Stanford Class of 2019 REA Results Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
21

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown):2120 (660M, 740CR, 720W)
ACT (breakdown):34
SAT II: crap Lit:700 Math 2:630
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.89
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): HS doesnt rank (only 12 people in my class)
AP (place score in parenthesis): Human Geo (5), school only offers 3 and am taking the others now.
IB (place score in parenthesis): none
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, AP Lang and Composition, Medical Microbiology, Adv. Spanish, Senior Project
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Commended</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Team Captain Varsity Skiing 4 years, Varsity CC 4 years, Model UN 3 years, Student Council 3 years, Yearbook 2 years, Photography (hobby, no awards or anything)
Job/Work Experience: Busser/ Dishwasher/Hostess yay minimum wage
Volunteer/Community service: Only a little bit, mostly volunteering for girls day camps a few times but nothing stellar
Summer Activities:Training (like 150+ hours), Working almost every night
Essays (rating 1-10, details): mehhh 7, I tried to keep a consistent theme (passion and commitment for skiing) but I am bad at writing about myself. People who read them said they were great but I am not convinced. I found a few errors after I submitted
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: 10/10 didn’t read but we have a really great connection
Teacher Rec #2: 8/10 probably great, bot his favorite student or anything
Counselor Rec: 7/10 generic probably
Additional Rec: 10/10 got one from a really old family friend, loves me, also Dean at a good university
Interview:none</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: yes but wouldn’t get it
Intended Major: International Relations/Political Science
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private (ski academy)
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket:>100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Letters of Rec, ACT score, unique ECs, passion for one major thing
Weaknesses: SAT subjects, essays
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Stanford is a super competitive school so I am not suprised. I have like no volunteer hours.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: University of Oregon, everywhere else RD</p>

<p>General Comments: Congratulations to everyone that got in! To all rejected, don’t worry! It isn’t saying anything about our character or what kind of people we are! </p>

22

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2180
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II: US History (760), Literature (720)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.91
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): We don’t rank :slight_smile:
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Psych (5), US History (5), AP Lang (5), AP Euro (4)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov/econ, AP Stat, AP Literature, Honors Engineering, Adv. Drama
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): SAGe (Screen actors guild eligible) California Arts Scholar, AP Scholar w/ honors, IASD (International Association for Sleep and Dreams) student scholarship</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):</p>

<p>Involvement in 20+ plays since beginning high school
Modeling training/signed model
Film acting training course
Intern/assistant for lucid dreaming researcher
(Assistant Director) for 2 musicals
Adv. Drama all four years
Understudied/performed lead for a professional play</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience:
Barista </p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service:
Volunteer for an online dreaming conference
100+ hours as a stage hand at local theater
Did a performance thing at local schools to help save local theater program</p>

<p>Summer Activities:
Shakespearean acting intensive
CSSSA (California State Summer School for the Arts)
Work</p>

<p>Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Personal Statement: 9, On lucid dreaming and how it affected my life as both a practice and scientific pursuit
Vitality: 10, Used the corpus callosum as a metaphor for my love of both art and science
Roommate: 6/7, Made a bucket list of things I wanted to do with her
Whats important to you: (not sure what to rate this… I was very proud of it because it was true for me, but it wasn’t your typical college essay): Wrote about existentialism/fear of death but how that inspired me to thrive</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Didn’t read any of them, so these are just guesses
English Teacher: 8-9? Knew me pretty well and was thrilled to write one for me
History Teacher: 8-9? I did this really outrageous amount of work at the end of the school year last year to get my grade up to an A, and she said she was proud of what she wrote for me
Counselor: 10, I had given her some info when I requested the rec, and she said what I told her moved her and made her cry… so there’s that.
Additional Rec: 9, Drama teacher wrote a really nice piece about how strong I was in drama
Interview: I didn’t actually get an interview because I live in Cali, BUT when I went in for my directing arts supplement, I wound up talking to the guy for like 20 minutes beyond the time limit I was supposed to have… may have made a difference. </p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yup
Intended Major: Psych
State (if domestic applicant): California
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 60,000~
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Extracurriculars (A lot of demonstrated determination in theater… pursuit of lucid dreaming was pretty unique), essays (writing is one of my strong suits), Art Supplement!! (I was the only person that day that applied with a Directing Sup)
Weaknesses: Grades/GPA (I got 2 Bs junior year), Math SAT (650), literally the least diverse applicant they could have possibly accepted, California bay area resident</p>

<p>Why you think you were accepted: Honestly I just followed my passion. That sounds really cliche and I know you’ve all heard it before, but almost all of my accomplishments came from me just doing things because I felt like it. I didn’t even decide to apply to Stanford until I started senior year. I was aiming for UCLA all throughout high school, so I didn’t overburden myself with classes and clubs… I don’t think I even really joined a club haha. Just do what you love, don’t force yourself to do things just to get into school. </p>

<p>Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Applied to the UC system, NYU, Barnard, Columbia… waiting to hear back</p>

<p>General Comments:</p>

<p>Really just what I said above. I think I was accepted partially because they’re trying to bulk up their theater and humanities… but yeah… very pumped! </p>

