<p>1 being non-factor
5 being a little influential
10 being a important deciding factor.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>honestly, i think if you want to be admitted, all three essays should be pretty damn good lol.</p>
<p>Yeah, I have mediocre scores so I'm just wondering the essays' effect on admission. I have some pretty good essays, worked for 3months on them (had over 6 teachers review em)</p>
<p>Same here. I have good test scores, but not very stand out grades or ECs. I've slaved my way with essays, so that would be nice to know ... </p>
<p>Though hard work doesn't always pay off. Chicago deferred me even though I spent so much time on them....and for them essays are like the holy grail.</p>
<p>In my mind, there is no doubt that they are 8, 9, or 10. They are incredibly important, and Stanford consistently says so at its meetings.</p>
<p>Thank you Baelor =)</p>
<p>You'd best both read what the admission's director at Yale had to say about the importance of essays. I think it's safe to assume that Stanford's admissions director places close to the same weight on essays as Yale does.</p>
<p>Q</a>. and A.: College Admissions - Questions/Answers Blog - NYTimes.com</p>
<p>Here is an excerpt regarding the "weight" given to different parts of an application from the interview:</p>
<p>"Question</p>
<p>It has long been understood that there are five main facets of an application: transcript, recommendations, standardized test scores, extracurriculars and essays. If a student’s transcript is in the weaker half of the applicant pool, but the remaining four facets are quite exemplary, will an elite college be willing to take a chance?
-Jonah
Answer</p>
<p>Mr. Poch of Pomona: The more selective the institution, the more likely the decision for admission may turn on things not so easily quantified. If the application suggests strong basic competence academically, the other qualities of a candidate become interesting and often determine the outcome. I am interested in both where a student is at the current moment as well as making a guess about where they may be in a year or two or three. Perfect records in high school don’t always suggest perfect students in college. A student who had a bump along the way may know more about how and why they learn than one who has been grinding along without a second thought. Glowing references, strong tested ability, leadership strength and a terrific interview can sometimes outweigh a transcript with a glitch or two but in highly selective environments are not likely to override a real mess of a record.
Answer</p>
<p>Mr. Brenzel of Yale: Weaker transcripts face tough sledding in a highly selective college environment. They don’t automatically disqualify a candidate for us, but you have to remember that we have many thousands of applicants with extremely strong transcripts who are also just as exemplary in the other ways that count."</p>
<p>I'd say they're at least a 9. I know for a fact they were one of the main reasons I was accepted.</p>
<p>yea agree, i am a stanford student and I would say the importance is at least 9..if not more...</p>
<p>10
10
10</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>Just curious, what did you guys write about?</p>
<p>1) IV: My curiosity with chemistry, and a specific event at SSAP
2) Why stanford? - I talked about my introduction to stanford's science program at an early age and a fascination of it ever since
3) Roommate- semi-informal, happy essay- all my teachers laughed and could not find anything for me to change on it.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Is it okay if you have a high ACT score, but relatively low SAT?</p>
<p>Only took the SAT once because counselor told me I had to take it a week before the test since I could qualify for national merit (I was a standby tester)</p>
<p>They take the highest relative score between the two, so the SAT technically won't hurt you. Remember, though, they are human beings, so they might have a subconcious negative reaction to seeing a 2000 SAT and 35 ACT.</p>
<p>i have the same issue.</p>
<p>For the common app, should i just not list the SAT score and only the ACT?</p>
<p>Even though when sending in the SAT IIs they'll see it. BUT, will they not "subconsciously" have a negative reaction?</p>
<p>10!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, these are the most important. You have to make them unique, so that no one else but you could possibly write them. You have to let your personality show. When I went over to thank my admissions officer at the send-off party he told me that he remembered my essays.</p>
<p>Is Stanford like Columbia? Where they assign a specific person to manage and read the essays in your state/region?</p>
<p>Yes. There are specific regional officers who read specific regions (including internationally), or even just specific cities (NYC alone, for example). These people know what the schools in the area are like, and read all your applications. Then I think it goes to a main council, but I'm not sure about that part. At Admit Weekend there was a picnic lunch with your regions Admissions Officer, which was really cute.</p>
<p>Thank you :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Weaker transcripts face tough sledding in a highly selective college environment. They dont automatically disqualify a candidate for us, but you have to remember that we have many thousands of applicants with extremely strong transcripts who are also just as exemplary in the other ways that count
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Um, so what exactly is a weak transcript? Could getting two Bs be a weak transcript?</p>
<p>I don't think so. I got Bs in math each year except junior year, and I also got a B one semester in science. And I was admitted, so I think as long as your course load is tough, they won't hold it against you for not being the absolute strongest in ever subject, especially during freshman year.</p>