<p>I am looking for some advice and ADad suggested I ask for it on the Parents Forum. I live in an area where no one applies to top colleges so your input is appreciated.</p>
<p>I planned to apply to Stanford Early Admission but want to know if it would be smarter to re-take a test or two and apply regular decision instead. I took the ACT last spring and scored a 35 but didn't take the essay part (which Stanford requires). On the June SAT I got a 2200 (740 CR, 740 M, 720 W, with a 10 essay), which is a lot lower than my ACT score. (I do have a 33 ACT score w/ essay score of 10 from sophomore year.) I just took SAT 2s in October so I don't have those scores back yet. I am ranked first in my class and I have taken all the APs my school offers.</p>
<p>My extracurricular activities are OK but nothing amazing -- lots of sports, NHS, some volunteer stuff. I am a NM semifinalist. My essays should be OK.</p>
<p>Do you think my chances of getting admitted to Stanford are better Early Action or regular decision? Or isn't going to make a difference either way? Or do you have no idea, too?</p>
<p>I don't know where in the US you live, but I do know from a dear friend who lives in Norcal area that Stanford adcoms told applicants in the past cycle they were trying to "seek diversity" in areas of the country other than Northern California/Pacific Northwest. I do not know for sure if this is correct, but a student in the class with my S/D ( in the Atlanta area) has received good feedback thus far from some faculty regarding admissions and this student's stats do not come close to yours. I would say if you really want Stanford- apply- sound like your scores and academics are solid-perhaps your regional diversity will be an additional plus. Good luck!</p>
<p>Your scores are more than fine. The CC rule of thumb is that applicants need 1450+ to apply to the elite schools. Your ACT score is amazing. Don't retake those tests. Send them all.</p>
<p>Apply EA if you don NOT need Fin aid.</p>
<p>The essays are very important--as are your recs. You need your recs to say something along the lines of: "this kid could be a real high flyer some day." Pick your recommendations very carefully. Ask the recommender if they will be able to check "best student ever' in at least a few of those boxes.</p>
<p>Consider posting again--asking parents to help you edit your essays. There are a few wonderful writers and editors on the board--xiggi, marite, SBMom, mini and many others.</p>
<p>Upfront, I do not know anything about Stanford's history with EA - do they defer everyone, do they defer no one, etc. etc. - that history should play into your decision.
If your SAT II scores are acceptable to you, I might call your Stanford rep and discuss this situation. 35 is a super ACT score, and it worries me a little that you showed no change in writing score from soph to junior year. It's a cliche, but trhere's not much of a place to go but down from that ACT score, and I'm concerned that you might improve your writing, but score lower overall.
Some schools are not paying any attention to the ACT/SAT writing, while on the other hand, other schools are sticklers enough with the rules to not accept that ACT without the writing - you need to know what Stanford would do, and only your rep can tell you. I think they would tell you outright if they will mix and match scores - taking the 35 ACT and matching it with the 10 writing, that's not a judgement call, that's a policy.</p>
<p>If your high school is an unknown commodity in admissions offices, your standardized test scores may play a bigger role in your decision than if you were at a HS whose rigor was known to the colleges. A 35 is a spectacular score, and I think it might make a difference in the outcome for you. Especially since you don't yet know your SAT II scores, you may want to re-take the ACT with Writing (and hopefully repeat the 35) and apply RD. If you take a look at Stanford's Common Data Set, you may be able to determine the percentages admitted EA vs. RD last year. The percentages may show no real advantage to applying EA.</p>
<p>Re EA and financial aid: SCEA is not binding, so applicants who are accepted are still able to apply to as many schools as they want RD and compare financial aid packages once the fat envelopes are all in.</p>
<p>Stanford requires the ACT with writing. I don't believe they will consider your previous 35 because it didn't include the writing component. You could double check that.</p>
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I might call your Stanford rep and discuss this situation.
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<p>Absolutely agree with Cangel. Your situation is unique because you do have a SAT I writing score. This is the perfect opportunity for you to initiate a call to your Stanford Rep (not your parent).</p>
<p>Our local experience in following Stanford’s early admissions trends is that they are definitive. Usually an admit or rejection.</p>
<p>Don't forget the OP also has an ACT writing score from the sophomore year. I'd send in all the scores (or if you prefer just the two ACT scores) - perhaps after first checking with the admissions office. Frankly I think your SAT scores are high enough to. What is going to make or break your application is not your scores it's all the stuff you can't measure, GC and teacher recommendations and your essays.</p>
<p>EA nearly always works to the advantage of the applicant, but I don't know the details of Stanford's history in this regard.</p>
<p>Stanford has a past reputation of being brutal on the EA round--a lot of outright rejections. Overall admissions rate is single digits. </p>
<p>You describe yourself as having OK test scores, OK ECs, OK essays...unless you are being extraordinarily modest, nothing screams out "Take Me Early". </p>
<p>I watched one D go through the EA process--applied to one of the HYP early, was rejected outright, was absolutely crushed, went on to get into another of HYP and Stanford in the RD round. Trust me, the period of time between December and March was a real downer.</p>
<p>Stanford's EA numbers could be skewed because they recruit a lot of athletes who apply EA (but their acceptances are a done deal). I would be interested to see what the numbers are taking out the athletes.</p>
<p>I would apply RD. If Stanford comes through, you'll be ecstatic. If Stanford doesn't come through, you'll be sad for a moment and then will be excited by the many offers you will have.</p>