23

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2290 total - 730 CR, 770 M, 790 W (9)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: Math II 800, Literature 740
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.975
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Calculus AB (5), AP Chinese Language and Culture (5), AP English Language and Composition (5), AP U.S. History (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Literature and Composition, AP Statistics, Chemistry, Computer Programming Java, U.S. Government / Economics (semester-long classes), Studio Art
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semi-Finalist; AP Scholar with Honor Award; Le Grand Concours Lauréat National (national recognition in a nation-wide French exam); Red, White & Blue Award (the most prestigious academic award at my high school)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): National and international level harpist; pianist of twelve years; Music for Community club (President); member of Barbershop Quartet club; member of a table tennis club in my local community; Chinese School student
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community service: Music for Community, in which students perform music for the elderly at nursing homes in their local community
Summer Activities: Traveling across the state, country, and nation’s borders for national and international harp competitions and performances
Essays (rating 1-10, details):

  • Common App: wrote about my harp competitions and performances and the lessons I’ve gained from my experiences
  • Activity Question: wrote about my involvement and leadership in Music for Community
  • Intellectual Vitality: wrote about how art classes have taught me to think differently and take risks
  • Roommate: wrote about my two younger brothers and their role in my life
  • What matters: wrote about my contributions to the community through harp and the harp’s significance to me
    Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: Math teacher - waived right to view, but I performed exceptionally well in her class, and she and I have a very good relationship. She knows I play the harp and invited me to perform at her wedding. 10/10
Teacher Rec #2: Physics teacher - waived right to view, but in his class, I displayed diligence, honesty, and selflessness in unusual circumstances in which no other students did. 10/10
Counselor Rec: Waived right to view, but she and I have a very good relationship. She is aware of both my academic capabilities and personal talents. 10/10
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: N/A</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Undeclared
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian-American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~ 90K
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Academically qualified, deep involvement and significant accomplishments in a unique extra-curricular activity, strong music and art supplements, very strong teacher recs, essays
Weaknesses: Light number of AP classes( compared to my peers - I attend a very competitive high school), light senior year schedule, few Subject Tests, less experience in leadership, few activities unrelated to music
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: All of the strengths listed above, but it all came down to the essays. The essays are so important, I cannot emphasize this enough. When writing, I tried to tell a story, illustrate a scene so my audience could visualize everything and feel something in their hearts. What was important was to write something from my heart and something that would leave a lasting impression on an audience that was reviewing thousands of applications.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at Indiana University at Bloomington</p>

<p>General Comments: I am incredibly grateful, honored, and humbled that Stanford selected me to be part of their Class of 2019. I realize that others may have to wait several more months to receive their decisions, and others still may have been already rejected. To all of those students, I offer you my best wishes and support as you continue applying for colleges. I believe that we will receive answers to all of our questions in time, so just keep having faith that everything will be all right, and keep persevering and never lose sight of what’s most important to you. To those who have been accepted to Stanford, congratulations. I look forward to meeting you next year!</p>

24

<p>[aB][asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]**</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2110 (third try and superscore) (770 writing, 700 math, and 640 crit)
ACT (breakdown): 35 (36 E, 33 M, 33 R, 36 S, 12 Essay)
SAT II: 1st try: 540 lit (lol), 690 math II, 760 US Hist
2nd try: 610 lit (lol), 800 Math II, 720 US Hist (why’d I retake this?)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97, 4.39 W
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): NA
AP (place score in parenthesis): chem (2) (awk bcuz I got over 100% in the class), US (4), Euro (3), Eng III (3), Env. (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): NA
Senior Year Course Load: All aps
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nope</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Too many to list, but major one is a non-profit foundation
Job/Work Experience: 2 jobs for pay
Volunteer/Community service: Too many
Summer Activities: No tengo money
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 10
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): </p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: Eng teacher said I was her inspiration to keep on moving on— 10
Teacher Rec #2: Science teacher loves me—10
Counselor Rec: She really likes me—8
Additional Rec:
Interview: Nope</p>

<p>Make sure in your essays to write about how you will impact the world (that’s the type of person they want)</p>

25

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2280 (680 CR, 800 M, 800 W, 11 essay)
ACT (breakdown): n/a
SAT II: 800 Math II, 790 Physics, 780 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97 (one freshman B)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History(5), Physics C (EM(5) and Mech(5)), Calc BC(5), Comp Sci(5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Gov/Econ, AP Japanese, AP Statistic, Chem Honors, TA, Art
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): only AP Scholar W/ Distinction</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Long Time: Watercolor painting (Submitted art portfolio)
10-12 Science Olympiad
9-12 Tutoring Center (Head Tutor Senior Year)
11-12 Programming Club
11-12 NCHS
11-12 CSF</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: CSF/Tutoring
Summer Activities: SAT Class, SPCS
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App (10) art, amazing
EC (7) talked about tutoring, and learning how to tutor
Intellectual Vitality (7) kinda weird idk how i feel about this one still. talked about what I do to learn
Roommate (8) talked about a lot of random stuff, not really focused
Matters (10) famliy
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 10/10, said everything right
Teacher Rec #2: Didnt read/10
Counselor Rec: Didnt read/10
Additional Rec: 10/10, Adviser to the tutoring center
Interview: n/a</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: no
Intended Major: CS
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 100
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nope</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths:GPA, SAT II, APs, Recs
Weaknesses: Leadership, SAT?, Intellectual Vitality, Awards, not a lot of ECs until 11th grade
Why you think you were rejected: Probably because they are looking for leaders, and I just dont have that.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: none yet</p>

