Stanford and AA

<p>Ok, well right now I am still trying to figure out whether I should apply to Yale or Stanford SCEA. I have posted "chances threads" trying to figure out which school I would have a better chance of admissions at based upon soley upon my academic merits. However, now I have been reading over the last Stanford SCEA results thread and am slightly horrified at the massive "slaughter" that occured during that admissions season. At the same time, though, I have noted a blatant racial preferences that have seemed to become entrenched into the Stanford's admittance decisions. I mean I know AA is a force in every top 20 school, it just seemed like Stanford was drastically lowering all academic and leadership standards for Blacks, Mexicans, and American Indians to an even greater degree. So, does Stanford really weight AA more heavily than at Yale or am I just paranoid about it?</p>

<p>Best Regards,
Robbie</p>

<p>The same happens at Yale et al. It is not specific to Stanford–people on CC are still whining about someone who got a 1700 and got in, and so there’s this culture that Stanford is more race-based than its peers. It isn’t.</p>

<p>Apply to the one that is your first choice. Simple as that.</p>

<p>It depends on the race. Hispanics are less advantaged at Stanford than at Yale. If you post your full stats, I can give you a pretty good idea at which school you will have better chances SCEA.</p>

<p>I checked your other post in order to see your stats. My analysis:</p>

<p>Stanford SCEA
Acceptance: 40% chance
Deferral: 50% chance
Rejection: 10% chance</p>

<p>Yale SCEA
Acceptance: 50% chance
Deferral: 45% chance
Rejection: 5% chance</p>

<p>These are based off of a variety of factors, such as Yale’s tendency to reject few applicants relative to Stanford, Yale’s increased predictability in accepting high-scoring applicants, and Stanford’s tendency to favor subjective elements moreso than Yale.</p>

<p>I am usually conservative with my chances (especially SCEA). Your application looks great! Good luck.</p>

<p>Hey silverturtle,</p>

<p>Thanks so much for the in depth analysis of my chances! Lol after kind of spending a ton of time researchin Yale and Stanford all I have really learned is how frickin random admissions is at both places. It is discouragin to see students who I believe are clearly “superior” to me with regard to college admissions being flat out rejected by these schools. However, it is good to know that some people dont think AA will prevent me from early acceptance to one of these fine schools.</p>

<p>In case you’re interested: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/651345-race-college-admissions-faq-discussion-3-a-47.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/651345-race-college-admissions-faq-discussion-3-a-47.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>That page and the following several pages contain in-depth numerical analyses of the results from the last admissions season, as posted on CC, for Princeton RD, Yale SCEA, and Stanford SCEA. I completed the first two and the third was completed in the same format by another CC poster. </p>

<p>Some disagree with the methodology of the analyses; you will find those concerns and my responses within those pages. I hope that you find it helpful and take from it what you please.</p>

<p>That doesn’t make any sense at all. Stanford is well-known for having a much lower deferral rate; in fact, Yale’s is far, far higher. So it’s more likely that he would be deferred at Yale than at Stanford.</p>

<p>I understand why you might jump to that conclusion, but I disagree in this case. </p>

<p>Indeed, Stanford defers much less than Yale does, and this is a dynamic I considered in the chancing. However, this is more reflected in my probabilities for rejection, which indicate he is twice as likely to be rejected at Stanford. I feel this is accurate.</p>

<p>He is a very strong candidate, and it is unlikely (5% at Stanford and 10% at Yale IMO) he will be rejected SCEA.</p>

<p>And that statement alone is a bit shakey…</p>

<p>phantasmagoric-</p>

<p>Lol sorry…which statement are you referin 2?</p>

<p>i disagree with silverturtle’s assessments, i don’t really see anything spectacular in your application and you’d be surprised at some of the things these early applicants have done. I would say you have a good chance of being deferred, and an equally small chance of being accepted/deferred.</p>

<p>Hmmm ya I dont really have some major “WOW” factor on my college app other than a few state championships and the like. Omgitsover, would you suggest I hold off and apply RD rather than SCEA?</p>

<p>im sorry, i meant to say accepted/rejected** rather than accepted/deferred in my previous post.
no i think you should go ahead and apply early, as I said, I highly doubt you’ll be outright rejected, and in the most likely scenario you’ll be considered in the regular pool anyways (which I think you have a higher chance in). The only reason you shouldn’t apply early is if your application might get stronger if you wait a couple of months.</p>

<p>As long as you have some very strong extracurriculars, there’s a good chance you will at least be deferred. If you don’t have those, and are purely an academic type, you should probably apply to other good schools, perhaps like Harvard, which would be more welcoming of that sort. Between Yale and Stanford, however, I will say that you should just apply early to whichever you’d be more likely to attend, as simple as that. But do not understimate the effect that getting an early acceptance from some terrific universities can have on you. For one thing, it secures your future and will set you somewhat at rest. Better to do that than to take a wild gamble if you’re the kind of student Stanford is highly likely to reject.</p>