Should I apply early decision?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Hello, I am going into my senior year this August. Here are my stats. Do you guys think I am a good candidate for Early Action at Stanford?</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA: 4.0
By graduation I will have taken 9 AP Classes
First try of ACT I got a 27 but I am retaking next week and plan to get it up to a 30.</p>

<p>Extracurricular:
5 years of Soccer
7 years of Martial Arts ( Have won some medals at the Regional Level)
3 years of Yearbook and Editor in Chief this year
Participation in 2012 Google Science Fair
2 years member of Take Action Community Service Club
2 years member of Garden Club
My Senior Project is centered around Organic Food and GMO Awareness so I will probably be doing some cool stuff with that
Working on getting a National Honors Society Chapter started up at my school( Not sure how that will pan out) </p>

<p>Summers:
Sophomore: Library Volunteer
Junior: Trip to Greece for one month and internship at Hospice Care Facility
Senior: Yearbook Conference AT UC Santa Cruz and Shriner's Children Hospital Summer Youth Program </p>

<p>Plan to major in Bio/Pre Med
Female
First Generation American
Afghan and Greek
URM
Top 10% of my class
PLEASE REPLY GUYS! I would also really appreciate any advice!!!!! XOXOXO</p>

2

<p>Obviously your stats are excellent, so all will depend on your essays and your letters of recommendation. But yes, you stand a good chance. Is Stanford your first choice, or do you just want to get into a good school and have it in your pocket so you can comfortably apply to other top schools? Colleges have a way of sensing that. </p>

<p>Also, check out the other current threads about EA applications to Stanford and some of the advice given there. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>@onemoreparent Stanford is absolutely my first choice. And thanks for the advice! The other threads are so intimidating cuz those kids have such great stats :(</p>

4

<p>Try very hard to raise that ACT score before you apply. That is definitely a weakness to your application.</p>

5

<p>@cba thanks. do you have any suggestions on good prep strategies? The science section is my weakness becasue I can never finish in time.:(</p>

6

<p>Your academic record indicates that you’re qualified to do the work at Stanford, but as previous posters have noted, you should get that ACT to a 30 or above. Have you tried the SAT? I personally think it’s easier than the ACT, and it doesn’t have the annoying science section. If you take that, try to hit 700 or above on each section. If you can accomplish these standardized testing goals by the September ACT sitting or the October SAT sitting (the last dates Stanford will accept for REA), then you should definitely apply early if it’s your first choice and if you can prepare a competitive and compelling application by the November 1 deadline. As for actually improving your scores, you should get SAT/ACT prep books at your local book store or from your counselor. They include several practice tests and testing strategies.</p>

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<p>mockingjay, just to clarify: being Afghan and Greek doesn’t make you a URM for purposes of college admissions. In this context, URM refers to groups who have historically been systematically disadvantaged in US society, so basically that includes African Americans and certain students of Hispanic descent. Also, being “first generation American” in and of itself isn’t a hook; the hook is primarily for those who are “first generation to college”. So if your parents attended college in any country, that wouldn’t apply to you either. Your ethnicity could confer a tiny advantage for general diversity purposes, but only if you are otherwise highly qualified for admission within the overall pool of candidates.</p>

<p>I agree with other posters that you’ll need better test scores to be competitive in either the early or regular applicant pool. You’ll also need to determine how to distinguish yourself through your ECs and essays. Good luck.</p>

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<p>Yea i understand that now. A friend told me the wrong information which I believed. Thanks for letting me know everyone!</p>

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<p>Also thanks to everyone for the advice! I will try my absolute best to raise that score!</p>

10

<p>i have to be honest, but ACT of 27 or even 30 is subpar for S, much more for ED. Applying ED or RD is really case-to-case decision and strategy as well. After much evaluation & research, my son & we figured out that it would be a tougher call for him to apply ED and have better chances on RD. He has a ACT of 33 & SAT of 2200+, 11 AP classes and outstanding ECs. He was lucky enough to make it. His classmates with 2400/36, 10+ APs & outstanding ECs applied ED and made it as well. Note that it is not enough that one has many APs - AP score matters. Check the other threads to see how you match up. Your ECs need a lot more boost as well.</p>

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<p>@hillary21 how does one “boost” extracurriculars in senior year?</p>

12

<p>

I agree that the ACT score is lower than most. The applicant profile page of the Stanford website mentions a 3% admit rate for applicants with a 24-29 ACT vs a 7% admit rate for 30+. While a higher score would increase chance of admission, I wouldn’t get hung up on having near-perfect stats at the expense of getting involved in interests outside of the classroom or things like LORs and essays. If you look at the RD decision sticky in this forum, the admitted posters have worse median stats than the rejected posters including lower SAT/ACT, lower GPA, lower class rank, and worse rigor of classes including number of APs. The first page includes a rejected valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 UW GPA, 2400 SAT, perfect scores on SAT II tests, perfect AP scores, and advanced classes beyond AP level. Instead the admitted posters as a whole have superior ECs, awards, unique experiences, or various other characteristics that suggest they are likely to do amazing things at Stanford and beyond. For example, a few years ago, someone on CC posted about their chances with a 28 ACT and a 24/25 math/science. He was accepted and after graduating was elected as a 22-year old city councilman who is doing amazing things for his community. The full thread is at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/425882-first-generation-urm-male-first-plan-messed-up-needs-your-help.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/425882-first-generation-urm-male-first-plan-messed-up-needs-your-help.html&lt;/a&gt; .</p>

<p>

Stanford admissions has been quoted multiple times about denying the myth that a large number of AP classes is required for admission to Stanford or even healthy. The Stanford website states that AP scores rarely play a significant role in admissions. The full quote is below:

</p>

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<p>@Data10 thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I just hope my personality can really shine through my essays.</p>

14

<p>hillary: You sound really discouraging. A 30 is ok for Stanford and is just one factor. I expected more from you considering you are a parent.
OP: try hard to get that 30 and definitely consider the SAT. The ACT is a dumb test IMO. I did better on the SAT. You have more time on each section. If you write really good essays, then you should be fine. Type “Victoria Shantrell” on Youtube. She graduated from Stanford and her story is inspiring.</p>