<p>General Comments:
I’m a bit disappointed, but I think I will make it. It’s easy to say congrats to those who have gotten in, and good luck to those who are applying regular, but it’s hard to say why one person will get in over another. Don’t be like me - you should expect to get rejected, and then be excited when you get in.</p>

26

<p>Decision: Deferred</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): N/A
ACT (breakdown): English 36, Reading 32, Science 25, Math 27
SAT II: U.S. History 710 and Literature 700
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): my school doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): U.S History (5) and English Lang Comp (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Macroeconomics, AP Psychology, AP Gifted and Talented English IV, AP
Environmental Science, Spanish Language and Culture IV, AP Statistics, and AP Government
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Winner of the 2012 Charles Dickens Fellowship Essay Contest, first in several of my classes freshman year, “A” Honor Roll throughout high school, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, member of my school district’s Gifted and Talented Program</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): national champion equestrian: competed and had a top 20 finish at Youth Olympics, represented the U.S. in multiple competitions, compete in professional classes as a junior competitor
Student Ambassador President for a non-profit that provides free, verified open educational resources online for students and teachers around the world, I speak at schools around the country about my non-profit and the importance of education, Episcopal Youth Community Leader and on the parish profile committee for my church
Job/Work Experience: worked at a candy store during my sophomore year, babysitter, math tutor
Volunteer/Community service: 100+ hours working for my non-profit, 75+ church volunteering, 100+ hours of free tutoring, some random stuff like working concessions at my school’s basketball games, etc.
Summer Activities: all but maybe a week spent horse showing around the country, speech and debate camp and college visits on my days off
Essays (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Personal Statement (9) - central background story prompt. I wrote about the farm my grandparents started and how horseback riding has passed through several generations of my family and the lessons I learned along the way. </p>

<p>Intellectual Vitality (10) - I wrote about how I founded my non-profit and how I have benefited from working with students around the world</p>

<p>Roommate (10) - This was my favorite! I wrote about why I am nicknamed the “walking oxymoron” and how it attributes to my many quirks. ex. memorizing the opening sentence of A Tale of Two Cities and the lyrics to “Back in Black” by AC/DC</p>

<p>What Matters to You (10) - I wrote about 9/11 and how it has become a shadow on our generation. I have a very vivid memory of that day and have followed its repercussions over the years. It also inspired me to want to work in international affairs.</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): I waived my right to read them.</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: (10) - my 11th AP English teacher. We got along really well over the year, and she is one of my biggest role models. I also got a 5 on the AP exam, so that helps :smile:
Teacher Rec #2: (10) - my APUSH teacher. We also got along really well, and he was really excited when I asked him to write the letter. The AP score probably helped here too.
Counselor Rec: (10) - My counselor left the school at the end of summer, so I got a new one at the beginning of the year. I made a really good first impression with her, and she has become my biggest cheerleader. Making friends with your counselor is so important!
Additional Rec: (10) - the original founder of the non-profit I work with and a Stanford Business School alumni. I did read this one, and it showed a more philanthropic side to me as opposed to the more academic ones.
Interview: (10) - We had a great conversation for over an hour and met at Barnes and Noble. We talked a lot about her experience at Stanford and about everything I wasn’t able to say in my application.</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Political Science
State (if domestic applicant): Texas
Country (if international applicant): US
School Type: highly competitive public
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $250,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): rec letter from prominent alumni, equestrian (they have a team, but they don’t recruit)</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: GPA, AP scores, extracurriculars, volunteer work, I put a lot of effort into my essays
Weaknesses: ACT score, white female of European descent
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: ACT score and senior year grades
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: this was my first letter- also applied RD to Boston College, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, NYU, SMU, William and Mary, USC, UVA, Wake Forest, UCSD, and UT Austin. </p>

<p>General Comments: Obviously, I hope I am accepted in March! To be honest, being deferred at the most selective school in the country makes me feel a lot better about my chances at the 13 other schools I applying to. Congrats to everyone who was accepted! To those who were denied: if you are applying to Stanford, you are obviously an incredible person. Don’t be discouraged! Everyone will end up where they are supposed to be :smiley: </p>

27

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective: </p>

<p>SAT I (breakdown): 1960 (CR 630, M 630, W 700) one sitting [didn’t send, however]
ACT (breakdown): 32 (E 34, M 30, R 34, S 30)
SAT II: 740 Bio M, 750 US History</p>

<p>Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Bio (5), AP US History (4), AP Lang (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Art History, AP Calc AB, AP Chinese, AP Literature, and electives…</p>

