Hey guys!!! Soooooo I’m a junior right now and stress levels have been high (I’m sure some of you can relate)
Here are my stats (gpa sucks I know)
Unweighted GPA: 3.72
Weighted GPA: 4.11
ACT: 35
SAT: didn’t take
Extracurriculars (here’s where it gets crazy):
- business owner with online company that’s designed to bring in profit for local businesses
- won award for academic research paper on earth science after studying it for one month
- swimming varsity for school, club team, and summer league (also coached)
- tutoring in math and science every week
- developed aerospace engineering curriculum for middle and elementary school students
- attended Girls’ State for my state
- NASA program over the summer and was really difficult
- invited to a dinner hosted by the Saudi Arabian embassy to honor one of NASA’s space missions that took a Saudi prince to space and the man who the dinner was honoring gave a heartwarming speech to diplomats, ambassadors, and the other astronauts who attended the dinner
- liturgist for my church and youth member
- girl scouts since 2nd grade
- I write really awesome calculus raps for fun!
Recs:
- Teacher 1: he loves me haha he said I was his most hardworking student and I exceeded his expectations when he had me
- Teacher 2: the calculus teacher who has known me since I was 10 and I also write calculus raps for fun and she loves that
- Teacher 3: student aid/basically his child
- Counselor looooooves me
Criticism is wanted and accepted!!
Thanks guys!
Do you have any hooks that could possibly counteract/be a reason for your low GPA (e.g. URM, socioeconomically disadvantaged, first gen etc.) ?
Yeah I’m dyslexic haha but that might not be a good enough hook @dewrrrett
Anymore comments would very helpful!
You have good ECs but so do many, many of the Stanford applicants. Your ECs do not make you stand out. I am sure the vast majority of applicants tutor every week if not almost every day. You have been in Girl Scouts since 2nd grade, have you earned your Gold Award? It is a good EC to be committed to Girl Scouts for 10 years, but it would be great if you had the Gold Award. Swimming is a good EC and shows more commitment, but if you are not recruitable, it is a good EC not great. I can’t imagine that a one time dinner would look that great as an EC. Could you write an essay about it so that it is in your application without taking up one of the ten spaces for activities? The calculus raps are also fun and maybe could be an essay or just in a letter of recommendation.
The bigger issue with your gpa is how do you compare to the kids in your grade? If you are not at the very top, it will be hard to get into Stanford. If your school does not rank, look at your high school profile and to see the percentages of the previous year at each gpa ranking. Our school does not rank, but the high school profile says exactly what percent had over a 3.9 and other gpa levels. So, the admissions people can get an idea of how you fit in with your peers.
u haven’t cured cancer yet smh… jk I think you have a really good chance at Stanford, but it is really hard to determine whether someone has a good chance at a college where acceptance rates are below 5%
Thanks for the feedback, it actually does help a lot! Yeah I’m in the top 4% of my class so my gpa is technically high for my school (which is sad). And the dinner thing isn’t for my activities list so I made it my main common app essay. I forgot to mention my gold award haha (I do indeed have it!). The only downside I guess would be swimming… I have only ever been a regional athlete so I can’t get recruited 
Sorry for the mixup, and thank you! @bwaygirl1
Do you have other schools that you would consider? Stanford is just one and there are lots of others that you would be a lock for. My high school niece lives in Washington state and has a better GPA but a little lower ACT 34. She was told by her high school counselor that a middle class white girl has no shot at Stanford. I did not agree with this statement and I don’t even know your background and I definitely think you should apply but what I am saying is you have to stand out of 40,000 applications for a little less than 2,000 spots. My S is a freshman now and I believe he was able to get in by having outstanding essays(and good stats). So how are you going to stand out? There are other great Engineering and CS colleges so don’t forget those.
@NosyCaliparent yeah I gotcha, Otis definitely hard, I guess my essays will have to be AMAZING in order to get in haha! Let’s hope that working on them since August helps me, and it is definitely so helpful to me that you responded!! 
Thank you for chancing me.
Five things.
- Stanford has a knack for admitting likable students — of course there are some exceptions to this… but you seem pretty likable (if you mentioned you write calculus raps in your supplement, that’s a plus).
- Stanford loves entrepreneurs. You definitely show strong interest in entrepreneurship, so go you! Keep up with the whole online thing you have going on w/ your company.
- Yeah, those ECs are pretty great. Your 3.72 UW GPA is on the iffy side, so bring it up for this semester (and the next semester!)
- Teacher recommendations seem solid for now — ask them early on in the year!
- Saudi Arabian embassy? Dang. Keep doing incredible things like this and you’ll become a stronger candidate for Stanford.
Keep on working hard!!!
I think @13205118 hit the nail on the head.
Stanford isn’t limiting "entrepreneur " to inventing or starting. They’re talking about more, an attitude that can have nothing to do with founding something, nor making some money. Across the country, lots of kids start some venture, not realizing what else has to show. It’s an intellectual vitality (and success.) Not just a line under activities.
I agree with @lookingforward though it is difficult for me to put into words. I will share something that the Stanford adcom told me about my son’s essays when we met him at a dinner for admits. He said “Stanford wants students that want to change the world”(my first response was-Cue eye rolling “What does that mean” right?). He said that they look for someone that can make a personal connection that can translate into Stanford’s mission. So I thought in your case-when you developed your curriculum for your elementary and middle school did you personally contact with some young girl that thought aerospace engineering was something that she could never do until you came along? Putting that connection together in one of your essay questions would be powerful.
@NosyCaliparent oh my goodness yes!!! The teaching experience was very life changing for me and the kids thank you!