Should I even bother applying to Stanford?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>I am a junior, currently, so I have a great deal I can still improve.
What do you suggest for me to change to improve my chances from now?</p>

<p>Also, would it help me if I applied Early Action? Or would it be better for me to apply Regular? I've been told that Early Action is best for EXCEPTIONAL applicants only, and I cannot say by any means that I am exceptional in light of other applicants.</p>

<p>I am also planning on applying to UW Seattle (likely safety), UCLA and UC Berkeley. I am unsure about my other choices as of now. </p>

<p>Female, Asian, lives in Washington
Middle class income. </p>

<p>GPA: 3.79 UW Expected GPA 3.85~ UW by EA application time, probably 3.88 by RD.
(This dropped a huge amount after I bombed my finals due to some extenuating circumstances. My dog Mishka passed away on the day of my last four finals and thus I ended with 3 B's and a C+. I know it's not a good reason, and I'm not expecting any college or program to accept it as one. I haven't talked about it on applications up to this point..and honestly, I don't feel comfortable citing my dog's death as an excuse for my irresponsibility.)</p>

<p>SAT: 2280, 1st sitting..could probably get it up to 2300+ but is it worth it?
ACT: 34
SAT II: Math 2 800, planning on possibly taking two more
Class rank: No class rank, top 20% <---this is also determined by unweighted GPA (we don't have valedictorians or anything at our school) </p>

<p>Senior Schedule:
Philharmonic Orchestra
AP French
AP US Government
AP Calculus AB (we don't have BC, unfortunately)
AP Chemistry
AP Physics B (no Physics C either)
AP English Lit</p>

<p>Taking 8 AP tests this year. Expecting mostly 4's and 5's due to extensive studying.</p>

<p>ECs: 500+ volunteer hours (do colleges even care about this?)
BioQuest Academy
UW Math Academy
Washington Aerospace Scholars
Volunteering at UW Medical Center and Seattle Children's Hospital
Varsity Swim (3 years), Swim Captain. Also did summer league and club swim for the duration of my high school career.
Varsity Tennis (2 years)
Orchestra (8 years), I play the violin.
-Also was in local symphony orchestra and honors orchestra for a few years
-I tutor middle school kids in violin as part of this program called East Hill String Lessons. I've done this for roughly 5-6 years.
Piano (4 years) on my own time. I also do some tutoring for this, but not as part of a program, just as volunteer work.
National Honors Society (2 years)
Key Club (dedicated member)
Generic school award (top 10% award)
Generic scholar athlete awards, some state and district level awards for swim
Rotary Youth of the Month
TEEN Cert Program..not sure if this counts.</p>

<p>Planning on trying for National AP Scholar. Might as well, since I'm taking 8 AP tests this year.</p>

2

<p>i see. UCLA is no longer good enough for you. lol :slight_smile:
unless you are an athletic recruit, i don’t think you are Stanford bound.</p>

3

<p>I kept getting posts about “Oh, you should apply to an Ivy!” Which, honestly, doesn’t seem like a realistic assessment in light of the other chance threads that I have seen.
So I decided to make this thread to see other people’s opinions. xD</p>

4

<p>OP, my sincere condolences on the loss of your dog. That can be a profoundly painful experience, especially in a society that doesn’t always allow you a chance to grieve over it. Of course it is up to you whether you mention it in your applications, but if that is part of who you are and it affected you strongly, you might consider it. IMO, it’s not “irresponsibility” to be too distressed over the loss of your dog to concentrate on finals, especially that same day. Best of luck to you.</p>

5

<p>Yeah pretty strong resume cept for GPA. You have a shot. Wouldn’t bother with the test scores but that’s personal.</p>

<p>colleges like community service. they look it up sometimes and if your teacher can validate it, looks pretty impressive. Good luck!</p>

<p>Dunno if talking about it will help, maybe you should discuss with your counselor?</p>

6

<p>Alright. Thank you for the replies!
Do you think it would be better to apply EA or RD, based on my resume?</p>

7

<p>Some applicants have recently deceased parents and still have better stats than you. Food for thought.</p>

8

<p>If you don’t apply, you won’t get in.</p>

<p>Apply, what’s to lose?</p>

<p>And ignore what etg said; Stanford does accept more than one applicant a year, you know. And always go REA if you don’t want to apply to like Harvard or Yale or MIT.</p>