<p>Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar Award, County Award for Achievement in Chinese, some minor school awards, (I lead a team to win a computer science competition for $2,500, if that counts)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): school news show (3 yrs, exec producer, editor), school-wide media conglomerate (2 yrs, founder, CEO), independent film studio (4 yrs, founder, director, editor), Digital currency investment firm (2 yrs, founder, CEO, CIO), investment club (2 yrs, Most Valuable Portfolio), Mock Trial (4 yrs, lead attorney, team brigadier), Honor Council (2 yrs), Varsity Soccer (1 yr)</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: none</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service: volunteered at a senior center over the summer, I also worked out a deal with my school to give me hours for some of my ec’s</p>

<p>Summer Activities: [Taken from my stanford app] Founded a media network now valued by my school, coordinated the next two seasons of my school’s news program, volunteered at a senior center, wrote screenplays, made short films, attempted to create a video game, edited and published my friends’ Dungeons & Dragons sessions, traveled around Italy, Ireland, France, and Switzerland</p>

<p>Essays (rating 1-10, details): (I am not good at judging my own work so bare with me)</p>

<pre><code>Common App (7 or 8): wrote about how I saw great potential in my school’s failing news program and helped make it a large success for the school and my community

Intellectual Vitality (9 or 10): how traveling around the world has cultivated my appreciation for other cultures and love for learning

Letter to Roomate (6 or 7): Generic. Rushed. some lines make me cringe every time I read it

What matters to you and why (7 or 8): about how i learned the value of experience and making mistakes while trudging my way to the highest ranked position in my school’s investment club

Rest of Supplement (8 or 9): very genuine
</code></pre>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): </p>

<pre><code>Teacher Rec #1: didn’t see
Teacher Rec #2: didn’t see
Counselor Rec: didn’t see
Additional Rec: n/a
Interview: none
</code></pre>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: no
Intended Major: Econ
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: M
Income Bracket: too big to fail
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: some of my essays and EC’s
Weaknesses: Test scores, nothing compelling, essays were a bit rushed
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: not competitive enough, didn’t really stand out, wrote too much about accomplishments and not myself
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:</p>

<p>Applying to: Harvard, Columbia, UChicago, Princeton, NYU, Berkeley, USC, UPenn, Williams, among less reputable ones</p>

<p>General Comments:
10% acceptance rate. what can you expect? Though I’m a bit disappointed, I suppose Stanford wasn’t the best school for me. Oh well. Congrats to all who got in!</p>

28

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): (one-time) 2350; Critical Reading-760, Math-800, Writing-790
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 Physics, 760 Chemistry, 720 World History (did not submit World History)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 (or really close, not exactly sure b/c my school uses 6. 0 scale)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1st
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calculus AB, Psychology, Physics B, English Language and Composition, Statistics, Biology, Chinese Language and Composition, Human Geography, World History- all 5’s; Chemistry and Spanish Language and Composition - 4
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Macroeconomics, AP U.S. Government, Advanced Anatomy and Physiology, AP Calculus BC, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Physics C, AP Environmental Science
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, AP National Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, Carson Scholar (some more extracurricular/science fair stuff but not big like Intel/Siemens)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): President of Red Cross Club, Secretary of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Model UN, National Honor Society, Science Fair, Cross-country JV, Advanced Dance; for HOSA went to State for Extemporaneous Writing
Job/Work Experience: Worked over summer (rather not say where)
Volunteer/Community service: Lots of stuff, but did not volunteer at one place consistently
Summer Activities: Dual credit (high school + college credit), work
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Common App 7, about failing – some parts unique, some parts cliché, but it was a true story
Intellectual Vitality 8 – talked about a letter I found and talked about the use of punishment as a mode of learning
Roommate 9 –not perfect, made it funny but no jokes
Matters 8 – Health</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: waived rights, but I expect it was a 10
Teacher Rec #2: waived rights, I expect 9-10
Counselor Rec: waived rights, 10
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Went pretty well! Kind of stressful – the coffee shop was full and we had to go to another place…and another place…but it was a good opportunity to show how I coped with stress. Interview was conversational and I felt at ease. </p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Bioengineering
State (if domestic applicant): Texas
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 100
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: My grades, AP tests, I thought essays were good overall
Weaknesses: Maybe the essays were too cliché? I can’t really blame myself if this were the case because I do believe that they represent myself.
Why you think you were rejected: Lack of very good extracurriculars – although I have leadership positions and am very involved in my rather few activities, I seem to lack the things that make me STAND OUT. No Intel, no Siemens or any of the sort. Red Cross is a relatively new club but I can’t say I founded it because it’s in its 2nd year. No one needs to win big things like Intel or even go but I believe that in my case it just made me a mediocre candidate.
Where else were you accepted: University of Texas-Austin </p>

<p>General Comments: Congratulations to everyone I got in! For those rejected, I understand how you’re feeling. :slight_smile: However don’t be discouraged! There are other colleges out there that will accept you! Good luck to everyone! </p>

29

<p>[asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2330 one sitting (800 CR, 760 Writing, 770 Math)
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: 800 Lit, 800 Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): Our school (I’m Singaporean) uses letter grades for grades 11-12, GPA for grades 9-10, so AAAA for H2s at Prelims and Promos, but several 3.2s in Sec 3 and Sec 4 (Freshman, Junior year)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank, but ~top 5%
AP (place score in parenthesis): N/A
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: H2 English Lit, H2 Math, H2 History, H2 Economics, H1 General Paper, H1 Project Work, H3 English Lit (coursework)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): not really major, but Foyle Young Poets commendation 2013 - 99 other people were commended too though?</p>

