Chances for Stanford/Other Engineering Schools?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Wow haha i know that this is kind of irrational, and that Stanford is pretty much always a reach school, but i saw people doing these and figured why not, you know? Here it goes:

Test Scores
2370 SAT (old one cuz im old school)
800 SAT II Math II
800 SAT II Biology E
800 SAT II Chemistry
AP Computer Science 5
AP World 5
AP US 5
AP Stat 5
AP English Language and Composition 5
This year I am also taking AP Spanish, AP Calculus BC, and AP Physics C. Unfortunately, I was not able to take AP English Language and Composition, because it didn’t fit into my schedule

My GPA is a 4.525 on my school’s system, but for the Common App (and most other applications) it translates to a 4.0, unweighted

Activities
Piano- I am a 5 time American Fine Arts Festival Competition winner and have A+ ratings on level 6 NYSSMA for 6 years
Trombone- I play in my high school’s jazz band as first chair and have A+ ratings on level 6 NYSSMA for 4 years
Academic Challenge- I am the captain of my school’s quizbowl/academic challenge team
Peer Tutor- I tutor a wide variety of subjects as part of my school’s peer tutoring club, from math to English. If I got paid for this, it would be a job/work experience, but as is, it is, alas, only a club
Math Club- I only joined last year but it’s a lot of fun and I wish I had joined sooner
Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society member
Computer Science TA- I am a teacher’s assistant for the AP Computer Science class, and I help teach material and hold office hours after school
Freshman Science Research Club- I am a curriculum module coordinator and mentor figure for freshmen looking to go into my school’s science research club

Community Service
I make beaded crafts and origami cranes for the Arc of Westchester, a local organization that helps those born with developmental disabilities and their families. My crafts are sold to help fundraise for some of their programs.

Honors
Harvard Book Award
Bausch and Lomb Scholarship Award from Rochester
National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
WESEF 3rd place engineering category
Cum Laude Society (Top 10%)
World Languages Honors Society

The real jewel of my college application crown is that I have research experience in engineering, as I have independently created an Electronic Navigational Aid for the blind in my basement. I have written up a research paper for this and will be submitting it for competitions such as Siemens and Regeneron STS, as well as as a research supplement. I’ve already submitted the half-finished project to WESEF (as seen above), and am looking to improve this year. Would this bolster my chances?

I am an Asian girl senior looking to go into either computer science or engineering.

Like I said, I know this is a reach school, I’m mostly looking for ways I can bolster my application. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know! Thanks so much!

2

Honestly? it’s Stanford; no one knows. BUT, you have excellent scores-which for engineering are pretty important- and a stellar GPA, and the research is decent. Have you been acknowledged or published?

Check out Berkeley & WashU too, those would be solid matches.

3

I got third place in my category at WESEF, but my project was just completed-completed this year and I’m still writing the paper, so I can’t publish yet. I’m submitting to some more competitions this November though. I actually am applying to Berkeley, and I’ve heard good things about Wash U. Thank you for your advice!

4

No p :slight_smile:

5

Just adding some extra info: my schools are Stanford (REA with arts portfolio), UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, MIT (with arts and research portfolios), Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Cal Tech, and Harvey Mudd. I am aware that most of these (except for my safety University of Illinois) are reach schools, so I was thinking I might add Wash U or Binghamton? Any advice? Am I reaching way too high?

6

Back again!

Wash U is a match and an EXCELLENT school. Very prestigious to employers too. UCLA is also a match, although I’m not an expert on it. Carnegie Mellon and UC San Diego are also strong matches.

All others, you’re a very strong candidate, but it’s just a gamble at the end of the day with IVY’s and like schools.

7

Hey! You’re back!

Thank you so much for all of your advice and help. I really appreciate it!

8

bumping up my guy

9

I wish I could tell you that you’d get in, your grades and scores are AMAZING, but last year, stanford had the lowest acceptance rate ever, dropping down to (i think) 4.6. There was a student last year, white male, whose dream school was stanford. He had a 2370 sat, 800 on math 2, chem and lit. Poly Sci major, amazing recs and essay. Everything was perfect, but he got deferred. He’s at Harvard now which is amazing. He never thought we would get into Harvard and now hes really happy. Basically my point is to keep your mind open. Although I do think your engineering experience looks really good. The only thing that might be against you is that your Asian, and maybe your major because it’s really competitive. If you need any advice, I’d say for your essay to really show your voice. Your application is great, but it kind of makes you look like you don’t have a personality (I’m sure you do), so in your essay you really want to let that shine. Also , if your school counselor has not sent in their recommendations yet, you should let them know that you weren’t able to take ap lang. Colleges will take that into account. Goodluck. Please chance me back

10

Hello! Thank you for your advice. I think I did an ok job with making my personality come out in my essays- I mentioned “dank memes” and described my dance style as “white dad at a barbecue” which I sort of thought was a little too much? I dunno, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed! I’ll bug over to check yours out now.

11

You’re profile makes me jealous. Are you for real or a robot? You are literally a perfect candidate for pretty much any school on the planet. You know that, right? :slight_smile: The only thing I can think of that might be considered a “weakness” is the fact you didn’t say whether you visited the school. Despite what admissions will tell you, they DO consider demonstrated interest an important factor. If you applied ED, that’s one way to show interest, but everything I have heard indicates visiting the school, setting meetings with professors, touring labs and classrooms, eating in the cafeteria, etc. All of that adds up to real data you can use to show you took the time to get to know the university on a personal level. On paper you are ridiculously solid, but it’s that “what will you do for our university” factor you have to demonstrate. Ugh. I now feel like the dumbest kid on the planet.

12

Hi! Thank you for your input! I’m not a robot (but I do love them- they’re so cool). I’m also terrible at sports… I actually wrote one of my essays on my gym class failures. I haven’t really visited a lot of schools because of logistical issues, but I will definitely keep that in mind. I’m sure youre not dumb at all, and I bet you have lots of really interesting things to put into your app. Thanks, and good luck!

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bumpity bump bump bumpity bump bump…

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Extra info: My recs are by my research teacher (has known me for 3 straight years, knows my project really well), my English teacher (I love her so much tbh she’s amazing, and she’s looked over my essays) and my piano teacher (has known me since I was 6, she’s basically family at this point)

15

Obviously, we’ve established that your ECs are excellent lol, along with scores and GPA. As for UCLA, UCSD, and some of the others, I think you’ll get in pretty easily. Your reaches are very possible but I think many of them will come down to your personal statements and as to whether you sound like a genuine person that wants to do great things or a person who “wants to do great things” if you catch my drift. Either way, you have a great chance at many great schools so good luck!

16

I love the written finger quotes there. Thanks for the post, and good luck on your schools too!

17

Also, if anyone has seen my list of schools (earlier in the thread) could someone maybe tell me what they think my reaches, matches, and safeties are? tysm!

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bbbbump