<p>hey, I'm a junior in high school and I've always wanted to go to Stanford.
Please tell me if you think there's even the slightest chance that I will get in.
Here are my stats:</p>
<p>GPA: weighted a little over 4.0 as of January, but will go up significatnly when new rankings come out
Rank: in top 10% in one of the most competitive and recognized public high schools in Texas (should also go up w/ GPA)
AP Classes:
10th: AP Human Geography (got a 5 on the exam)
11th: am taking AP English 3, AP Psych, AP Art History, AP Spanish 4, AP U.S. History
12th: will be taking AP English 4, AP Spanish 5, AP European History, AP Gov, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics
SAT: got a 2150 on my first try, but am definitely taking it again to get a better score
SAT2s: taking English, US History, and Spanish in May
ACT: taking in april
(Caucasian female)</p>
<p>EC's:
-was 1999 Level 6 State Gymnastics Champion, including many other higher-level medals
-was named 2003/2004 Best Lawyer in Mock Trial Competition and our team got 2nd out of over 30
-was NHS faculty-nominated officer in 10th (and am applying to be president in 12th) & creator/person in charge of a staff recognition award
-National Honor Society member 2005-2008
-GOS member in 10th (breast cancer awareness & volunteer club)
-STAND member 9th and 10th
-Spanish Honor Society member in 11th and will be in 12th
-Exceptional Musicianship Award for Choir in 10th
-Section Leader in choir in 9th-11th
-Am part of UIL Language competition team (will be competing in 2 weeks, expect to make it to at least regionals)
-many horse show hunter/jumper zone and individual awards
-I volunteer 4 hours a week at an organization called Equest 10th-12th
-2 Student Recognition Awards chosen by staff in 9th</p>
<p>please tell me my chances and/or what I should do to improve them!
thank you soooooooo much!</p>
<p>please reply! anything will help :)</p>
<p>Just keep doing what you're doing. Nobody can guarantee getting into any highly selective college, you can only do your best. </p>
<p>If you can attract a gymnastics coach's attention, that would help a lot</p>
<p>Taking the SATs again is a good idea, but don't worry about a 2400. Colleges don't care about your specific score so much as your range. There isn't a significant difference between a 2150 and a 2200. </p>
<p>Start writing your essays now. I often suspect that the essays are the most important part of the application. When you fill out the common app, you'll see how much of it is boring numbers and facts. The essays are really the only place where you get to stand out, unless you have some mind blowingly amazing activity/legacy.</p>
<p>I still don't understand why essays are such a huge deal in the application process. Just as an example I know someone who was accepted to a really great school over someone who wasn't accepted to the same school even though the rejectee was intellectually and academically much more qualified for the tough college curriculum. I am positive that the differentiator was the essay but you aren't going to colleges to write essays, you are going to study and perform in an academic setting? Or am I just completely off base?</p>
<p>i had to quit gymnastics because of knee injuries :/
i do ride horses though and i know that stanford has an equestrian team, however, its a club sport so am i correct in assuming that it will have no affect on my admissions? </p>
<p>and about the essay thing, many admissions officers, especially at highly selective schools, tend to base a lot of their decision on essays. they get tons of qualified applicants, but want interesting people with social skills instead of socially inept brainiacs</p>
<p>hmm... i read from an admissions officer at Dartmouth that essays influence only 5% of the applicants. 2% helps them, 3% lowers.</p>
<p>well thats just what ive been hearing
if you heard from an admissions officer thats probably right haha
im considering Dartmouth too, but Stanford is #1
not that i'll get into either hah</p>