<p>...have a single SUPER special talent. The only people who I know who've gotten accepted were a NASA researcher, nonprofit-founder, and a model who's done many national campaigns. </p>
<p>So if I'm just a boring asian female with a dismal 3.89 and a 35 ACT and only school extracurriculars, and no state/national recognitions, should I save the money and apply somewhere else? Are there really no "common Joes" at Stanford?</p>
<p>No, absolutely not true. There are many “average joes” at Stanford compared to the accomplishments and criteria you mentioned.</p>
<p>The trick is not to have extraordinary accomplishments but more extraordinary PASSION for 1 or 2 things. That’s basically all you need. If you have true passion for something, it will show in your application and along with the passion come great accomplishments. </p>
<p>I had no national recognized talent but I was extremely interested in certain things and dedicated my school ECs and essays to it. That’s basically all you need. The rest is luck, good essays, and a solid GPA. SAT doesn’t really matter.</p>
<p>Your stats look fantastic so develop your passion and your ECs into a focused application.</p>
<p>Although admission officials at the most sought-after schools (like Stanford) are certainly looking for strengths and passions outside the classroom, there can be a huge chunk of luck involved, too. </p>
<p>For instance, if you attend a high school that hasn’t sent a candidate to Stanford for many years, then the time may be ripe for Stanford to say yes to you.</p>
<p>Other background factors can also work in your favor: if you come from a very disadvantaged household (or, of course, an uber-rich one, with Mom and Dad prepared to donate a gym or two), if anything about your Wonder Years is atypical (you grew up on a pickle farm or on a houseboat), or if you happen to choose a prospective major in a department that the college is trying to bolster. (But, of course, admission folks are always skeptical if they see something like “Slavic Studies” on the application with no indication elsehwhere to explain where this interest comes from.)</p>
<p>But it’s also true, unfortunately, that “the average outstanding kid” may be at some disadvantage in the “elite” admissions process, despite super courses, grades, and test scores. And many Asian students can have an added disadvantage if their pursuits seem stereotypical (e.g., Math Club, Chess club, orchestra).</p>
<p>Yet, even so, if your grades and test scores are in the ballpark, never pass up the chance to apply to a dream college for fear that you won’t get in. Statistically, the odds may be against you, but every year I see admission decisions … both affirmative and negative … that surprise me, along with the gazillions that don’t.</p>
<p>“boring asian female” will go against you right now due to large amount of asians.</p>
<p>They do not accept boring people, so if you perceive and portray yourself as such, you will have no chance, even if your “stats” are good enough.</p>
<p>@ Sally: LOL. My HS usually send one kid to Stanford every 5-10 years…the last one was last year…not a good sign, huh?
So would a focus in English and Science (I have no idea why my interests are so unrelated) be considered stereotypical or not?</p>
<p>@ Everyone else: …so the general agreement is either a) I have a shot, go try for it or b) don’t bother?</p>
<p>I’ll say what I’ve been saying in general: tell the school in your application what you can bring to it. Don’t show yourself as unique in a false light, try to *find * what unique things you can bring to the school, or even less unique things that you have a special passion for. Then let the school decide. There’s no magic answer, and you should just apply if you’d very much like to attend. Yes, there are lots of mystery factors that play into the game, but nobody can spell them out clearly.</p>
<p>Tomorrow … it sounds like you have a good sense of humor. Try to let it shine through (without forcing the issue, of course) in your essays and other application materials.</p>
<p>Sometimes it can be the little, amusing things that can help an applicant to stand out from the crowd. For instance, once when I was working at Smith, I was reading an application from a Chinese-American student who was employed in a restaurant owned by her parents. In the “Work Experience” section of the application, where she was asked to indicate the number of hours per week that she worked, instead of putting down a numeral she wrote the Infinity symbol. It made me LOL, and it also rang very true to me. “I like this girl!” I said to myself.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that something like that will immediately shunt a candidate straight into the “Admit” pile, but judicious touches of humor can certainly make a favorable impression on admissions adjudicators.</p>