<p>Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Multiple creative writing-related chairpersonish positions grades 10-12, founded a school multi-media arts/culture website incl. a talent show in collab with school admin people, awareness project for migrant workers in Singapore, misc. history-related minor activities
Job/Work Experience: Nil, heh
Volunteer/Community service: Working with kids with intellectual disability grades 10-12
Summer Activities: School trip to Bhutan, annual camp for intellectually disabled people organising team with working adults, walking around with history geek friends looking for random monuments… ah well
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Commonapp: 7-8/10 my family’s (we’re technically mainland Chinese) immigrant background and how it influenced me to try to reach out to migrant workers - I went for metaphorical and personal but felt it could have sounded contrived.
Roommate: 8-9/10 about my love for ducks and what my roommate’s choice of animal would be, poked fun at the duck syndrome.<br>
What matters: 9/10 to have a sense of wonder, both academically and in encountering other people? Tried to link this to how I try to listen to other people and see their inner world in my community/advocacy stuff. Alluded to Vermeer my fav painter heh
Intellectual vitality: about how I was confused by the need to extrapolate based on lack of factual info relating to a Cold War question in history, and ended up reconciling uncertainty through reading about Bayes probability. Dad the math expert is quite sure the theory wasn’t entirely sound, but basically I tried to show my curious obsessive side. : >
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Teacher Rec #1: 7-8/10? Economics teacher who liked me and was a generally very trusted/able rec writer with colleges, but he thought I was wincingly shy (he told a friend as a joke that I always “looked like he was going to slap me” when I spoke up in class, so uh)
Teacher Rec #2: 9/10 awesome lit teacher went to all our club-organised events, supervised my coursework and was basically hugely supportive and tried to see the best in every student - and undoubtedly tried her best in all her recs.
Counselor Rec: 8/10 in Singapore our Civics Tutors (homeroom teachers?) write this, mine was a lit teacher who probably got to know us somewhat better re. personality, extracurriculars than the average guidance counselor. Idk if this helps you guys, but our teacher got our class to write little mini writeups about each other from a friend’s perspective, highlighting personal incidents that demonstrate character traits more intimately as material for her rec. Figured a lot of public school kids in the US might benefit from trying out the same thing informally to avoid more generic recs?
Interview: OK, he was an CS/Econ major and I was talking about my love for lit - I will say that I tried my best to get my interviewer’s “vibe” and anchored my more idealistic social justice-y inclinations to a more pragmatic, real world perspective as far as I could? He was warm and tolerant of juvenile slang, I’m sure they all are!</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: English, Symbolic Systems, History (in that order)
Country (if international applicant): Singapore
School Type: Public (?) most or 2nd most competitive in city, batch size 1250 (Bishan JC…)
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: F
Income Bracket: ~$100,000? Can’t remember if I listed, though
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Asian applicant who’s into humanz and writing, i.e. somewhat against the Stanford stereotype though I’m not sure how far it’s true?</p>

<p>Reflections</p>

<p>Strengths: “hooks”, and possibly the more litsy style of my essays because I’m not sure how much attention the comm gives to arts supplements so I suppose this was a more direct/ unavoidable way to display my major artistic EC?
Weaknesses: extracurriculars, the fact that I’m not the most confident and can be hopelessly shy/nervous with authority figures heh, which my teachers may have remarked on.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: my hook of sorts, and the effort I put into my essays - I’m sure the approach I went for isn’t the only one that works, but basically I tried to think about what I stood for personally and related that to what I did consistently, while trying to ensure that each part of my personality (geeky, irreverent, idealistic) showed
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Nil</p>

<p>General Comments: I know you’re probably just skipping to the stats heh but I followed CC for years as a lurker and never thought I had a chance, but imo admissions stuff depends on [other than luck] displaying a distinct view of the world from your own perspective and relating it to the things you do, which is something that comes naturally with time and maturity. So please don’t freak out, and don’t take anything as gospel. You lot on the Stanford REA applicants thread are the nicest I’ve seen around and quite frankly intimidated me with your obv passions/ talents and good-with-peopleness. Wishing you guys all the best regardless of results - and I know you won’t need it. : )</p>

