<p>My S applied to Stanford RD. His grades, scores, ec's etc. are all really great and as a result he has earned the 'right' to apply to a school like Stanford. (Of course that doesn't mean a thing, in the grand scheme.) In any case, he loves the idea of going to school there..... California, great Division I sports, amazing professors etc.... However, he does become concerned with the level of student competition. Some top tier one schools have reputations for being very cut-throat, while others are just the opposite and kids are quite amicable and helpful toward each other. What is Stanford like? Do you have to be a bonifide genius to survive? Do you need to be the kid in high school who never attended a single dance, or homecoming? Are the majority of the kids the ones who read 10 books over their easter vacation, while others are at Disney? </p>
<p>My S goes to a very large and competitive highschool where there is a large asian/indian population. No offense to anyone because those kids are truly fantastic students, but many times they do not know how to relax and enjoy. For my S this became frustrating at times, in high school, because he was more well rounded, academically just a bright, but wanted more from life than just studying. So is this the attitude in Stanford? If my S should be so lucky as to be accepted will he be able take a break from the books to enjoy a football game or will the kids there be studying so hard that they will leave you in the dust..........?</p>
<p>Any feedback will be appreciated and again I mean no disrespect to anyone...Thanks</p>
<p>I do not personally go there, but from hearing my cousin’s stories and going on campus regularly, I have found the atmosphere to be very fun. There are definitely some stereotypic genius types, but it seems that everyone truly wants the best for each other. I think your son would fit in. Best of luck to him!</p>
<p>Competition is not something you should worry about when considering Stanford. Obviously, there are some competitive people, but the general atmosphere is one of collaboration. I’m friends with kids in my classes that have curves. We help each other on homework and studying for tests. People sincerely want to do well and work very hard to do well, but rarely at the expense of others.
As if the question even needs answering, people do things besides study. You can both do well academically and enjoy yourself. Like at almost every school.</p>
<p>This is a hard question to answer. Coming in I had heard that Stanford is very collaborative and not cutthroat. And I have found that to be true --I would not have survived certain classes without collaborative effort etc and you won’t find anybody deliberately sabotaging anybody else. That being said, I think what happens is a lot of Stanford kids come after spending 4 years at HS as the best and the brightest --this results in a lot of pressure and stress when they realize that they can no longer do the same here. I’ve had SO many conversations with people like this --even though Stanford overall has grade inflation, it often feels like it’s hard to get that A rather than an A- etc. So people have a hard time adjusting. Plus, there are so many brilliant people around you, that it seems like everybody is in 10 gazillioon clubs/activities/are geniuses/etc while maintaining perfect GPAs which can lead to a sense of frustration/isolation. On the other hand, I think what is great about Stanford is that you are surrounded by such brilliant people that you too are encouraged to be great --rather than thinking of just being a president of a school club, per se, you are encouraged to dream of working to start your own organization/starting a national organization etc. </p>
<p>I want to point out however, that we Stanford kids definitely know how to have a good time :)</p>
<p>Thank you. All the comments are greatly appreciated. Now we just have to see if my S is lucky enough to get in.</p>