As many of you are frantically trying to figure out your chances of getting in through the Restrictive Early Action program, just know it’s worth it. Stanford is truly holistic and they look at the entire individual, but it also benefited me because they didn’t evaluate my freshman year… I would have to say that what got me in was my essays. Despite mistakes that you have made learn from it and move forward, because it will all work out in the end. If any of you need advice with anything message me.
It’s nice to see someone who wasn’t in 1000 ECs and didn’t get perfect grades get in. You give people like me hope. Thanks for sharing your story and good luck in Palo Alto! I plan on applying Early Action to Stanford in fall 2016 
Would you mind posting your other stats and EC’s or sending them my way, please? I’d be very interested in finding out more about this.
• SAT I (breakdown):
• ACT: 32C (33M, 32R, 31R, 31S) (Super Score)
• SAT II: Mathematics Level 2 (770), Chemistry (650) (didnt send), U.S History (760)
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
• Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):7/728
• AP (place score in parenthesis): Chemistry (4), U.S History (5), Psychology (5), Environmental Sciences (5);
• Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, Carson scholar, LEDA Scholar
Subjective:
• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): 4 Year Varsity Basketball, 4 Year Track and Field, President of Red Cross Club, Math Club, and Chemistry club, ASU Part time summer classes, Key Club (4 Years), Science Olympiad (3 Years), AAU Basketball,
• Job/Work Experience: Private Tutor/Babysitter
• Volunteer/Community service: generic
I was not a recruited athlete. My hooks were being African-American, First generation, and low-income
Do you live in CA? Had you visited Stanford before? Major?
I live in Arizona and I visited Stanford once. My major is Chemistry
I think the word “essays” is the wrong word (since it implies it was your writing skills)
What got you in is your “story” and “how you presented yourself”. There is a lot more to be proud of in that than just saying “my essays”
Congrats! It is an awesome place. Have fun!
My hooks were being African-American, First generation, and low-income.
At the same time, I know of another URM, first gen, low income rejected SCEA last year. Rank 2 2350/800/800/800. No Ds. From this can we conclude that getting a D helps you get in? I think that it is very nice when students share their stories but I hate to see egging on of lower stats applicants when they don’t have these hooks as if it is a someone has to win the lottery approach. Congrats and hope you have a great year, though.
Holistic means just that.
One person getting in with one D does not actually imply that someone else will also get in despite having a D.
One can also have a condition where they say I got a D and I got in. Btw, there is 50 million dollar building on campus with my family name or i competed in the nationals in swimming or I am listed as a top 50 prospect for football.