<p>Hi guys!
I am a junior entering senior year and very interested in getting admitted into Stanford. I've read most of the threads posted and have come to understand that one definately needs high SAT scores and AMAZING grades to get into Stanford.</p>
<p>BUT SERIOUSLY! Is it all about the grades? I mean there must definately be some students walking on the Stanford campus who didnt get 1900s or 2000s in the SATs, had average grades and are there! </p>
<p>So my question is...if your SAT scores or grades may not get you in, WHAT WILL?</p>
<p>sos: What do you mean by average grades? If your SATs are 1900-2000, you better have excellent grades in the most difficult courses. You should also have meaningful ECs, some leadership and be able to write great essays. Oh, and high SAT subject tests and glowing letters of rec will help, too.</p>
<p>You also need good luck, since no credentials or skills will ensure your acceptance into Stanford.</p>
<p>College admissions are no longer just about qualifications. Stanford adcoms are building a community and so it doesn't matter who you are, as long as you fit in their vision for Stanford.</p>
<p>sos17 writes: "I mean there must definately be some students walking on the Stanford campus who didnt get 1900s or 2000s in the SATs, had average grades and are there!"</p>
<p>Not really. Maybe an occasional football or basketball player, but while I agree with berkeheartely that Stanford's vision of their community is extremely important in the admissions process, that vision happens to include (at the very least) stellar grades or scores. </p>
<p>To be brutally honest, average grades and average scores tend to correlate with average people. Stanford doesn't have any reason to admit average people. The reality is that unless a so called average (according to grades and scores) candidate has cured cancer (or something of similarly awesome caliber), it is highly unlikely that they will be admitted.</p>
<p>Just as a side note, a 1900 of 2000 on the SAT is probably below the middle 50% of SAT scores for Stanford admits</p>
<p>Sorry that came off bit meaner than it was meant to. What I mean to say is that while I recognize there are many amazing people with average grades and scores, it will be very difficult for Stanford (remember that Stanford is at its core an academic institution) to overlook a complete failure to thrive and positively differentiate yourself in an academic setting. </p>
<p>I remember reading a quote somewhere that seems somewhat pertinent to this discussion. It went something like this, "When a college says that it evaluates applications holistically, what they really mean is that they practice holistic admissions for everyone with a 4.0 GPA and a 2400." Not a perfect quote but I think there's a hint of truth.</p>
<p>Johnno12345, (thats an INTERESTING nickname by the way, Lol) </p>
<p>I didnt think your first post was mean in the slightest sense. But anyway, like Berkeley said, it no longer just about the qualifications. So what are the other factors? Because I'm doing the IB Diploma with 7s in my HLs (Economics English and History) and 6s and 7s in my SLs (Math, French and Biology) so I aint really an average student. But I just want to know what Stanford wants to see in your application other than stellar grades...could you please help me out there? </p>
<p>If applying to any top university or LAC, to be in serious contention it is nice to be comfortably in the middle 50% (or above) for that college in your standardized test scores and have great grades: remember, those admitted with scores in the bottom 25% will by and large have other significant hooks (all-state athletes, URM's, legacies, huge donors).</p>
<p>The reason people say it is "no longer just about the qualifications" is not because academic qualifications are now somehow overlooked in favor of more qualitative factors. It is because in the highly competitive environment that is college admissions you need the qualifications just to get them to look at your non-academic record. </p>
<p>I firmly believe that while stellar academic performance can occasionally gain admission for a so called "boring candidate" (A student lacking compelling extracurriculars and whose passions clearly lie solely in the classroom. Basically a straight up nerd.), even the most compelling non-academic qualifications can never overcome poor academic performance in the admissions process at the top universities.</p>