<p>The admission officers at Stanford must passionately advocate for the students they want admitted to the rest of the admissions committee. Make that admissions guy or gal want fight for your place in the class. Show who you are and what you are passionate about through your ECs and Essays. As my D said when she hit the submit button, you never know unless you apply. She considers herself average too. She starts Stanford in September. Good luck!!!</p>
<p><em>Desperately trying to think of his own “single super special talent”</em></p>
<p>Yes… yes… you need a special talent…</p>
<p><em>Still thinking</em></p>
<p>But in all seriousness, I think a super special talent can mean sticking to one EC and being really committed. </p>
<p>As an admittee, I assure you that I have never worked for NASA (they don’t return my phone calls), started a nonprofit organization (I clean my room without pay, if that works), or professionally modeled (Not saying I couldn’t. Ok, I couldn’t.)</p>
<p>And MY ACT score was a 34 AND I’m Asian (Bangladeshi, in fact) too. So you’ve already one-upped me in that aspect.</p>
<p>What I think it comes down to is after they read your application, are you the type of person that the Adcom would like to have lunch with? Basically, are you in some way interesting apart from the other thousands of applicants. I mean when you meet in person, one can only talk about “4.0 GPA” and “2400 SATs” for so long. It’s much more interesting to for a person after reading an application to think “Oh so you started an environmental club at your school” or “You really love playing the piano? Who’s your favorite composer?” or “Wow, you I’ve never met someone that loves soccer so much.”</p>
<p>As bluebubbles said, you need to show passion for the things you do.</p>
<p>Yeah you have to show something special. You have to show commitment to something. And you should strive to be the best in that “something” (even if you aren’t, it’s the effort you put in). Sure there are people who have gotten in that are International Science Fair winners but there are also people who got in that aren’t a national winner in any competition. That special talent is revealed by “standing out”. Usually it is your EC (maybe you did a interesting activity–like being a on your city’s youth council–and focused upon it a lot).</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback!</p>
<p>While doing research on a Yale forum, a Yale admitee told me that while Yale accepts the ACT without subject tests and Stanford says it does the same thing, Stanford really actually discriminates against those who only send in an ACT score without any SAT IIs. What sayeth you guys?</p>
<p>So, if all of you fine Stanford matriculates are saying that the most important element of the application process is demonstrating a clear passion in some area, what should one who has no passion do?
In my case, I have never clearly focused on one area - I try to pursue knowledge in many disciplines. I am involved in a myriad of clubs, and my classes are an even balance between the sciences and the humanities. You might say that I am “a jack of all trades, but master of none.” I would like to think that my plethora of interests has given me the clairvoyance to pick a major that is best geared towards my personality and goals (biology), but whether or not that is the case is debatable.
So what do you say, is there anything I can do or should I give up on Stanford and apply to a small liberal arts college?</p>
<p>@rishipittacus First of all, how many years do you have left in HS? If you’re going into your junior year I’d strongly suggest you put some serious thought about what makes you “tick”. You don’t necessarily have to be totally passionate about something, but are some activities you’re involved in more interesting than others? </p>
<p>Ask yourself, I have to spend 3 months researching one thing and only that thing - what’s your first thought?</p>
<p>Take that interest and do something with it next summer. An internship, volunteering, a job, something that shows your initiative and at least gives you an inclination towards becoming passionate.</p>
<p>By the way, if you don’t have that ONE THING going for you, you can have more than one passion. 2 or 3 is fine. Just not more than that.</p>
<p>If you’re going to be a senior, do a self-evaluation anyway and narrow your application EC list down to a few things that are relevant to each other and are most interesting to you. Then talk about how you hope Stanford will give you the experience to try to find and develop your existing “superficial” passions into something deeper. Don’t say superficial, of course, haha.</p>
<p>In terms of applying to LACs, I’d definitely recommend those over big state schools where kids in your situation get lost easier. Stanford, however, has an extensive general education requirement which will give you lot’s of room to explore totally different majors. Don’t be afraid to go in undeclared with no idea for a major or career.</p>
