So I hear Stanford is a pretty good school

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Im applying SCEA Stanford this year. I know this chancing business doesnt actually produce tangible results, but I am quite ready to admit I am an immediate-satisfaction kind of guy. So, if you chance me, then I'll be sure to chance you. Thanks.</p>

<p>Male, Caucasian</p>

<p>SAT:2280 (CR 760 Math 720 Wr 800)
SAT 2:Chinese (800), MATH 2 (750), Lit (770)
AP: Chinese-5, Calc AB-4 (Taking APUSH, CHEM in Spring)</p>

<p>Academics:
My School does not rank the students, however, my College counselor basically told me that I was in top 5 in my grade (out of only 130...). This may seem uninteresting, yet my school sends AT LEAST 20-30 kids every year to the level of schools that I am applying to - there are roughly ONLY 3 letter A grade equivalents in ANY given class, so having an A (even an A-), is like being the best in the class. Also, my school does not place the name AP, on any given course description (like many Northeastern Prep schools.</p>

<p>-Latin 1-4
-Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, AB Calculus AP, Multivariable Calculus
-Chinese 1-6
-World History, US History to 1900, Contemporary Chinese History, Contemporary US History
-English 9-12
-Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Chemistry II</p>

<p>I have had A's or higher every year in each class, except for math....which was a B in both fresh/soph years...</p>

<p>Also, I just got back from School Year Abroad China, where I spent my Junior year studying Chinese in Beijing while living with a Chinese host family. The experience was amazing, and the academics were grueling. I was able to skip 5 level of my American school's Chinese after being back.</p>

<p>Extracurricular:</p>

<p>-Model UN (10-12)
-Quizbowl (10-12)
-Chinese language School (3 hours/Sunday) (9-12)
I began in the Bilingual level 1 class and I am now enrolled in the level 10 Native Speaker class, the highest in the entire school. I am the only non-chinese person to do such in the school's history.
- Chinese Culture Club (9-12), President (1 year)
-Red Cross Club Founder (1 year)
- Red Cross volunteer (3 years)
-Volunteer at a NPO dedicated to blind and visually impaired children's education (10-12: over 170 hours total), every Saturday morning at 8 AM til 10.
-Taekwondo (8-12), Blackbelt (1 year)
-Interned at a local hospital for over 80 hours during the summer: shadowed Cardiologists, observed open-heart and catheter surgeries, performed (not kidding, not sure how this is even legal...) a renal stent placement.</p>

<p>In China</p>

<p>-Calligraphy class weekly(75+ hrs)
-Traditional chinese instrument lessons weekly (75+ hrs)
-Taught English to 60 4th graders at Migrant School in Beijing Slum weekly (60+ hrs)
-I took care of orphans who have undergone surgery for conditions such as cleft pallet weekly (55 hrs).
-Wrote a 10 page research paper on the Migrant Phenomenom in Beijing, includes original research from interviews with workers, college professors, and the highest ranking police officer of Haidian District in Beijing. To be published along with other students research.
-Went on Study Trips to remote areas such as Yunnan (borders Thailand and Burma), Guizhou (borders Vietnam), Fujian (across the strait from Taiwan).</p>

2

<p>oh, and I am National Merit Commended if that counts for anything.</p>

3

<p>Not bad. I'd say you'd make the first cut. Now its up to your essays.</p>

4

<p>My school seems similar in many ways, especially with the academics and the number of kids going to top schools (but they are NOT the same, for sure).</p>

<p>I feel confident about my chances at many schools, and you should too. The only thing that matters is the placement of top kids (academically). If they all get into top schools, that tells you that you probably will as well. That is by far the best indicator.</p>

5

<p>You're Caucasian?</p>

6

<p>You are in in my opinion</p>

7

<p>So I just realized that the common app only has 7 slots for EC's......how the hell am I supposed to get all of the important ones on the list? I heard that Stanford completely ignores the "Additional Info." Section of the Common App, is this true? If so, what do people with huge lists of noteworthy EC's do? </p>

<p>If I attach a resume, will it be read by anyone or ignored like the "Additional Info." section?</p>

8

<p>Yeah, the seven slots thing is to, from what I can tell, "level the playing field," in a way. You need to choose seven things that WILL make you stand out over others. I'm sure everything on your regular resume can be summarized to about seven things, anyway, if you really think about it. I found that if I even tried to attach a resume, it would be a little redundant or repetitive or it would list things that didn't really show my personality that well. Oh, and a creative thing you can do (which is what I'm doing) is have your 3rd-party recommendation be from someone for an activity you couldn't fit on the list. You see what I'm saying? Don't take my word on any of this. I'm not an admissions officer.</p>

9

<p>nice app. a def. chance and if they linger on ur unique traveling situation then i guess they will look at u in another light. Ur chinese stuff is prob ur best hook Lol. Stats cant be better. Chacne me please</p>

10

<p>chinese wannabe. Sorry</p>

11

<p>chinese wannabe. in</p>

12

<p>I think you'll get in, you have a very nice list of activities and achievements. I especially think it's very cool that you're a Caucasian who has harboured and developed your Chinese interest. You're definitely unique, I think Stanford would like that? :]</p>

13

<p>what other schools are you considering?</p>

14

<p>Im also considering Georgetown, Middlebury, Johns Hopkins, UPenn, Swarthmore, and about 3 safety/match schools.</p>

15

<p>you're in
10char</p>

16

<p>Hey Yingcai, did you by any chance participate in the GIN Conference hosted by WAB?</p>

17

<p>You sound EXACTLY like a Stanford (08) hopeful from my school last year. He spoke chinese fluently, spent a WHOLE year in China (at a international school), got straight As (at one of the top 10 schools in U.S), 35 on his ACT, 2280 on SAT.... and was rejected SCEA. He got into UPenn Hunstman program RD.</p>

18

<p>awesome stats!!! and i was in shanghai and beijing this summer on a bursary! i loved the atmosphere in china :D:D and did an essay on it...
you're definitely unique!</p>

19

<p>Ysbera: I did not participate in the GIN conference, but I had some friends that did, they said that it was really awesome, and it inspired them to begin projects of their own back home. </p>

<p>ProjectStanford: Hah yeah I read about that guy. I'm not sure why they wouldn't accept someone like him - he has done more noteworthy things than I have ever even thought about. </p>

<p>Jaan: Yeah China is an amazing place. I am going back soon hopefully.</p>

20

<p>Yincai, I am going to be a foreign exchange student, too (deferring college for a "gap year" with Rotary Youth Exchange), but I am Filipino American and not white, so I know it's a little strange... I don't know of many Asian Americans who go on exchange. Do a lot of foreign exchange students apply to Stanford? (Don't know if you'd even know the answer to that....)</p>