30

<p>Decision: Deferred</p>

<p>Objective:
ACT (breakdown): 35 (english 36, math 35, reading 36, science 34, writing 8)
SAT II: Bio E (780), Math II (790)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesn’t rank, but other applicants from my school were equally competitive
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc AB (5) – school doesn’t offer APs
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load (first semester): Intro Philosophy, African-American Literature, American History Seminar, Chem B, two college courses (math and macroeconomics)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, ISAC Scholar</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Ballet (company dancer, volunteer teacher – 13 years, 15-20 hrs/wk. Performances in several productions & participation in intensives at some amazing national studios. My main extracurricular), production intern with local radio station (3 yrs), neurology shadow (2 yrs), VP of state Latin organization
Job/Work Experience: Tutor (math & reading, with a company – almost 2 years)
Volunteer/Community service: Camp counselor (1 yr only), SSAT tutor for underprivileged children with organization (3 yrs)
Summer Activities: academic summer programs at universities, work, shadowing neurologist, camp counselor, ballet intensive, etc. Not very cohesive
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Common App (9 – I was really proud of this one. Talked about ballet from a failure aspect/redefining success), Extracurricular (7 – nice, uplifting, and pretty, but doesn’t tie in too much with the rest of my app or life in general, as it discussed the kid I worked with at a disability summer camp), Short Answers (7 – honest, varied, but nothing standout here. Tied in ballet and neuroscience, two big passions, though), Intellectual Vitality (6 – talked about how my love for neuroscience started in the home but grew into an animal of its own. I liked it a lot when I submitted it, but to be fair, it’s cliche), Future Roommate (7 – the mix of big city/small town feels in my hometown and how that’s developed my hobbies/kept me curious. Bubbly little essay, but again, not exactly “wow”), What Matters (8 – how family dinner has evolved over the years)
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): didn’t read any, but here are my guesses</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: Bio teacher of 2 years, though I don’t have him this year. Really enjoyed his class and he was very enthusiastic to do this (7 – not “best student ever” or anything, but very positive)
Teacher Rec #2: English teacher of 2 years. Hands down most passionate teacher I’ve ever had, and such a good writer. (I’m guessing 8 for the same reasons)
Counselor Rec: Loved her! We met all the time and she even read over some of my essays. Knew me pretty well, and was always so warm (9?)
Additional Rec: Neurologist that I shadow on weekends (8 – he probably had some good details that couldn’t be captured by regular schoolteachers)
Interview: n/a</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: no
Intended Major: Biology
Area: Midwest
School Type: small selective admissions public school
Ethnicity: Asian-American
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: $100,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: common app essay, long-term dedication to ballet, scores and GPA
Weaknesses: no major awards, a few subpar essays, too scattered – some “themes” but none shining out</p>

<p>General Comments: Hey, the most selective college in America thinks I’m worthy of another look in RD, that’s definitely something! I normally wouldn’t want to post my stats like this, but just writing this post really got my head together, so here goes. Good luck everyone :)</p>

31

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): lolz that is one hard test to take
ACT (breakdown): 34 (36 English, 35 Math, 32 Reading, 34 Science, 7 Essay)
SAT II: 800 Chem, 770 Math II
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School don’t report rank but its 31/797 (this is with a 4.7 weighted gpa)
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5), Stats (4), Chem (5), Psych (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): Uh… what are these
Senior Year Course Load: Study Hall, AP Physics C, AP Calc BC, AP Bio, American Government, English IV
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): That AP award thingy… scholar with distinction I think, Honor Roll awards, and Academic All Ohio for track my soph. and jr. year</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

  • Member of a local Indian cultural club… I help set up events and such
  • Mu Alpha Theta (this is life! …and not social suicide)
  • (Coach for youth track club)
  • Indoor and Outdoor track and field</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: N/A</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service:
-80 something hours at a local hospital
-12 hours coaching the youth track and field club.
Summer Activities: uhh… coaching is the only one</p>

<p>Essays (rating 1-10, details): solid 8 overall unless I did that average wrong…</p>

<p>Common App (8) - going on a jog and observing surroundings = connecting a variety of ideas and making sense of the randomness learned in school. The prompt I answered was for the place you feel most content.</p>

<p>Intellectual Vitality (9) - How critical thinking in my first computer programming class helped me out in high school</p>

<p>Future Roommate (7) - Basically I’d rather live in California because in Ohio, it can be sunny, rain, snow, hail in like 2 hours… and also that I watch science videos</p>

<p>What Matters To You (8) - Friends that you can make fun of because those friends aren’t boring af</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: AP Chem teacher, had her all year and that made it one of the funner classes (aside from tests and such) (9)
Teacher Rec #2: Pre-Calc teacher, had him for one trimester and like that I helped lead the class in learning new material and like his teaching style (he’s also got a doctorate in math so he’s pretty legit) (10)
Counselor Rec: None
Additional Rec: None
Interview: None</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: YEAH
Intended Major: Chemical Engineering
State (if domestic applicant): Ohio
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 100-120k probably
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first generation, immigrant, recruited athlete</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Strong test scores, strong schedule, recruited athlete, and a variety in my essays
Weaknesses: Essay for the ACT is pretty shit for Stanford standards and I don’t have a ton of ECs like most people that post on here
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Strong test scores, strong schedule, recruited athlete, and a variety in my essays
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Dunno, first one that responded back, probably to accepted to OSU and UC (Cincinnati)</p>

<p>General Comments: If anything for your essays… show your personality to help you that you’re unique. I have been told my many legit sources that the essay is what separates you, show who you really are (especially with supplemental essays and short answers) and don’t be basic.</p>

