Do I have a shot at Stanford?

Transfer Students
1

<p>First time poster here, trying to compile all the available information on the subject.</p>

<p>I’m sort of an interesting case, so bear with me.</p>

<p>I go to the University of San Francisco right now and I’m not really happy. I went there solely to stay in the Bay Area to continue running my business and I want to transfer to Stanford because they have more options in the Philosophy field. My intended major is philosophy, but I am also interested in business.</p>

<p>At USF, I have a 4.0 GPA for my first semester.
Ethics- A
Problems in Democracy- A+, rarely given.
Introduction to Comparative Literature- A
Existentialism- A
16 units.</p>

<p>My recommendations should be top-notch, from reputable professors.</p>

<p>I also attended Stanford’s High School Summer College program, attaining a 3.83 GPA in 8 units of classes.
United States Foreign Policy- A
Introduction to Psychology- A-</p>

<p>I went to high school in the Bay Area and had above average grades, probably ranked 150/500. Nothing spectacular though.</p>

<p>2300 SAT
790 CR
780 Math
730 Writing</p>

<p>Haven’t taken any SAT-II’s, planning on taking english lit and math II c in January. Should get a 750+ on both.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars, etc…</p>

<li>I am the founder of a fairly large business in the Bay Area, with a steady stream of revenue. We tutor for a variety of standardized tests, including the SAT, SAT-II, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT. I personally tutor for the LSAT. I worked for the Princeton Review for 2 years tutoring for the SAT and took the LSAT, achieving a score of 176 (99+ percentile). We also help with college counseling and essay revision. We are in the process of expanding to the Los Angeles region.</li>
</ol>

<p>I employ around 30 people and spend 40+ hours a week managing my team and tutoring for the LSAT. My business partner goes to Stanford and we employ around 10 Stanford students. We have a great website and we are constantly growing. This is a legitimate business, which makes enough for me to completely support myself and pay my way through college. This isn’t some random kid’s business he created to get into college.</p>

<p>We also do a good amount of community service through the Special Olympics program in Northern California, providing free tutoring to struggling disabled youth. I personally donate 2-5 hours a week tutoring students at a local school for the disabled. This is all run through our business and we require our employees to donate their time to our non-profit. Our business is very community oriented, and we support a lot of education programs in the area.</p>

<li><p>I hold an internship at Telos Press (<a href=“http://www.telospress.com)%5B/url%5D”>www.telospress.com)</a>, and should be able to obtain a personal recommendation from the editor, an esteemed professor at Stanford. We have a good relationship and he wants me to go there next year. </p></li>
<li><p>I hold an internship with a perfumer in San Francisco, who I met through business. I have always been interested in scents, and I spend a great deal of time with her creating scents and managing her website.</p></li>
<li><p>I am a competitive bicycle racer with a legitimate team in the Bay Area. I want to continue pursuing this and I have a good record of race results.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Previous Extracurriculars:</p>

<li><p>Internship at Audible Arts, a local audiophile-oriented store. I worked there for 2 years and was in charge of setting up high end equipment in people’s houses for auditions. This was another serious job and remains one of my passions.</p></li>
<li><p>Worked for Princeton Review for 2+ years tutoring for the SAT before founding my own business.</p></li>
<li><p>Spent two summers interning with a renowned doctor at the Mallincrockt institute of radiology. This was a highly competitive program.</p></li>
<li><p>Raced bikes for my team for around 4 years (my sport). Also worked as a bicycle mechanic in some local shops and served on the design team of a local bicycle parts fabricator.</p></li>
<li><p>I used to be a pretty popular electronic music DJ in the area, and traveled quite a bit throughout California, Nevada and Oregon to play.</p></li>
<li><p>General high school rabble… robotics team, a few years of sports, volunteer work, etc…</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Reason for transfer: </p>

<p>Should be pretty legitimate-- want to stay in the Bay Area to continue running my business while moving to a university that will provide me with a more stimulating academic environment. I went there for a summer quarter and really enjoyed it. </p>

