<p>I'm at a top prep school on the east coast, that each year sends 25+ kids to Ivies. But not Stanford. Stanford never accepts us.
I know kids who have gotten in to all 8 Ivies (w/ likely letters and such) + other top schools, but never Stanford.
They just don't like us. </p>
<p>But, all of a sudden, Stanford finally accepted 1 student from my school.
It came out of nowhere: this girl has nothing. She's unhooked, low scores, not top 10%, nothing going for her.
Got rejected from every single Ivy she applied to, but for some reason, Stanford decided she was the one student from our school they would make an exception for, even though I'd say we've had 50+ much more qualified applicants there over my high school career.</p>
<p>It's probably because they can see that those awesome students will get into the Ivies and, since they're on the East Coast, will choose not to go to Stanford, thus lowering Stanford's yield. As for the seemingly average girl, it could be that they found some redeeming quality but thought that she wouldn't get into any great schools over there; thus getting into Stanford would probably draw her there (most prestigious one should get into) and they'd have more geographic diversity.</p>
<p>I know many kids who were accepted to Stanford who were at the top of their class in every way - from the East Coast. In fact many of them accepted S and turned down Princeton, Harvard, Yale. Perhaps your school has a poor relationship with S (your head of admissions has not connected with anyone at Stanford) Lots of times its not the kids its the way your school and the gatekeepers bond!</p>
<p>Are you sure that the counselors are educating students properly* on the admissions process to the top colleges? That could be a cause.</p>
<p>i.e. how it really works and none of that creampuff crap my counselors feed me ("ECs don't have that much sway," "SAT scores matter little," etc.).</p>
<p>Hrteeexz: I know of a student who was born on and has lived on the Stanford campus since forever (his father is a professor). He got rejected when he applied though. So not always true...</p>
<p>Yeah! The same thing is going on in SC. Number 2 in our class (my boyfriend, actually :)) is a genius, perfect SAT scores, all state clarinet, 14 APs, Presidential Scholar nominee, everyone loves him, works 3 jobs, etc and although he had a likely letter from Columbia and wasn't rejected anywhere else (getting merit aid from Rice and top 350 applicants from Duke and a NYU Dean Scholar)he was rejected from Stanford. Stanford was his first choice, he had been there twice for EPGY and did EPGY online courses. Then I come along (I'm not ranked as high, my SAT scores are a little higher but not much, and I play the violin, but not as well as he plays the clarinet) and I get in. I had no likely letters, didn't get merit aid from Rice, or anything like that. He is asian though and I'm white, but still. Stanford can be a little random.</p>
<p>I think it has to do with their new Dean of Admissions. My guidance counselor said that when Shaw was at Yale, they NEVER took people from our school and all the qualified people that applied to Stanford from our school got in. Last year, Shaw's first year, the first qualified person in my school's history was denied at Stanford. AND we sent our first person in 30 years to Yale last year.</p>