<p>Hi guys! I'm an International student from a very underrepresented country I have incredible extracurricular s a great SAT >2300, but I have a low GPA (3.0). Now with this stats I don't think I could get in to Stanford but I have an exceptional writing talent and am planning on publishing my first thriller novel this summer or at the beginning of next year. As I've heard from most people I let review my book ,they said it excels every thriller book on paper right now in our country let alone books written by authors of my age(if there are any)</p>
<p>But there's one problem, I'm graduating from high school this year and I can't transfer from a local college to Stanford next year (b/c of curriculum rules). I am planning to deffer the coming year from whichever college(local) takes me in to finish my book and do all the publication. Besides It will give me the chance to apply to Stanford and other top schools for freshmen year. So what I want to hear from you guys is what are my chances as an international student and also is it possible to do what i explained earlier in order to apply for freshmen year?</p>
<p>There aren't many admitted students from my country and that doesn't bother me at all. I really believe I am different. Besides See: <a href="http://www.collegegreenlight.com/colleges/Stanford-University/admissions#Scattergram">http://www.collegegreenlight.com/colleges/Stanford-University/admissions#Scattergram</a></p>
<p>You can clearly see the blue dots even under the 3.0 GPA margin line. As I have read these kind of students aren't even compared with the whole applicant pool, they are simply compared with the students of similar remarkable talents, therefore have a great chance of getting accepted.I am talking about the whole holistic admission thing and how it benefits me more than any body.</p>
<p>It even says ---don't give up hope of getting into Stanford if you don't have a 4.0 and a 2400 on the SAT. Stanford has holistic admissions, and they are looking for students who bring to campus more than good grades and test scores. Students who have some kind of remarkable talent or have a compelling story to tell will get a close look even if grades and test scores aren't quite up to the ideal.</p>
<p>And as of the competition between my fellow international students I don't think they have published a thriller novel with great reviews so far. So don't you think I am more competitive than them?</p>
<p>Who do you think will get admitted to Yale the Asian with amazing ECs, perfect SATs a 4.0 GPA or the student whose country is extremely underrepresented at Stanford plus with incredible ECs, great SATs,a 3.0 GPA, but above all a critically admired published author from an unexpected developing country? Thanks in advance for all your comments.
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<p>Your 3.0 GPA will be evaulated in comparison to other students in your high school, country. So your rank (or if your school doesn’t rank, whether you’re in the top 5-10%) will be more important than your GPA. To be more clear, a 3.0 GPA in a graduating class where there is nobody with better grades is excellent, and this is what Stanford will look at. How is your GPA compared to your classmates? And do you expect to get good recommendation letters from your teachers?</p>
<p>To respond to your last question, I think you have a better chance at Stanford than the candidate you describe would have at Yale. One friendly advice, when you’re writing your essays, try to be more humble than the way you come across in your post. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Being a ‘published’ writer does not mean much in the world of blogs, self-published e-books and the internet in general. If you were published in English, I would expect you did a poor job or had a great editor. Your post contains many errors in grammar, so I expect English is not your first language. When you write, take the time to get it correct…especially if you are trying to sell yourself as a writer.</p>
<p>Try to seem less arrogant when you express this “exceptional talent.”</p>
<p>@didimos. First and foremost Stanford is an academic institution of the HIGHEST order and the MOST difficult elite school to get into in the US…and every Tom, Dick, and Harry from around the world is looking for that “hook” to get in…</p>
<p>…your GPA of 3.0 is of SIGNIFICANT concern…because it is INCONSISTENT with your SAT score of 2300…Stanford and its peers will be highly suspicious (RED FLAG) of your SCORE coming from another “country”…and, even for domestic students…this would raise questions…</p>
<p>…Stanford may consider your supposed “book” as an interesting extracurricular accomplishment…but they will not OVERLOOK your academic credentials REGARDLESS of what “country” you hail from. And please…do not presume or insult the international students applying from Asian countries who have to meet a stiffer competition among their own countrymen to get into Stanford…</p>
<p>…and last, but not least…as others have mentioned…be HUMBLE…Stanford, in particular, seeks out students of great accomplishments/achievements who don’t wear it on their sleeves…</p>
<p>thanks @persevernse
But I really think I am very different. Even some elder writers have read my yet to be published book and cried in front of me realizing my talents. I don’t mean to be so full of my self but I had to tell the truth. Sorry if my previous post wasn’t a humble one. I didn’t mean it guys. I just mistakenly copied and pasted it from another forum in which I think some guy underestimated my talents. </p>
<p>Honestly I am yet to sell millions of copies in my country when my book will be out. And that will hopefully be soon. I didn’t believe this until the current #1 besseller author in my country told me so ( YEAH FOR REAL!!!) . And all this will be happening in a country of a very low reading habit.</p>
<p>Most people seem to be exaggerating the top caliber of currently admitted HYS students that I won’t have any chance getting in.I am also a big admirer of their rigor,I really am but at the end of the day we all know that HYS will choose to admit the student on the top of a magazine cover eventhough he’s got a 3.0 GPA. And always remember ‘nothing is impossible ; even the word impossible says I’m possible’</p>
<p>Again sorry guys if I sounded arrogant. I am very humble in person. And @Torveaux the grammar problem is b/c I’m posting from a phone. I don’t have those kinds of problems.</p>
<p>But I really want to know my chances and whether the thing I mentioned about differing next year and applying for freshmen year would workout. Isn’t it possible or is it simply improbable?