32

<p>Decision: Deferred</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2250 (780 CR, 800 M, 670 W(ouch))
ACT (breakdown):N/A
SAT II:800 Math2, 800 Chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 11/755
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Computer Science, AP English, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, Study Hall, Gym, Band, Computer Literacy(required to graduate)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Commended Scholar, All-State Band, Region Band, Boys State Delegate/State Assemblyman, Academic Decathlon medals at regional competition, 53rd in State Science League Chem I Competition
(AKA no major awards)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Marching Band 4 years (Rank Sergeant, Tuba Section Leader)
Volleyball 4 years (Varsity Team Co-Captain)
Science League 3 years (Team Captain)
National Science Honor Society 2 years (Vice President)
Basketball 2 years (JV Captain)
Orchestra 2 years (Principal Tuba)
Academic Decathlon 2 years
Community Band member 3 years</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Toys R Us sales team member summer of junior year into senior year
Volunteer/Community service: Head Altar Server of church since 6th grade
Summer Activities: Boys State, Work, Band Camp
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Commonapp - 9, chose the failure essay, wrote about not making Region band my sophomore year and using it as motivation to make Region and All State my Junior year, showed that I refuse to give up
Intellectual vitality - 8, talked about how I wasnt placed in advanced classes until I beat the whole school in a math competition in sixth grade, caused me to get excited about learning
Roommate - 7, kinda cliche, said I was afraid of heights so I would want the bottom bunk if we had bunk beds, said I would do my best to make him like me because sharing a room with someone who hates you is awful
What matters - 9, talked about always giving 110% to whatever I do, no matter the outcome I will always be happy if I do my best</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): waived my right but</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: Chem teacher, 10, has told me i’m one of his favorite students of all time
Teacher Rec #2: APUSH II Teacher, 10, loved me in his class, I was one of the only people to participate and show insight, prob talked about it in the letter
Counselor Rec: don’t know
Additional Rec: Band Director, 9, talked about me being a leader and helping him out since he’s new and needed a helping hand within to get things going
Interview: 9, went pretty well, my guy was super chill and we talked and joked</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Chem Engineering
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Large, Public, ~3600 students
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: <80,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none really</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: passion for music demonstrated through awards, essays, gpa, extracurriculars
Weaknesses: rank, sat score a little on the low side, no major awards
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: No major awards, but good essays that really captured me as a person and my recs definitely helped
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted to Rutgers(safety), applying to 7 other schools now that I got deferred</p>

<p>General Comments:
I was honestly expecting a rejection letter, not even top 10, no national awards, but my essays and extracurriculars must have helped a bunch, I’m hopeful for RD since I absolutely killed 1st marking period (my school grades by marking period instead of semesters, 4 marking periods per school year) and am currently doing as well second, so my rank should go up and they’ll see my updated grades, also got Region and All State again in January, so doing well would help a lot. Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! All the deferred people, we have hope for regular, send out your other apps and keep your head up. People who were rejected, this doesn’t mean you’re an awful person and won’t get anywhere in life, you’re brilliant and will do great things one day, keep your heads high and apply away.
Hopefully RD will treat me nicely, see you guys then! I hope this post helps someone in the future.</p>

33

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2230 (740 CR, 760 M, 730 W)
ACT (breakdown): 34 (35 E, 35 M, 35 R, 32 S)
SAT II: 760 Math 2, 750 Lit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
AP (place score in parenthesis): Stats (5) Biology (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: Saxon Physics, AP Calc, Advanced Jazz, AP English, Philosophy, APUSH, Humanities
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Humanitarian Award, League of Women Voters “Making Democracy Work” Award, Boettcher Semifinalist, WATS Honor Student, </p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Basketball, Baseball, NHS (President), Student Council, Tenor Saxophone (advanced jazz and independent combo), Youth Council,
Job/Work Experience: Car detailing, Christmas tree farm, Sno-Ball Trolley, Office Maintenance
Volunteer/Community service: Democratic Fellowship, Community School Improvement Team, Yes on B initiative, founder of a program that encourages and facilitates youth involvement in politics, various NHS projects, a variety of other work with local political organizations, basketball assistant coaching
Summer Activities: Stanford Summer Institute
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common app : 9/10, really capitalized on my rural background and the reason for my political activism
Intellectual Vitality: 8, talked about the Rubik’s Cube in a really different way, applied it to my work ethic
Roommate: 10, easiest one for me to write, very open and honest, revealed a lot about my personality
What Matters: 7, weakest, struggled for a long time and settled on something pretty good but it could have been better
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: 10, stats/calc teacher, blew me away
Teacher Rec #2: 10, philosophy teacher, just as good or better, really well written, revealed a lot about my character
Counselor Rec: 5, didn’t get to see this one, new counselor so I’m guessing pretty generic
Additional Rec: 8/9, from a Stanford proffesor at the Summer Institute, thought would make a difference
Interview: 10, interviewer was very interested in me and my passions, wanted to advocate for me especially because of my rural background</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Political Science/Statistics
State (if domestic applicant): CO
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $90,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Most of my essays, my test scores, my unbelievable teacher recommendations, my grades, variety of interests with a spike in political action
Weaknesses: No major awards, didn’t found a charity, don’t come from any interesting unfortunate circumstances, not a whole lot of opportunities to do much in the tiny town where I live
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I really have no idea, every counselor (high school and college) was confident in my admission, I had all the pieces, someone with lesser qualifications than me got in through Questbridge two weeks ago from my school and my only idea is that Stanford didn’t feel like taking another person from our rural demographic
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Nowhere yet, applied to two UCs, CU Boulder (through Boettcher), and University of Rochester. Planning on applying to Princeton, Columbia, Harvard, Williams, Amherst, Pomona, UChicago, Reed, others</p>

