Should I even bother to spend $90 for stanford??

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Could somebody just give me an idea of my chances:
girl, white, public high school in washington state</p>

<p>3.98 gpa UW, A- in stupid classes: algebra 1 (8th grade), health, and french (trying to get that one fixed) top 10%</p>

<p>SAT I 2220 790 reading, 760 writing, 670 math
SAT II spanish 730, french 620, lit 670. So I took the SAT II with strep and didnt finish any of the three because I hadn't slept and was in a lot of pain. Retaking all three in Jan. Hopefully Stanford will get new scores in time</p>

<p>took all the AP classes offered at my school that fitted in my schedule: lang and comp (3, screwed up that one), lit (4), calc (4), chem (4), US (5). Gov was not offered but I studied the day before the test and got a 4. Since I didn't take the class and didn't study much I was happy with that . Not planning on sending those scores though. </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Swimming 1 year
equestrian club and mentor in equestrian camp
tennis 1 year
soccer 1 year
Honor society for a year, volunteering with elementary school children
worked for 2.5 years during high school
now live in Spain as au pair and take french, spanish grammar, spanish history, spanish lit, and spanish business at complutense in madrid
speak spanish and some french. Took both languages in high school.
So my ECs kinda suck, it looks like I never stick with anything, except my work. But honestly, I like to try new things. </p>

<p>My strong suit is writing (though I have crappy AP english scores) and I'm hoping to write some amazing essays</p>

<p>Have a passion for international relations and that's why I study languages. Hoping to add chinese and turkish</p>

<p>have a sob story: have restraining order from my actual dad who is alcoholic and have rocky relationship with step-dad. My mom had me young and was working as a waitress and going to school, we lived alone in a studio without kitchen or anything (until she married my step-dad). My grandma, who was like a parent to me, died suddenly in my house (disturbing experience) in middle of junior year, which affected my performance. Should I try to include sob story in essays? I have no desire to sound like a whiner, but would things like that improve my chances?</p>

<p>Thank you for honest answers. I would apply for sure if it was free, but since its $90 and I'm kinda broke...</p>

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<p>If you want to go there, then apply. If you don’t - then don’t apply. It’s that simple. If you really are “kinda broke” and your family can’t afford the $90 application fee, then you can try to get a fee waiver. As for your chances, you definitely have a shot. You have great grades and courses, decent SAT, great involvement in sports, and commitment to languages. I’m confused about your school - at the beginning you said that you go to a public school in Washington, but then said that you live in Spain… So which one is it? Anyway, I’d say Stanford is a mid-reach, and your chances might increase a lot if your essays really are as good as you say. Definitely worth applying.
Also, I don’t think you should write about your grandma in an essay… I get that it may be a very important and significant experience, but it’s just one of those topics that everyone tells you to avoid. And I don’t see how it affected your performance in any way… You have a 3.98!</p>

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<p>it is a mid reach try a fee waiver
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1596149-chance-me-santa-clara-i-will-chance-you-right-back.html#post16755577[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1596149-chance-me-santa-clara-i-will-chance-you-right-back.html#post16755577&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I already graduated and am taking a “gap year” even though I going to college at the complutense. It is a one year program to get a certificate in Spanish cultural/language studies. I also work as an au pair. Wasn’t planning to write essay about my grandma’s death, but you know there is always that section where you can write about circumstances you think the college should know. I wasn’t very involved with anything junior year because I was so stressed out. I was wondering whether it would be worth it to include a little bit about my family situation there. By the way thanks for the reply.</p>

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<p>oh and how would I get a fee waiver? Do I just ask them??</p>

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<p>On the CommonApp, check “fee waiver”. Then email your counselor so that they check “fee waiver” too, although it may not work if you already graduated high school, it depends if the Complutense is considered a PG year in which case you may qualify.
Just check “fee waiver” for Stanford and see what happens.
Complutense is definitely going to be a big plus for you since it’s one of the top Spanish universities.
I hope you’re applying to Scripps. And are you applying to the Turkish flagship?
[The</a> Language Flagship - Turkish](<a href=“http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/turkish]The”>http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/turkish)</p>

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<p>I am applying to Scripps! I don’t understand the Turkish flagship though. Is it only offered at indiana university?</p>

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<p>The Turkish flagship is only offered at Indiana - it’s the sole program of its kind in the US. It doesn’t mean you can’t major in Turkish elsewhere - just that students enrolled in the flagship will gain an unprecedented level of fluency and access to more types of jobs than in other places (such as government jobs in international relations, special positions in national agencies, etc - flagship graduates tend to be heavily recruited.) There are flagships for other languages, such as Russian or Arabic or Urdu.</p>

<p>Congrats on your decision re: Scripps. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Were you able to get your fee waiver for Stanford?</p>

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<p>I would say you have a decent 30% shot. It is worth it I guess because the rewards outweigh the costs.</p>

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<p>Here’s my adult take: include the information if it had a significant effect on you. That doesn’t need to sound whiny or pathetic if it’s the reality of your life. Not everyone has struggled with those circumstances; schools need to know that so they get the full picture of what you’ve accomplished (which strikes me as pretty impressive). Good luck!</p>

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<p>I’ve checked pre-approved fee waiver (even though it isn’t haha) on the common app and have written Stanford a nice email explaining the situation and including my stats–still debating sending it. Should I?</p>

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<p>myos1634: I’m assuming you go to scripps. Do you like it?</p>

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<p>You have enough of a shot to apply if you can afford it.</p>

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<p>@OP: No, I don’t attend Scripps - I’m one of the adults of the forum :)</p>