thank you!!</p>
<p>Stanford’s admit rate this year was 5.1% so your chances are somewhat less than that… also, can you afford tuition? (Without assuming profit from book sales…)</p>
<p>@perseverance Yes I guess I can get excellent recommendations from my English teacher and my counselor. But above all I could ask the man I mentioned earlier(the current #1bestseller author in my country) to write me one b/c I know he will write me a great rec. plus it would be wonderful coming from him. Tnx for the info.</p>
<p>And as of my GPA I’m afraid its a bit lower than the top ranking ones(3.8) but I have been working really hard this last semester and my rank may be at the top 3% with an average of (>94.0). Besides in my country the exam at the last quarter in high school which is called MODEL exam comes from the whole grade11&12 chapters so that it helps us prepare well for the following National Exam. I am also working very hard to score the top 1% in my country and it’s going so far so good. So do you think all the things I have.mentioned including my previous post would really help my chances of getting in to Stanford?
thanks!!</p>
<p>Still somewhat less than 5.1%. Can you afford the tuition?</p>
<p>I am always interested to see that the focus of these threads is “can I get in” vs. “is it right for me?” or “can I do well there?”.</p>
<p>As @gravitas2 pointed out, the 3.0 is a real issue, especially since you mentioned the highest GPA is 3.8.<br>
Why? Because Stanford, like all strong institutions, want to have students who will push the school forward. Even top athletes, who contribute to the school in a non-academic capacity, are also sitting there with higher GPAs and still contribute academically. Examples, the Rose Bowl MVP from last year is now working on a Masters at Stanford and has done research in his field, the top women’s basketball star is also being mentored by Condoleezza Rice in International Relations.</p>
<p>So just because one has a great EC, it does not mean that they will look past GPA or other issues, since there are other people who have great ECs and have better GPAs. For example, you mentioned the Yale candidate who has perfect grades and amazing ECs. (Not sure why you mentioned they were Asian).</p>
<p>Secondly, you mentioned that you are writing these posts on your phone. You may want to use a computer since it is hard to read past the grammar issues.</p>
<p>
Which country is it? Many countries can have completely different grading systems. Some countries grade far more harshly than US schools, so it may not appropriate to compare GPAs for applicants in your country to GPAs for applicants in the US. For example, if a student in Ontario Canada received grades of 85 in all of his courses, he might call that a 3.0 GPA after conversion to US grades (85 is typically a B in US HSs). However, according to the conversion chart at <a href=“Grade Conversion”>http://www.foreigncredits.com/resources/grade-conversion/</a> , grades of 80-89 in Ontario convert to an A under the US system, so his 85 average might be the equivalent of a straight A average in the United States.</p>
<p>@didimos “At the end of the day we all know that HYS will choose to admit the student on the top of a magazine cover eventhough he’s got a 3.0 GPA”</p>
<p>I do not think this is always true. A kid at a high school near mine ran for office in his local government, and won a pretty big position, beating out many adults who also ran for election. Yet, he applied to many ivies + stanford and was rejected from all of them, probably because he had a low GPA and they thought he couldn’t handle the coursework, and that he was doing this all just for his resume. </p>
<p>Also, I completely agree with @fluffy2017. I think Stanford believes your academics come first, regardless of your amazing EC capabilities. It’s very true: the athletes are still incredible academic scholars, and that’s a big source of pride at Stanford. </p>
<p>I’m a Stanford admit… did you really post this on all hyps cc pages? Like really, calm down and whatever happens will happen. Whenever you see advice you don’t want to hear, you work your away around it, as if you’re simply posting on these forums to get confirmation that you have exceptional talent and will get in. However, the process is so unpredictable and with only your own words to work with, we cannot conclude very much. </p>
<p>The only true confirmation is from the admissions office, so it’s best to keep working hard, turn in your application, and get the actual admissions decision.</p>