scores and amazing ECs/recs have been waitlisted/rejected, but other people who aren’t perfect have gotten accepted. My counselor says “it’s a crap shoot” haha it IS kinda luck after awhile since they get so many applicants that are around the same great. Your scores are a little low…but otherwise i think you’re a good candidate</p>

<p>Are you getting recruited for swimming? That may help too…</p>