Since applications are already open, I thought to create this thread for international students wanting to apply to Stanford.
So here are some questions to start up some discussion:
Where you're from?
Are you taking AP's?
How many people in your area go to the US each year?
SATs and ACTs?
Financial Aid (Will it reduce my chances?)
Any other tips?
For myself, I’m from Sydney, Australia.
I have 1 to 3 seniors who go off to America each year to study.
I’m not taking APs and I’m applying for Aid.
I’ve done the SATs once but I did poorly for Stanford’s standards so I’m retaking in November and taking my 2 subject SAT tests in December (yes I know, very tight - I’m concentrating on my HSC’s - which is the high school leavers exam here locally until they’re done in October).
I do hope we all get accepted and see you all at Stanford during the 2020 Fall!
5 APs in total (I'm applying next year so currently only have 3 AP scores- taking Calc. BC and statistics next year)
I'm not sure but I personally know at least 4-5 in my region who are applying (there's literally hundreds from Sydney)
2400 SAT one sitting
I'm borderline for financial aid but since Stanford is need aware, I will not be applying for financial aid here. Just need to suck it up I guess. It will reduce your chances for Stanford as they don't have enough money to go around. Applying for financial aid does not reduce your chances for Harvard, Yale, Princeton , Dartmouth etc. though (they are need blind for internationals)
Go for an ATAR 99.80+. That will put you in the ballpark of admitted applicants.
No they (admission officers that I asked) explicitly stated that they do not expect us to take AP exams when the schools here don’t offer it as a course. Any AP exams taken are only extra so not having these scores wouldn’t reduce your chances of admission, whether you apply for FA or not. the SAT range of 2200-2300 is certainly good enough for schools like Stanford, but I have to be honest with you, a 97 or 98 is probably not going to cut it regardless of how good your EC’s are (with exception of things like International Olympiads, founding successful multinational corporation etc.). That’s not to say that a 97 or 98 is bad, because they are good scores, but past successful applicants have had 99+ ATAR scores. Just anecdotal evidence, but I recall reading here on CC from one past Australian student at the University of Pennsylvania (one of the Ivy Leagues FYI) who said that he/she had a 99.20, and that’s the lowest score in the Ivy League out of non athletes from Australia. I’m looking to studying Finance/Economics, and am applying to Penn’s Huntsman Program ED next year.