<p>I'm thinking of applying to Stanford next year as like one of those colleges you just apply to for the hell of it. I was thinking what my chances were of being accepted. I have a decent 3.5+ G.P.A. I believe, I am currently taking AP U.S. History as a Junior. I've taken all honors classes so far in high school. I plan on taking AP Psychology, AP U.S. government and politics, AP English literature and AP Calculus BC. By doing that I hope to get the AP scholar with distinction award. So far what I'm doing outside of class is working on podcasts for the Ohio arts museum, also some work on Ohio's history in a museum. I also joined a quiz bowl team, interned for a teacher, joined a technology student association(TSA) team and am planning on playing tennis for the next 2 years. I also know 2 people specifically from Stanford, my English 10 teacher who is an alumni and my friend's step dad who used to be a professor at Stanford both of which would write me a reccomendation letter. How would my college resume be compared to the many other potential candidates for Stanford?</p>
<p>The English teacher can write you a recommendation, but your friend's step dad cannot (in terms of school or your own family relations).</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but if this is everything, you are not a competitive stanford candidate.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>In your junior year, which is probably the most important year of highschool to colleges, you are only taking 1 AP class. Regardless if in your senior year you're taking more, this isn't looked well upon.</p></li>
<li><p>I'm fairly certain the average unweighted GPA of incoming freshmen to Stanford is a 4.00. Not to say anything lower can't get in..</p></li>
<li><p>You don't say you have any leadership positions....without those, you won't be attending any top 20 school. Even if you are in clubs, it doesn't carry nearly as much weight as a president/VP does, unless you won state/national level awards.</p></li>
<li><p>Your work in the museum, as well as the podcasts (Are these 2 seperate things?) are good. This is nothing mind blowing though.</p></li>
<li><p>Interning for teacher is good.</p></li>
<li><p>Tennis is good, but again a simple team player/member of JV or varsity team isn't as good as the team captain.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>And if your grade 10 english teacher knows you, and your goals, very well, ask for a letter of recommendation. Otherwise, it won't matter just because she went to Stanford, recommendation letters are for colleges to see the real you from a third party's perspective.</p>
<p>Sorry, but you just don't sound like a competitive Stanford candidate, unless you didn't include everything you've ever done, or have some amazing hook. Keep in mind though, you sound like a great person, and student...just not Stanford material. But don't let me, or anyone else, tell you otherwise, go ahead and apply if you want :) You never know.</p>
<p>In essense, the competitive stanford candidate has done several higher level classes (advanced/honors/AP/IB) for 2-4 years, has competed and won several awards in whatever catagories (sports, martial arts, literature, etc), has some form of their work published, has several leadership positions, has some kind of special hook to them, and uses their summer for more than lazing around.</p>