<p>Listen: I don't want any "good ECs and test scores" and crap.
I want to know for instance what Stanford WANTS in ECs. Achievement? Involvement? Or sheer Numbers, etc... Yea, and same for the rest of the stats (AP courses, grades, tanks, AWARDS!!)</p>
<p>Thanks. </p>
<p>Note: Answer this too: What makes Stanford's undergrad admissions different? Is it really different? Why? WHAT DO THEY WANT??? Thanks!</p>
<p>PS: I'm not trying to be mean...really, I'm just being straightforward. Please do NOT be offended by the way I'm posing my question. Thanks!</p>
<p>From what I have read/heard...Stanford wants to see real passion for something....do you love surfing so much you've started your own surfboard design company? Does bio-medical research turn you on so much that you've spent the last two summers interning with a researcher? Do you play waterpolo, swim or dive??? (reputation for big watersports) That is what I've heard. GOOD LUCK!!</p>
<p>Agreed with the above. Ideally, you'll show a passion throughout your app: in your ECs, in your class choices, in your honors/awards, in your intended major, and in your essays. From what I've gathered, passion is very important.</p>
<p>real passion in something, as mentioned above.
one type of activity is not better than another.
volunteering used to be great -- it shows going beyond the extra curricular, but now it's over used, and anything is volunteering.
you still want to be a well-rounded person, but with expertise and superior achievement. international, national stuff is always good. state~ sure
i got this from a person accepted to stanford, yale...blah</p>
<p>Step 1: Find things you like to do. How else can you have a passion for them?
Step 2: Show an unusual aptitude or interest in them. ie, win awards for them, have leadership positions. But also, go above and beyond what's expected. </p>
<p>For example, don't just "volunteer". Take initiative, start new volunteer projects that are needed, or help drastically improve current projects in work. </p>
<p>Personal example; dozens of kids at my high school volunteer hundreds of hours at the local hospital. One kid organized a tennis tournament to raise money and garner publicity for the hospital. Several articles and tens of thousands of dollars later, he gets into Stanford, which he currently attends. </p>
<p>It's important (if not required) to be well rounded, but I recommend you be talented and passioned in at least one area (my friend at Stanford did cross country and swimming, but was mediocre to poor at both, and dropped out of swimming mid season. Also, he was just a regular member in several clubs. He did these to try different things, and just have some fun). </p>
<p>I'd caution against doing everything in a narrow, specific area as well. What happens when other applicants are better than you are in that area? </p>
<p>Step 3: Profit?</p>
<p>And yes, the idea that you must be well-rounded as well have passion for and be awesome in a specific, narrow area is indeed a contradiction.</p>