<p><em>sigh</em>, so I've pretty much always wanted to get into Stanford, but I realize how difficult that can be (so I think...) Movies like "Orange County" don't help either in building confidence, so I have a simple question: Not to put down all the over-achievers out there, but is it really THAT hard to get into one of these top-notch schools? I have a decent GPA (high B+, I believe), and take a full IB courseload, TOK, EE and everything. My ECs aren't half bad (half a dozen or so...) and I've had a small part-time job for some time. Should I really be thins worried, or should I really just face it and give up on Stanford? Some meaningfull input would be VERY MUCH appreciated. :)</p>
<p>"Is is really all that difficult? "
no</p>
<p>according to CC, just take 100 APs, get 24000 on SAT, start 5 clubs, 2 business than makes over 100k a year, and win nobel prize and invent high AI robots. </p>
<p>lol what's the use of worrying? just apply. what can be worse? a rejection? if u dont apply it's same as a rejection.</p>
<p>It is THAT hard to get into "top-notch schools", but that doesn't mean you should not apply. Just realize the vast majority of applicants are qualified enough to succeed at the school, and the acceptance rates are very low. Don't give up on your dream of Stanford, but at the same time, don't expect to be admitted. Find a safety school and learn to love it. It's not uncommon to feel that it is dream school or bust. In time, you will realize that there are many schools out there that offer a great education. Whether you end up at Stanford or somewhere else, what defines you will be how hard you work and what you make of your opportunities.</p>
<p>lol no offense but you don't stand a chance...in the words of my guidance counselor," to get into stanford, you either have to be an olympian or one of the most brilliant people alive in this world"</p>
<p>my friend had perfect SAT scores, 4.0 UW GPA, incredible ECs that he was passionate about and he got rejected</p>
<p>my other friend, was an intel semifinalist and participated in international science competitions and was admitted</p>
<p>Unless she tries Eraly decision!.....</p>
<p>I like what screwthepc said. It actually wouldn't hurt to apply; I'd advice you to apply to 100 schools if its feasible.....the only downside is the heavy burden on the mail man</p>
<p>Ummm PKswmr76...I highly doubt you have to be the most brilliant to get into stanford....admission is not based solely on grades and test scores alone; its based on passion desire etc. && getting rejected sometimes mean that yeah you are qualified but the seating we have is scarce</p>
<p>^Yes. (10 char)</p>
<p>Try, but don't get your hopes up. Present your credentials well...find a way to make yourself memorable (in the best possible light). All those stories about perfect score people getting rejected are true, but chances are that they did not have exceptional essays or could not distinguish themselves outside of test scores. You should give it a shot. Best of luck.</p>
<p>I agree with emyla.......essays can make or break you......get started on it now so it won't be a rush during your senior year. You wnat to have a top-notch essay....&& something unique.....I'll pray for you to get in because this is how I feel about columbia also...</p>
<p>much appreciated So Authentic :)</p>
<p>you welcome......If you get in....Private message me...</p>
<p>You'll never get in unless you apply, and it's not like you don't have a shot at it--the IB diploma is very rigorous. Just do your best on the app, really; it's not the end of the world if you don't get in. :)</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>If there is something unusual about you, it will help. A B+ average and IB is not going to impress them much. Are you applying as a US citizen? Your name (if that is your name) sounds Finnish. If you are international, it may help. The top schools like to say that they have students from all 50 states and *** (in the hundreds) foreign countries. There probably aren't many applicants from Finland. Unusual jobs, hobbies, sports, and ECs help. Coordinating your application so that it highlights you as a unique individual also helps. You have to use every item- recommendations, interviews, essays, everything.</p>
<p>the top kid from my high school, which is a great high school, got rejected from stanford after having near perfect sats and he was student body president. he ended up at university of southern california.</p>
<p>wow....you guys are really intimidating her</p>
<p>Nah. It shouldn't be that difficult. ;)</p>
<p>a kid from my friend's schoool, who had perfect SAT's, self-studied A LOT of AP tests with a bunch of 5's, and played volleyball.....DID get in. not sure how his essays were.</p>
<p>Bottomline: everything abuot your app has to be very good, and you have to make yourself stand out. There's no room for slack because there are so many qualified candidates out there. Yes...it is very hard, but theres always a chance if you apply.</p>
<p>lol, finnish, no..... Virginian, yes (the name is just a play on words)</p>
<p>and another quick question... do you guys think people with a bunch of AP scores are more qualified than an IB student? (just because it isn't as well known in the states yet)</p>
<p>i'm sorry onemom, but international HURTS a trillion.
especially in top schools like MIT, stanford, PRinceton...etc</p>
<p>sure, they want diversity, but internationals are generally extremely IGNORANT about uS colleges and pick most top schools to apply and perhaps a few safeties. the top school is where the overlap for itnernational students are. it's better off being american.</p>
<p>you sure?
if you're Interntaional then you must have done alot of research then to be able to point out most top schools.</p>
<p>eg. at MIT class of 2010, american acceptance rate was 16%, international 4%, average was 14%.
of course, acceptance rate =/= hardness, but international students definitely dont have a weaker pool in average.
heck, a lot of schools (like stanford or caltech) even mention on their websites it's much harder!</p>
<p>PRinceton for example, once published data for acceptance rate by ethnicity and nationality. it was either class of '09 or '10 (forgot)
Americans was 11-12%, and internatinoal was 6%. </p>
<p>I personally visited MIT, and all the students there said international students were the smartest of their class (referring to '10) and how if they were internatinoal no way they could've gotten in. </p>
<p>however, at non-top schools like carnegie mellon or USC, internationals dont have it that bad.</p>
<p>PS I'm not international, but it's common knowledge for ppl who do resarch to know it.</p>