9

<p>^Are you mocking him/her? If everybody in this world feels the same way, does the same way, thinks the same way, damn I would be Bill Gates!</p>

<p>EDIT: This is for post #7

</p>

10

<p>I agree with stressedasian152, Apply. It can’t hurt. This is a chance thread however, so unless your dog meant the universe to you and you can make the AdComs not only know but understand that, I’d say your chances are slim.</p>

11

<p>^etg
I’m all too aware of the fact that many people have had much worse circumstances than I, and still manage perfect grades.
Like I said, I’m not using it as an excuse and personally, I’m not sure if I plan to. It just feels wrong.</p>

<p>It may seem kind of stupid that my dog passing away was such a big deal to me, but she truthfully was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me, as pathetic as that may sound to some.</p>

<p>Is my GPA the main thing that is holding me back?</p>

12

<p>Sus, it’s not “stupid” to grieve for someone who meant a lot to you. That’s human. That’s compassion. That takes a lot of character to overcome, and the fact that after something so painful you can still dream high and work hard reflects very well on you. And you’re right- the death of your dog isn’t an excuse. But it’s a hardship you went through once. It shouldn’t be something that’s still holding you back. That’s why your asking about Stanford is really, really awesome.</p>

<p>Your stats could use some work for Stanford (couldn’t everyone’s?), but I think your situation is salvageable. You mentioned taking 8 AP tests and having a 2280 SAT, as well as plans to take more SATIIs. Do that. Your low GPA was a tragic fluke, and I think if you come out on top with a buttload of 5s, something scandalously close to a 2400, and some 800s in respectable, challenging SATIIs, you can prove it as just that. I (just me) personally disagree with people who might call retaking the SAT a waste of time. You’re getting better at the most important standardized exam! And it shouldn’t take hours upon hours to avoid minor math mistakes, understand basic grammar, and realize that every correct CR answer is always supported by the text.</p>

<p>There’s always time for rapid improvement. You play the violin and the piano? Go enter some competitions, maybe win a few nice awards. The usual, right? Try to earn some leadership positions in the ECs you take most seriously, and show your spirit for them. Forge strong relationships with your teachers so that their rec can prove how exceptional you can be.</p>

13

<p>Also, etg, that’s not “food for thought.” You’re not trying to make OP think critically, you’re kind of just dismissing her grief at her dog’s death as stupid and frivolous. Look, parents aren’t the only things in the world worth caring for. Maybe you’re incapable of human love towards non-immediate-family-members (or god forbid, non-humans), but it genuinely hurts other people. </p>

<p>It’s true that other people have nicer stats through worse tribulations, but it’s also true that OP here is trying to improve and obtain those nicer stats by asking for your advice. Plus she shows evident maturity by acknowledging her own faults in the aftermath, as well as understanding that personal tragedy is no excuse for academic mediocrity. Aaaaaaaaand in reply you basically told her to stop trying. Food for thought.</p>

14

<p>Is her GPA really that bad? I mean, it’s a 3.8…</p>

15

<p>Just something to think about - UCs give pretty bad (read: nonexistant) aid to OOS students. Unless your parents are able to pay full OOS tuition, I would rethink appying to UCs (or I would apply with realistic expectations regarding cost). There are a lot of private schools in California that either meet need or would give you merit aid, and I would suggest looking into those if you want to come to California.</p>

16

<p>Unless you can write some killer essay you’ll be a rather generic applicant. And I mean most accepted students are run of the mill smart students like you. So if they can get in you can too. You just have to convey something special.</p>

17

<p>Thank you for the extremely helpful replies. You’ve definitely given me a much more realistic impression of my chances and of what I can try to improve in the next year or so.</p>

18

<p>Forgot to add:
Given the circumstances, would you recommend an EA or RD application?</p>

19

<p>Makes no difference</p>

20

<p>Definitely RD! Start your essays this summer, and have them checked by a trusted source. Ask your two favorite teachers for recs at the end of this year. Put a lot into your application, then LET IT GO until decision time, making sure to research lots of good options for yourself. With your scores and grades, you are going to have LOTS of choices :)</p>