<p>Do research, get a 4.0, get 2300+ on SATs, have a unique story about yourself, do charity, take leadership positions, play a sport, work a job, don' take summers off.</p>
<p>Do that, and you'll atleast stand a chance at getting waitlisted.</p>
<p>i've learned from experience that the only sure shot way to get into stanford is to be a recruited athlete. just get crazy good at water polo or something and you'll be in fo sho...</p>
<p>I agree with not planning out your high school carreer with college in your mind, because this could happen:</p>
<p>You work your BUTT off for years and years, doing things you're not quite interested in because it will look good on a college app. You spend a summer studying for SATs... in the end you have a 2400, a 4.0, and a long list of ECs but you're REJECTED (because there is no way you can make sure you're accepted to such a selective school). And then your high school carreer would have been for nothing because the whole time you were doing what you thought an admissions officer would like, not what you actually like.</p>
<p>The best idea is to try your best and challenge yourself while taking classes that interest you (you'll do better in them that way), and doing ECs that interest you. Make sure you're involved a lot in what you love.</p>
<p>Become the number one ranked high school quarterback/power forward/goalie and also get a 2400. Otherwise, you will be in the same pool as everyone else with thousands of choices.</p>
<ol>
<li>Live far away from California</li>
<li>Don't be Asian</li>
<li>Realize that there is more to life than Stanford ;)</li>
</ol>
<p>"Become close friends with Chelsea Clinton and Condoleeza Rice."</p>
<p>LMAO</p>
<p>The first step to ensure acceptance to Stanford is to know the difference between a period and a question mark.</p>
<p>oh and you can win the olympics. they kind of like that. not really but whatever.</p>
<p>It's very difficult to guarentee admission to a place like Stanford. However, things you can do to help make your chances really strong include expressing who you are to the admissions officer very clearly.</p>
<p>For example, if you're a science person, qualify for IBO, IChO, make Science Olympiad Nationals, doe research, and win something in ISEF, Siemens, STS. Then write an amazing essay that shows your love for science, and lie on your app and say you're a URM. Try to do amazing research that can be published, and get recs from research professors to REALLY show how deeply you'e involved with science. The only problem with you doing that is no one has suceeded doing that before.</p>
<p>There's no set formula, really. I'm a freshman just like you and my dream school is also Stanford, but I'm pursuing my real interests rather than gathering a laundry list of activities and EC's. I mean, Stanford is so selective that admissions are a crapshoot, so you might as well do things you actually enjoy doing in high school and then have tons of great experiences to write about in your essay. Best of luck! Who knows... maybe we might both end up there as members of the Class of 2015 =]</p>
<p>How to ensure YOU will get into Stanford?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If your last name is Bush, Obama, or McCain, and it's not a coincidence.</p></li>
<li><p>Your parents donated the new, state-of-the-art research lab and...it has your name plastered all over the entrance.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>3.You maintained a 4.0 unweighted with straight A+'s, took 20 AP courses, got a 2400, had an interview with The Today Show and CNN for your innovative cancer research, built 300 schools for poor children in Cambodia, and what the heck, became the CEO of a profitable business you started.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Also, you are black and/or Hispanic, Native American and some race no one's ever heard of before.</p></li>
<li><p>In addition to that, you come from a town that's not really known( aka NOT Silicon Valley, Orange County)--more like( Hoopaville, Kentucky or Kippertown, California: Population: 500[ does not include the milkman and the cows] )</p></li>
<li><p>You are a certified genius. Like seriously. And you have the whole Ben Franklin/Thomas Edison/Copernicus/Socrates/Aristotle/Shakespeare/and all the other amazingly genius-tastic, dead white men from our past/ thing going on. </p></li>
<li><p>If you created toaster strudel or something like the dinglehopper...and you made millions.</p></li>
<li><p>You check the political science/international relations major box in your application. And then, your letter of reccomendation is from the president of the United States, the prime minister of London, the King of Saudi Arabia, the leaders of Israel and Palestine( and a peace treaty is vaguely mentioned), and the president of Iran. And also, perhaps, the president of China writes you a little note and that guy from Cuba? The other Castro? Yea, he sends his gratifications as well.</p></li>
<li><p>You check the pre-med Major box in your application. And guess what? You cured Cancer and you're on the route to curing HIV/AIDS.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>10.You built a castle for the King and Queen of Monnoco. And you tell Stanford that you want to 'further your passions for Architecture at a school so renowned for it's academic rigor'.</p>
<p>ahaha, I had fun with this one. Thanks =)</p>
<p>LOL at all the responses. AHAHAHAHAH</p>
<p>Poor freshman.......I pity you.</p>
<p>There is NOTHING you can do to assure acceptance into any school. Some of the smartest people I know have spectacular grades and ECs, wonderful recommendations and did not get into the big name and top tier schools. The way I like to think of college admissions is to hope for the best and expect the worse. You don't want to get your hopes up too much, or you'll be very hurt in a worse case scenario.</p>
<p>Even if you're a URM who's cured cancer, and donated a billion dollars to a school?..</p>
<p>Threaten to set tigers loose in the admissions office.</p>
<p>I agree with latenightworker. The most important thing that US universities look at are not how long or how varied your ECs are. What they are looking out for are specific passion and interests and how you pursued them during your high school! Stanford is one of my favourite colleges too and gd luck to all those applying!</p>
<p>lmaooo there are some funny comments (which are sadly, very true)
let me just tell you that Stanford was my one and only dream school since 9th grade. Now I'm a rising senior and realized that I'm not interested in Stanford that much. (You're probably thinking that you will love Stanford forever and ever.) But trust me, I was like that too and I can't believe it myself...</p>
<p>If you somehow became God, you could make use your power to get yourself admitted.</p>
<p>Was not asian and using this website... that could help u a lot... damn man... u must be one nerdy gr 9..</p>
<p>You may enjoy reading Jean Fetter's book "Questions and Admissions: Reflections on 100,000 Admissions Decisions at Stanford." It's available on Amazon. She is no longer the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, but her discussion of how decisions were made during her tenure is very interesting.
I especially agree with the above posters who urge you to remember that there are many great schools where you will be happy.</p>