Dreaming of Stanford with Early Decision

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I’m a sophomore at a public high school and I am in need of advice and tips receiving acceptance into Stanford (my dream school). Although I have a lot of time until college application time, at the same time I need to have a successful plan for these next couple of years. What are my chances and how can I raise my chances?

4.21 weighted GPA freshman year (B in Trig/PreCalc, A in everything else)

Currently in AP Euro, AP stats, Honors English, Honors Orchestra, Honors Spanish III, Honors Physics, and Honors Chemistry for my sophomore year. Currently have all As except in AP Stats and Honors Physics and hope to raise these two into A’s. (I have roughly an 86% in both these classes).

I plan on taking APUSH, CHS Business Calculus, AP English, Honors Orchestra, Honors Spanish IV, AP Microeconomics, AP Bio next year.

I got a 32 on the ACT but I can probably push it up to a 34 since I got the 32 without studying. I’ve taken the PSAT/SAT and do not my scores yet.

Clubs:

FBLA (placed 2nd at regionals and will be attending state comps in April), Forensics (placed in districts a couple times), Key Club (currently have the most hours in my grade), TSA (awaiting results of regional comp), CCA (a team of 5 that markets pharmaceuticals to global businesses/consumers), Model UN, Student Government, Ski Club

Others:
Played cello since third grade and play in my city’s youth symphonic orchestra (we’re internationally ranked). I also play at several churches, nursing homes, and smaller orchestras like the musical pit. I play golf on the varsity team and we win our section each year (end up being 2nd or 3rd in states). I like to ski/snowboard. I also organize and oversee church and altar service (hard to explain but takes up a huge amount of my time). I volunteer in outpatient surgery at a local hospital as well.

I also understand Stanford wants students that show compassion, passion, and leadership. I am in the middle of founding the Asian-American Society at my school. It’s likely that I will receive leadership positions in the clubs I’m already in next year and senior year. I do not know my exact hours for volunteering but it’s a lot (take my word for it). I am also going to be an unpaid intern as a financial analyst at a consulting firm in Seoul, South Korea this upcoming summer.

So I realize my grades could be better and I have no idea what I am going to finish with. I also realize that my EC’s are jumbled and disorganized. I also do not show particular excellence in anything, but I appear to be well-rounded (somewhat).

Some other things:
I’m Korean-American, male, and upper class financially. I am fluent in English, Korean, and Spanish. (My Mandarin is okay.)

Anyway, if you’ve read this far, thanks! Just need some tips and guidance along the way these next two years to increase my chances (I realize my chances are low but if I don’t get in I won’t be devastated).

I’m also looking at UCLA, UCB, Northwestern, Cornell, UPenn, and others. Visited Stanford twice in the past two years and I live on the east coast! Love it there!

2

Stanford doesn’t have Early Decision.

3

Move to North Dakota

4

Montana or Alaska also work:-) Isn’t this a chance me thread? Move it to that forum.

5

@asfuture27, you seem to be doing most of the right things. Your academics and curricular rigor seem fine. A perfect GPA won’t get you in to Stanford or other top schools, though you need to keep your average high. I’d get your ACT up a few points and get some subject tests under your belt in the next year.

Being an Asian male is a tough demographic, and your ECs don’t particularly stand out. I don’t understand what an “internationally ranked” youth orchestra is, since there are no such rankings. How good is your 'cello? Would you be competitive applying to a conservatory?

I think the biggest thing you can do in general is to give up some ECs that are superficial and concentrate on 1 or 2 things that really turns you on, and try and take it to the next level. What do you want to study/do? What is your passion? What are your summer plans (and what have you done in your previous 2 summers)?

Stanford and other top schools want kids who are excited by what they love and vigorously invested in it. Don’t do things because you think they’ll help you with Stanford. “Apply sideways” - do things because you love them, and give them everything you have.

6

I advise against applying to Stanford early action, since it’s restrictive and offers a negligible boost (most acceptees are recruits/VIP/legacy)

7

thank you @renaissancedad for the insight; I will try to elaborate and emphasize my passions and do the other things as well! also thanks @asianfang, I did not know of this and it’s probably wiser to apply early decision (for one, a school that has this) and a school that better fits me both socially and academically.

8

if Stanford is your true dream school (like if you were accepted EA you would definitely commit and not apply to other colleges regular decision), then by all means apply EA! Some accepted kids do get in without the hooks that I mentioned - just beware of the risk that restrictive early action offers.

9

Also I want to continue to pursue my passion in music and cello in general, but I feel that many other Asian-Americans play classical instruments. Would it be wiser to pursue my passion in snowboarding or other things like volunteering?

10

^ You should pursue your passion for its own sake, not for strategic reasons. Whatever you do, do it with gusto, and don’t do it with the aim of getting into a specific school. No one can guarantee that. “Apply sideways”:

http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways

If you do end up applying to Stanford, the overall acceptance rate is around 5%, and 80% or more of the applicants are highly qualified. The REA acceptance rate is under 10%, and that includes legacies, URMs and athletes, so the unhooked REA acceptance rate is much lower. Stanford only defers another 10%, and rejects 80% of REA applicants outright, so unless you have a hook and/or are an extremely strong applicant, you may not want to use up valuable EA opportunities on a long shot.

11

This.