<p>Essays, etc… </p>

<p>Should be top-notch. I’m a good writer.</p>

<p>I’m wondering what everyone thinks here about my chances to Stanford. I really don’t want to transfer anywhere else, for obvious reasons. I want to stay in the Bay Area really badly because this is where my business is. I may also apply to USC, because we are expanding to LA.</p>

<p>Thoughts?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot everyone.</p>

2

<p>As far as the essays go, I plan to write on:</p>

<ol>
<li>Describe an intellectual experience you find stimulating...</li>
</ol>

<p>I plan to write on my business, which should translate into a good essay.</p>

<ol>
<li>Note to a roommate...</li>
</ol>

<p>I want to write about my experiences creating perfume, or perhaps about how I really enjoy doing everything and love life. I know this sounds cliche, but I am extremely open to new things and have many, many interests.</p>

<ol>
<li>Why Stanford/Why Transfer?</li>
</ol>

<p>Obvious, stay local, etc...</p>

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>

3

<p>Sure...why not? However, keep in mind that because this is your first semester, HS information is much more valuable than college transcripts. Also, the LSAT may not be considered for undergraduate admissions, even though you have a VERY good score. I know that some schools (Yale, I believe?) accept GRE scores for undergrads, but I am really not sure about stanford. Contact them for more info.</p>

4

<p>Bump for more insight...</p>

5

<p>You have a shot, so give it your best shot.</p>

<p>But what more can anyone say? The chances of anyone being admitted to Stanford, freshman or transfer, are very small. So... all you can do is your best, but realize that it might not happen.</p>

6

<p>How old are you?</p>

<p>Why did you take the LSAT already? let alone be a LSAT tutor.</p>

7

<p>I'm 19. I tutored for the LSAT because I worked for Princeton Review and I scored high enough on it to be paid more.</p>

8

<p>OP, it sounds like you applied to Stanford last year. I don't know much about Stanford admissions, so take what I'm going to say with a grain of salt. </p>

<p>A possible problem with your application is that you are running a business that admissions officers (I know at Yale, atleast) strongly dislike. You are profiting on kids' fear that they need to score X on the SAT to get into School Y, which creates a feeding frenzy. Adcoms are constantly trying to "level the playing field," and test-prep centers only make adcoms' jobs more difficult. </p>

<p>Personally, I like your business idea. If asian parents are willing to pay, more power to you. But, I'm not the one reading your application. There are other top schools in california (Berkeley, UCLA, USC, Claremont....) that you might have more success with. Regardless, good luck with whatever you choose.</p>

9

<p>That was actually an interesting comment, saltandpepper.</p>

10

<p>Wow, many excellent achievements at such a young age! You definitely have a shot at Stanford, I think. If fact, I'll be a little surprised if you don't even get wait-listed (although is there such thing for transfers?)</p>

<p>Like some of the people said above, I think you should apply to Berkeley, too.</p>

<p>Also, your high school stats will be very helpful for us to give you more insight if this is going to be a sophomore transfer.</p>

11

<p>The OP cannot apply to Berkeley this year. Berkeley only accepts Junior transfers; as well, the deadline has already passed. </p>

<p>OP- I think you will get into USC, so make plans accordingly with your business. Stanford does not seem likely, but what do I know.</p>

<p>good luck!</p>

12

<p>As far as high school stats go, I had around a 3.7 weighted GPA. I got B's in most of my classes with a few A's and C's splashed in. I took pretty much every AP class and never did the homework or anything. I was pretty immature in High School as far as my attitude towards school went.</p>

<p>I did have a lot of great extra-curriculars though that took up a ton of time.</p>

13

<p>Stanford accepts 1.5 percent of its transfer applicants.</p>

14

<p>True, is there anything else that I should do? What about the essays?</p>

15

<p>I would wait one more year before applying to Stanford, because the earlier in your college career you apply, the more weight your HS record will have in their decision. With your HS GPA, it is highly unlikely you would have been accepted as a Freshman, and statistically the odds of being accepted as a transfer at Stanford are far, far less than they are for freshman. So continue at USF, keep your GPA up, and try to transfer as a JR. Just my advise.</p>