<p>Decision: Rejected</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] Fee Waiver Used?: No
[</em>] SAT IIs: 760 Chem, 750 Math II, 750 US History
[<em>] GPA: One B, AP Spanish in 11th. GPA ~97% (Sidenote: I was the only Junior to pass the Spanish AP test - even one of the native kids failed!)
[</em>] Rank: 7/450, little-to-no weight put on AP classes caused my low class rank.
[<em>] ACT: 32!
[</em>] APs (including this year's): US History, Computer Sci A and AB, Chem, US Government, English Lang, Spanish - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4 & 3.
This year:
Physics C Mechanics, Calculus BC, English Lit, World, Psych, Physics B & Human Geo
(took the most APs in my entire school, with self studying, & when I graduate I'll break the counties record, AND have the AP International Diploma)
[<em>] Senior Yr Courseload: see above
[</em>] Number of Apps from Your School: None from my school or county, and I'm assuming all of southern Maryland also.
[li] Other stats (Awards, etc.): Perfect Attendance, National Honors Society... I won my school's election for a Board of Ed. position. I beat my school's record in statewide programming competitions. I was the leader of the first team from my school ever to win on the regional game show "It's Academic."</p>[/li]
<p>[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[li] ECs listed on app: Elected President and Founder of Young Democrats, Vice Prez of Foreign Language, Treasurer of Key Club, along with at least 5 other major positions in various clubs, which I spent, on average, 3 hours a day in, 5 days a week.</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Job/Work Experience: Youngest summer intern working paid for the government, for three summers straight of 40 hour workweeks. I laid the foundation for some database administration, among other duties, for one agency.</p>[/li]
<p>[li] Essays (subject and responses): My main essay caused anyone who read it to shed a tear, since it was about how I overcame adversity and discrimination in my close minded community, and how I have dedicated thousands of hours to my family since the age of four because of medical issues.</p>[/li]
<p>My roommate essay was a whirlwind, talking about my love for the Spice Girls (and being the only willing male at their concert), my free time spent waiting in line for the iPhone at the apple store (but not buying it, because just being around new silicon gets my blood pumpin'), and my award-winning hair flip.</p>
<p>My why Stanford essay talked about how Stanford is the only place where I could develop my passion for computers, since they are the only university with an official iPhone developer program. Also, it explained how I would not just be a part of Stanford, but I would finally belong to a community and truly flourish as I was never able to before.</p>
<p>[<em>] Teacher Recs: One focused on my passion and dedication in all my activities, and the other on my experience as the school's webmaster and leader of the computer bowl team.
[</em>] Counselor Rec: Discussed how I fixed her computer as we were discussing my Stanford application, and also how I fought to be the first student in the county to travel between two high schools on a daily basis in order to take all my AP classes.
[<em>] Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): Well Rounded?
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: Southern Maryland
[<em>] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public
[</em>] Ethnicity: White
[<em>] Gender: Male
[</em>] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): My main, tear-jerking essay.
[<em>] Strengths: My PASSION for technology manifested itself in every aspect of my life, I came from a disadvantaged background, but I still have a fun, quirky personality.
[</em>] Weaknesses: I'm white. I'm male. And I'm flawed.
[li] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I have no clue.[/li][/ul]Other Factors: What else could I put? I bled my life onto that application.
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
Every single day, I woke up, and my first thought was:
I can finally begin to live when I get into Stanford.
It was everything I could have hoped for, starting with the first look at campus.
From the Marguerite shuttle, I peered into the distance and there was Hoover Tower, rising above the Palo Alto foothills as a stalwart of academia. As the shuttle traveled down Palm Drive, I was shocked at the pure beauty of the place. Reading the brochure, listening to the students and faculty, walking around campus
I knew that this was the one place that understood everything I stand for,
everything I love.
This was where I wanted to go.</p>
<p>When I wasn't even in preschool, I thought the thousands of hours that I was putting towards my family would pay off some day.
I thought being a trailblazer at my school would elevate me to new heights
I thought the countless, sleepless nights striving for Stanford would pay off.</p>
<p>Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "These adcoms know what they're doing, they can see my passion in everything I do, and they can see why Stanford is not just a dream for me, but it is who I am. Stanford is the living rendition of my personality."</p>
<p>And then I got an email.
"It is with regret..."
My heart sunk.
"It is with regret that I write to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission to the freshman class at Stanford University."</p>
<p>I cried for a week straight, and I could barley stand to go out without breaking down.
No matter how hard I tried, regardless of what I did, I just couldn't manage to see life in the same way, in my optimistic way.</p>
<p>Stanford, you have destroyed me. </p>
<p>I don't know what went awry, or who's to blame, but I do know one thing:
You've changed me, and I really hope it's for the better.
I've realized that I dont need to hide behind the Stanford name.
Yes, it would have been great if I got in, but I don't think I would be happy.
I would be stuck in the sterile Stanford bubble, forever relegated to a country club.</p>
<p>The real world needs people to venture out and make a difference, the people who would not only have thrived at Stanford, but the ones who dont need it to truly have an impact.</p>