Chances - Should I apply Early Action?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Asian American Male
Somewhat Competitive Midwestern Suburban Public Highschool
ranked 5/490, though school doesn't give rank to colleges</p>

<p>ACT: 35
SAT: M:800/CR:800/W:770 (2370)
US History:770
Bio E: 770
Math II: 800</p>

<p>GPA (up to Jr. yr): 4.3/3.96ish</p>

<p>AP Euro: 5
AP American: 5
AP Calc BC: 5
AP Computers: 4
AP Biology: 5</p>

<p>4 more APs for senior year (obviously not completed yet)</p>

<p>Awards/Distinctions (not much)
Won a few local competitions for piano
National Latin Exam: 2 Gold Medals, 1 Silver
UVA Book Award
National Merit</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars
Latin Club 9,10,11
Science Bowl 11, 12 (5th in Region)
Latin Honor Society 11
Key Club 9,10,11,12; Publicist
Math Club 9,10,11,12; Vice Pres
National Honor Society 11, 12; Vice Pres
Orchestra Council 11, 12; Secretrary + Pres
Soccer 9,10
Track 9,10,11,12
Intramural Basketball 9,10,11,12</p>

<p>Acapella Group 11, 12
Youth Group 9,10,11,12; Worship Leader
Church 9,10,11,12; Sunday School Teacher/Worship Leader/Pianist
City's Youth Symphony Orchestra; 9,10,11,12 Section Leader/Student Advisory Board
Ethnic Anti-Tobacco Group 10, 11, 12; Paid Intern, Publicity/Activities Coordinator, Youth Advisory Board Rep</p>

<p>Jobs
Piano Teacher 10,11,12; Students have won various local competitions
+Junior Year Summer Internship at Lab</p>

<p>Service
Tutoring 11, 12 (about 2-4 weekly)
Church + Youth Group 9,10,11,12 about 4 hrs. weekly, much more during summer
Director of nonprofit Local Childrens Musical Program 11,12 (about 40-50 hrs a summer)
Started program providing music lessons to underprivileged children 11,12
Creating program as NHS project providing free afterschool activites for disadvantaged kids in high risk neighborhoods</p>

<p>Schools:
HYPS
Columbia
Penn
Darmouth
Wash U
Duke
Northwestern
UVA
OSU</p>

<p>Thoughts? I'm considering applying to Stanford early, but I seem to fit the standard "asian male" template. Will EA give me the edge, or provide a deferral/rejection/nothing at all? I'm not sure if this helps, but I have 3 or 4 friends (older) from my school who got into Stanford with similar stats (perhaps with less EC). In addition, our school seems to have about 2 or 3 get in each year (expecting more this year w/ a pretty strong class). </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>If Stanford is your first choice, apply early. You have the stats, and EA can only help in your case.</p>

3

<p>Looks good, just make sure your passions for all this stuff shows through... i'll read your essays if you want ... i'm going to Stanford ( Tomorrow woot!)</p>

4

<p>Lets see...
You have a lot of extracurriculars that are crap and should be left off, for one.
Your SATI/II/AP and GPA puts you in a position that you really just need one more GREAT thing on your app and everything else solid and you're in.<br>
You seem to have a lot of "very good" things, i.e. city orchestra, lab research, etc; your program for music lessons to underprivleged could be very good and a good topic for an essay (just don't make it cheesy/self-righteous).<br>
With good essays, and if the EC's come across well on the app, you have a 50/50 chance or maybe a bit better at Stanford. Harvard and Yale may be a bit more difficult for you, however. Princeton will probably be about the same chance as Stanford. And if you want to get it all over with, you can apply ED at Penn or Duke and you'll be a shoe-in.</p>

5

<p>I think you can do it, but it'll come down to your essays. If there is an activity or two that you are truly passionate about and have learned a lot from, make sure to convey that in your essays. Be sure to not laundry list or simply describe your activities in your essays; show your personality, your interests, your values, and how you have matured as a result of your choices.</p>

6

<p>stanford08 - What extracurriculars, in your opinion, are "crap" and should be left off? I left in items like intramural basketball/school sports to show admissions that I do have a "life" outside of academics + EC.</p>

<p>Apart from that, I've recieved at least some level of recognition in all my ECs (I have placed in math competitions, done AIME, ARML, etc). I figure I should include all these activities since I have devoted time to them.</p>

<p>I also understand that essays are key to conveying my passion for what I do. My essays will discuss lessons I've learned from my piano/guitar students. </p>

<p>As for another "GREAT" thing, NHS has just started up this year, and we've got 2 or 3 projects (various drives which have been historically very successful) which should be in full swing by the time RD apps are due.</p>

7

<p>Hmm, in my opinion, none of your listed activities are crap.</p>

8

<p>i mean overall you're probably in the admit range for ec's...its just the way your first list chunk looked:
Latin Club 9,10,11
Science Bowl 11, 12 (5th in Region)
Latin Honor Society 11
Key Club 9,10,11,12; Publicist
Math Club 9,10,11,12; Vice Pres
National Honor Society 11, 12; Vice Pres
Orchestra Council 11, 12; Secretrary + Pres
Soccer 9,10
Track 9,10,11,12
Intramural Basketball 9,10,11,12</p>

<p>latin club, math club, latin honor society etc aren't gonna help and look like resume padding if anything...NHS is kind of a red flag for garbage on applicationss as nearly everyone has it and nearly no one does anything with it...obviously keep the sports on there, but near the bottom...in fact re-reading all the stuff you have after that first list, you're in great shape for ec's...and really all around its hard to look much better on paper than you do now</p>

9

<p>Your ECs are good, and you should list them all.</p>

10

<p>i wouldn't put stanford as ea...maybe rd</p>

<p>the thing is that stanford gets thousands of applicants that fit your specific mold. from what i have read/ learned from students is that HYP would give your stats a better look for ea at least</p>

11

<p>Interesting comment, oracle1. I've heard the exact opposite of that said too (Stanford would give a better look at an "average" asian applicant).</p>

<p>Right now, I'm still split Yale/Stanford for SCEA. Decions, decisions...</p>

12

<p>I'm sure Stanford has a heck-of-a-lot more "average asian applicants" than HYP do. It's in California, for heaven's sakes.</p>

13

<p>Don't try to play the game and get a .000001% better chance of getting in by applying EA here or there... do what YOU want to do and just work your hardest on your essays!</p>

14

<p>Wow, I really need to figure out how to edit previous posts...</p>

<p>Anyway,</p>

<p>I'm not really trying to "play the game" - I'm pretty much split between Stanford and Yale in terms of where I really want to go. I like both for different reasons, as both colleges are very distinct in atmosphere and setting, so really it comes down to where I think early action will benefit me most. </p>

<p>The general feeling I've gotten is that Yale is a bit more "selective" in their admissions process - though this might have been thrown off by bias from my brother, who attends the college (and was also admitted into Stanford/some other nice places). I know many of you Stanford kids will disagree, but I do have several friends (with stats similar to mine) who have been admitted Stanford, yet not to Yale/most of the ivies. But in the end, I think I'll be happy at mostly any school on my list (given the small chance that I actually make it into my top 5).</p>

15

<p>"I know many of you Stanford kids will disagree, but I do have several friends (with stats similar to mine) who have been admitted Stanford, yet not to Yale/most of the ivies."</p>

<p>And I know kids who have been accepted to both Harvard and Yale (and every other Ivy/top school they applied to) yet rejected by Stanford.</p>