How did HE get into Stanford?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>There's this kid at my school who got into Stanford--the best college in the senior class. It was the biggest surprise of my life.</p>

<p>SAT:2150
Rank: 75/700
ECs: None, though he plays sports for fun, not on teams
Nationality: Asian</p>

<p>He's the kid who's actually kinda smart (he actually got 106 on AMC 12) but never really tries hard at school. He's a talkative fellow, often the class clown, and curses a lot. The only thing that sorta sets him apart is his SAT score, which still can't be considered a hook. </p>

<p>All this begs the question: how in the world did he get into Stanford?</p>

2

<p>Good essays..or he has something that he doesn't bother trying to gloat about in front of other people that was good enough for Stanford to see.</p>

3

<p>It definitely wasn't his essays...and I highly doubt he would hide something from me since we are really good friends. Also, he did get rejected from Rice, which, for the most part, is not as good a school as Stanford</p>

4

<p>From your post, it doesn't sound as though you two are great friends... anyway, what were his ECs? His accomplishments? His awards/honors? What did his essays discuss? Did his family donate to the school? What was his course load like? Did he have anything that set him apart that you're overlooking (i.e. four language AP exams)?</p>

5

<p>Well, actually, this year he's taking 7 AP exams, which is actually the norm for the top 10 percent of seniors.
He had no ECs/major accomplishments whatsoever, and his family doesn't donate (our school is in a village of pop.<3000. He took 3 years of French. Nothing that i know of set him apart.</p>

6

<p>then he is most likely lying about either:</p>

<p>a) his admission
b) his EC's</p>

7

<p>He got in by random chance, which is how almost everyone gets in.</p>

8

<p>I tend to agree with aznboy--it really makes you wonder what kind of people are making these decisions, especially after that MIT incident.</p>

<p>Honestly, people who don't even have a BA shouldn't be deciding who gets to go to top colleges when they didn't go to one themselves.</p>

9

<p>yea totally. cuz that's how people get into top colleges. compleeeetely random.</p>

<p>mm hmm.</p>

<p>yup
that's right.</p>

<p>NOT!!!!!</p>

10

<p>I'm guessing he had a sweet essay and expressed how much Stanford would mean to him.</p>

11

<p>stanford's a crapshoot..</p>

12

<p>Rank 75/700...in a community with a population of 3000?</p>

<p>Is the community filled with H.S. Students? (4 classes of school @ 700 per class?) Am I missing something in the original post?</p>

13

<p>yeah thats what i was thinking... the HS has 3k people or the entire town?</p>

14

<p>I think that Stanford, more so than any other top 10 school, takes students that the admission committee finds just plain interesting. I would really speculate that the admission committee at Stanford loves to take risks on students who may not be total brains, but who project some sort of future potential for their later life.</p>

15

<p>Honestly, if everyone who goes to stanford has 4.0, perfect SAT, perfect ACT, win international award and genius IQ, I would imagine the competition for grade would be very cutthroat wouldn't it. </p>

<p>I mean cmon, they need to allow some "regular interesting" student to get in so the other "genius" people could get their A+ right?</p>

16

<p>Oh yeah, the HS has 3000 people, lol, not the town, my bad. But we're still pretty rural.</p>

17

<p>I agree that Stanford sometimes takes students you wouldn't expect to be admitted. I don't know why, but I have also gotten the impression they choose people who will do something in the future, and not necessarily those who are absolutely accomplished in high school.</p>

18

<p>thats really wierd
75/700 and going to the best college in your senior class and has no hooks at all
and he's asian
i think it would be really unjust to the other people, who were waitlisted or rejected who were 10 times more qualified than this guy, that Stanford takes people who aren't very accomplished like all of their other students</p>

19

<p>Two kids from our school got in (one also got into Princeton)...both are track recruits.....top 50% of the class, low 1600 SAT's, no ec's except sports...the one who got into princeton isn't even that great at track.....both rejected Stanford........(mainly b/c of $$$)</p>

20

<p>cooljoe,
stop worrying about other people and worry about yourself
get over it
there was obviously something about this kid that stanford liked that you dont know</p>