<p>The bottom line is to avoid the “jack-of-all-trades” deal, like you mentioned. Avoid a laundry list of ECs at all costs. Don’t be afraid to leave stuff out.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>How did you land on biology? That’s a question worth reflecting on. And if you have time, maybe do something biology-related before applications. That’s pretty specific, to be honest: “I am a jack of all trades, master of none, but I’m born to be a biologist, as I have divined through admirable clairvoyance.” :D</p>
<p>That is, only if you really see yourself loving biology. I think it’s very much fine to not have things figured out yet. Two friends of mine at Stanford didn’t have their majors picked out until the end of sophomore year, and at that, they were quite clueless about even narrowing it down until some point midway into the first quarter of that year. </p>
<p>My personal opinion, which may be slightly different from bluebubbles (or perhaps just how I’m wording it), is that it’s less a question of narrowing down your laundry list of ECs, but actually finding something to write passionately about, and doing something special with some of them. Being a jack of all trades who’s working hard at trying to go a little deeper into something isn’t a bad thing, and I think I know some admits from my old school who were sort of like this. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s less a question of even trying to narrow down on 3 ECs to explore, it’s more picking any of them (if, say, you like all of them equally) and going a bit deeper – if you don’t try to go deep, you show no promise of ever discovering any passion. And that, to any school, might signal a problem.</p>
<p>As for the advice on LACs vs. bigger schools, I’d not rule bigger ones out if you consider yourself the kind who finds a thrill in figuring out your own path from an ocean of possibilities. Bigger schools are big largely in that they offer you so incredibly much, though there isn’t quite that sense of cameraderie among the student body members. If a close student body, plus more personal guidance is what you prefer, LACs fit you much better. Definitely avoid “getting lost,” though, because that just means wasting years of college that you’ll possibly regret later.</p>
<p>to tomorrow: </p>
<p>Stanford does not put as much emphasis on SATIIs as other schools. However, it is highly recommended that you do, meaning that it’s best for you to take them. If you’re looking to be a “techie” they would expect the SATII Math II at least.</p>
<p>at Stanford University. There, he said, the office did a study some years ago in which it compared Asian and white applicants with the same overall academic and leadership rankings. The study was only of “unhooked kids,” meaning those with no extra help for being an alumni child or an athlete. The study found that comparably qualified white applicants were “significantly” more likely to be admitted than their Asian counterparts.</p>
<p>Hmmm…
Well, this (oh dear) boring Asian male (oh dear) international seeking full FA pursued (oh dear) math club and choir and still got in (oh dear) without college classes or university papers or (oh dear) an educated family. LOL. My math essay could have worked against me 
but it’s what I like, so there’s some degree to which you should be upfront and let them know the kind of person they’re about to invest in. If you really don’t have a focus, or you feel that being genuine is going to hurt, then you might wish to re-evaluate your response to the pressure of such a school.</p>
<p>Pick a thing and spend years doing it well. Maybe two things. If you are a genuine superlative, then perhaps three, but that’s like a triple major (not realistic for everyone).</p>
<p>I really think it’s the net time commitment over the years, as opposed to just bare awards, that count. Certainly that’s the advice old people give to young children, and the advice dished out by supposedly wise anime characters.
Zealotry ftw. You could try to ramp it up by spending a summer in something familiar over a couple 40+ hour weeks.</p>
<p>I go to a big, prestigious public high school (we don’t rank). Not TOO many people from my school apply to Stanford (at least far less than apply to HYP). Also, I’m white. </p>
<p>SAT (Highest Combined)
CR 690
M 710
W 800
Total 2200</p>
<p>SAT IIs
Physics 740
Math 2c 670 (retaking)
Bio 670 </p>
<p>Grades
Freshman Year- B+s
Sophomore year- 1st term 88, 2nd term 94. I took AP Euro (5), honors english, science projects</p>
<p>Junior Year- 1st term 94, 2nd term 98. I took AP psych (5), honors english, honors US, honors spanish, science projects</p>
<p>Senior Classes- AP Lit, AP Bio, AP Calc AB, AP US, AP Gov, honors spanish</p>
<p>ECs- vp of a club (2 years) , captain of an academic team (4 years ive been on it), a lot of volunteer work (2 years, summers), independent research </p>
<p>Also, I’m pretty sure my recs are amazing. </p>
<p>Thanks for any advice!</p>