<p>Hi,
I was rejected EA at Caltech-- should I bother with Stanford?
My parents think I should stick to my safeties: Cornell, CMU, Michigan and add one more safety much lower down RPI, possibly two: Adding Northeastern or RIT....</p>
<p>Here's my stats:
GPA 3.84 unweighted 4.61 weighted
SATIIs MathIIC 760 Chem 800 Bio 760
APs Chem 5, CompSci 5 Have Physics, Calc and Econ now
ACT 31 (I blew it ...)
ECs: Loads including FIRST Robotics, Math, sports leadership and meaningful community service.
Applying as an Engineering student
Hook: URM - AA, Took summer courses at Cornell and earned As
REcs : AMAZING</p>
<p>SHould I bother with Stanford knowing Caltech flat out rejected me EA?
Any other schools I should consider?</p>
<p>23 percent of students are
Asian American; 12 percent
Latino/a or Hispanic;
10 percent African American;
6 percent international (from
more than 60 countries);
3 percent American Indian,
Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian</p>
<p>African American 10.6%
Asian American 22.5%
International 7.6%
Mexican American 7.7%
Native American 3.2%
Native Hawaiian 0.9%
Other Hispanic 6.9%
White 33.1%
Other 3.5%
Declined to State 3.9%</p>
<p>^^ Asians aren’t usually considered an URM, i.e. “Under Represented Minority”, since they’re usually quite well represented at all of the top schools.</p>
<p>But I agree with the others - I see no reason to not apply to Stanford assuming there’s a way to pay for it if they accept you.</p>
<p>So are you both thinking that although my stats weren’t good enough for Caltech, b/c of my status as an URM Stanford would be impressed by my stats?</p>
<p>Yes-- we can pay for it…two in college-- older bro at MIT - EFC is affordable, they just don’t want to shell out $80 to Stanford figuring the caltech decision is the same…</p>
<p>I respectfully disagree with your parents. Your rejection from Caltech has nothing to do with Stanford. Its smart to apply to safeties, but I don’t think you should write off Stanford. Go for it.</p>
<p>About that Stanford application fee, here are a few options: 1. Offer to split 50/50 with parents, 2. See if you can get it waived, 3. Pay it yourself.</p>
<p>I agree with fallgirl - the Caltech and Stanford decisions are by no means the same so one shouldn’t assume a decision at one makes the decision at the other conclusive. They’re quite different institutions. It seems to me that it’d be shortsighted to not spend the $80 for the app at Stanford given your stats, desires, and other colleges you’re applying to. But if they don’t want to shell out the $80 then just pay for it yourself. The satisfaction you’d gain if you get accepted is more than worth it. Also, if you don’t apply it’s guaranteed you won’t be accepted.</p>
<p>It’s not necessarily about the URM status. Each college has its own reasons for accepting or rejecting students. There does not seem any reason for a student to be accepted at H but not S or vice-versa, or H but not Y or vice-versa, but it happens all the time. A young (Caucasian) friend of ours got accepted at MIT and Princeton with big money but rejected outright at Harvard where he had connections. Go figure!</p>
<p>My parents think I should stick to my safeties: Cornell,</p>
<p>Who the HECK told you that Cornell is a safety? Do you know what a safety is? A safety is a school that you’re assured to get accepted to. Cornell isn’t even a “match” for anyone…it’s a reach for EVERYONE.</p>
<p>The kid got big money because his parents are not well off. The Ivies don’t give out merit scholarship. They give finaid to those who can’t afford to pay in full. </p>
<p>Looks like the OP’s list is what defines as reach on CC – which is really, really reach in the real world!</p>
<p>One could say it a lot more diplomatically than mom2, but Cornell is at best a match. Still, I can see them accepting you, with the early relationship, interest in engineering , good stats and URM status. Many of the kids accepted from our HS have similar numbers but not the other hooks. So, don’t call it a safety because that makes some people forget their manners here on CC, but you do look good for Cornell. And Michigan can be a safety if you applied early enough to get an acceptance in December.</p>
<p>Definitely go ahead with the Stanford application. It’s a much larger school, and the class is not accepted strictly on merit, the way CalTech does it. Stanford is looking for diversity. You have a good shot, just find the application fee - use your holiday money if you have to, or babysit on New Years Eve. I’m willing to bet you won’t regret giving it a try.</p>
<p>Where have you heard that Cornell is a safety? It is not a safety for anyone regardless of their stats. However it is a school where fit is important and by the looks of your other choices I don’t see where the correlation is.</p>
<p>re post #15. The “big money” was a tangential comment. The more important point is that the young man was accepted at P’ton and MIT but not Harvard. For Physics. No one will argue that Harvard is stronger than P’ton and MIT in Physics. So he must have had something that both P’ton and MIT wanted but did not matter at H. He certainly would not have contributed face diversity.</p>
<p>From the other thread on the same topic, OP got a likely letter from Cornell. I think that makes it a safety. </p>
<p>Congrats. </p>
<p>$80 is less than the cost of a single textbook. Stanford is far less predictable than CalTech, which is all about numbers. You have a better chance at Stanford that you had at CalTech (even before you actually knew). </p>
<p>Do you want to go to Stanford?</p>
<p>It’s hard for me to believe that you would actually not apply to Stanford over $80? Can you pay for it yourself? Is there something you own that you can sell for $80? If you happen to live anywhere in the northeast, you should be able to find shoveling work that will net you $80.</p>