<p>I was just wondering, is it true that it makes it more difficult to gain admission to Stanford if you attend a public high school that is not very competitive? I've heard it's nearly impossible to gain admissions if this is the case.</p>
<p>really? If that is the case, then im screwed. My public high school is ranked 167/300ish high schools in my state. That sucks ****</p>
<p>You do need to excel then at your school. For example, a student ranked 20th at a highly rated public school would likely be more appealing than the 5th at a similarly sized, lower rated school.</p>
<p>Though test scores can show that you are competitive with the other students from more highly rated schools.</p>
<p>I think idkmyname gave you a great answer.</p>
<p>I’m so screwed if that’s true because well, people at my high school are not exactly what most would call ‘competitive’, especially compared to a neighboring district’s high school. Sure, there are a couple of people who butt heads for this or that, but I don’t think there are any hardcore SAT studying kids around here. The only ones who get really competitive about that stuff are the ones with parents who can afford sending their kid to prep classes, which is rare here.</p>
<p>Not true. Everything is considered in context. Private school applicants do have higher acceptance rates though, but those applicants are also generally more prepared for college than public school applicants.</p>
<p>You will not have a “disadvantage” applying from a non-competitive public school. Instead, you’ll be considered against the opportunities that were offered to you and how you faced these (lack of) opportunities.</p>
<p>Nope. Not true at all. </p>
<p>I went to a bad public high school that was near bottom 20 percent of the state in terms of state scores. Colleges understand that everyone can’t afford to go to school in an affluent upper-middle class environment that directly correlates with the high test scores in the first place. They will actually appreciate people doing better than they could have in a less than ideal environment. </p>
<p>I sincerely believe that there is no admissions edge in going to a competitive public high school. Unless you attended Philips Exeter or the like, colleges aren’t going to remember all of the twenty something thousand high schools in the nation and say “hey! he goes to a California distinguished high school!” Just do the best you can in the environment you have and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>No, they take kids from a lot of different high schools. Although they are very close with some of the high-end schools in California, people from my okay/good school are going there.</p>
<p>i think it’s true to some extent but not entirely. the admissions officers have relationships with some schools that they know the school really well and will almost always have a few admitted students from that school. most other schools, it really depends on the students applying. for example, Whitney High School in Cerritos, CA (one of the most highly recognzied magnet public schools in California and the country) has several students attending Stanford every year. students are at an advantage because the school is so recognized (and it’s a magnet school), but it is also an extremely competitive school, so students can be top 20% and still have a good chance, whereas students at another school might be expected to be top 5% to show the same academic excellence. </p>
<p>either way, as long as you can prove yourself within the context of your school, you always have a chance.</p>
<p>If you go to a poor/substandard school like I did, you need to stand out in every aspect from your peers. Academically, extracurricularly, etc etc. The plus is that since the competition is lower, it won’t be as hard standing out as it would be at some highly ranked high school.</p>
<p>whoever said the thing about adcoms not remembering high schools should consider that, for Stanford, adcoms are regional. Think about schools in your state. You could probably give me a list of five or ten pretty good schools. That’s a start. Now, if this is your job that you’ve been at for a handful of years, and the competitive schools are sending you 20-40 applicants every year, you should definitely know how that high school stacks up. </p>
<p>Heck I’m from the Midwest and I can probably name some top high schools in California.</p>