<p>Is there anyone who has gotten into HYPSM or colleges of similar nature without mind-blowing stats? I'm talking an unhooked applicant who had decent grades (top 10%), decent test scores, alright ec's but wrote amazing essays and got in. I know the answer is most likely a no, but I just had to ask.</p>
<p>Yes. Stanford, to be specific.</p>
<p>Yeah, I mean, it’s possible.</p>
<p>2340 SAT, 2330 combined SAT II
Top 2%
Adequate EC involvement - nothing spectacular, NO volunteer hours
Random language awards, but not much else
White female</p>
<p>Accepted to H and S; rejected at YPM. 95% sure my essays clinched it at H.
Don’t know if you consider my stats “mind-blowing,” but I definitely don’t, and trust me – in comparison to the tens of other kids from my school who were rejected, they’re really not.
It is possible. Good luck.</p>
<p>Every single year, at every single school. That’s why admissions are subjective. Subjective. They can pick who they want…and they do.</p>
<p>@Elanorci: To me, your stats are mindblowing. I’m only top 8% with a 2250 SAT, average ec’s, and 150-200 volunteer hours.</p>
<p>Based on what you guys have said, I might just apply to a few of those crazy reach schools.</p>
<p>You should always try if you really want to. The only thing you should avoid is applying to ONLY Harvard and nowhere else, then coming on here next year in the middle of July panicking because you didn’t get in and have nowhere to go and your parents are kicking you out and the homeless shelter burned all your stuff. There’s nothing wrong with just applying though and see if it works out. After all, you might get in! :D</p>
<p>Got into Yale with 2080 SAT and ninth in a class of under 200. Involved with a couple ECs but nothing ‘mind blowing’</p>
<p>Yes. One of my friends is at Stanford, currently. His stats were decent, but nothing great. I don’t know the particulars, to be honest - never thought to ask him - but I don’t think he got above a 2300 on the SATs, and while his GPA was solid, his class rank wasn’t mindblowingly high. I would say probably a top 10% student. He was involved in a number of ECs: lots of community service (though, again, nothing spectacular), Science Olympiad, Latin, History Club. I didn’t see his essays, but I assume they were very good. No hooks. In fact, he had an anti-hook: Asian.</p>
<p>Make of that what you will.</p>