<p>General Comments: Really, really disappointed. I’ve had my heart set on Stanford ever since the Summer Institutes last June/July. I used my rural background to my advantage as much as possible and though I developed a compelling story, but apparently not. Oh well, all I can do is move on and finish up the rest of my applications. Stanford is a crapshoot, no matter who you think you are. </p>

34

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2290 total, 800 Math, 750 Reading, 740 Writing
ACT (breakdown): n/a
SAT II: 800 Math II, 780 Physics
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 15
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5’s on all (World History, Physics, English 3, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Calculus AB)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: Two off-campus, AP Calculus BC, AP English 4, AP Chemistry, AP Physics C, Film
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): n/a</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Filmmaking, YouTube video production, short film/music video production
Job/Work Experience: Writing/directing/shooting/editing commercials for several local businesses
Volunteer/Community service: Filming local Indian community events, filming school district-hosted events
Summer Activities: Android app development, ID Tech Camps, YouTube video making
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 9, pretty solid essays that focus on my filmmaking experiences and how they’ve shaped me
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): Unsure, I didn’t get an opportunity to read them myself</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1:
Teacher Rec #2:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview: Had an alumni interview, pretty short and simple and mostly just talked about my extracurriculars</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: no
Intended Major: Computer Science
State (if domestic applicant): Texas
Country (if international applicant): US
School Type: High School
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: >$350k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: SAT score, class rank, unique extracurriculars (filmmaking)
Weaknesses: Volunteer hours, traditional extracurriculars
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I’ve amassed a pretty big following on YouTube and it has become like a business to me, where I make comedy videos and songs and make money from ad revenue and iTunes sales. This most likely had a big impact on my admission since this isn’t very common.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at University of Texas (Honors Comp Sci program), haven’t heard back from others</p>

<p>General Comments: I had the grades I needed in order to get admission, but what really allowed me to get accepted was my extracurriculars. Without them, I don’t think I would have gotten in.</p>

35

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2170 - CR: 690 M: 750 W: 730
ACT (breakdown): N/A
SAT II: Chemistry: 670, Math II: 750
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0, 5.38 weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4, top 1%
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc AB (5), Computer Science (4) (taken online), Chemistry (score not sent)<br>
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AICE Sociology, AP Physics C, AICE Biology, AICE Global Perspectives, AP Human Geography, AP Calc BC, Applied Object-Oriented Java Programming (online), DE Comp I, two band classes
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Aspirations in Computing Award Regional Winner, Superior and Excellent ratings at District and State Instrumental Solo & Ensemble for the past three years.</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Marching Band (10: Section Leader, 11: Woodwind Captain, 12: Drum Major), Ultimate Frisbee Club, STEM (11,12: Representative), Ethical Foods Association, Chess Club</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: Jimmy John’s cashier for 1.5 years, piano teacher at a local Christian school for 1 year</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service: Played in the orchestra for my school’s spring musical every year - counts for about 72 hours of community service per year. Piano teacher at a different local Christian school beginning this school year - counts for about 36 hours per year.</p>

<p>Summer Activities: Going into junior year - toured local colleges featuring 3D animation majors (what I thought I wanted to major in at the time) and worked. Going into senior year - attended the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes for Artificial Intelligence and worked.</p>

<p>Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App: 9, I had many people look over this one to make sure everything sounded right. I talked about my breathing problems affecting my ability to participate in marching band and how the lack of diagnosis from doctors made me feel hopeless. Ended with talking about how I transitioned to currently dealing with them with a better mindset and learned that some challenges are constant. (this is a pretty rough summary, sorry)</p>

<p>Extra Curric: 7, talked about working at Jimmy John’s and how that has helped me speak more confidently and become more tolerant.</p>

<p>Intellectual Vitality: 10, discussed whether or not creativity truly existed. Combined my intended major (comp sci) and minor (music composition).</p>

<p>Roommate: 8, I personally didn’t like this one, but everyone who read it did. I talked about how I’m very messy, but I have a neat whiteboard to collect all of my thoughts. Then I talked about how much I love food.</p>

<p>What matters: 10, talked about individuality and its necessity for innovation. Referred to my experience at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes and how that opened my eyes to the possibilities that can be created through diversity.</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: 7. Social studies teacher, has known me since freshman year. However, his recommendations are pretty cookie-cutter style. </p>

<p>Teacher Rec #2: 8. Calculus teacher, has known me since last year. I didn’t get to read it and I have no idea how he writes, but last year I exceeded his expectations and I always have a positive attitude in class, so that has to count for something.</p>

<p>Counselor Rec: 5. He didn’t really know me well, so it was probably generic. </p>

<p>Additional Rec: 10. Old band director. I was able to read it, and it was very touching. Definitely highlighted the best of my qualities. </p>

<p>Interview: N/A</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: yes, but late
Intended Major: Computer Science
State (if domestic applicant): FL
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: F
Income Bracket: ~60k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): female in computer science</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: essays, additional rec, marching band leadership, jobs, GPA, the fact that I took many extra classes online</p>

<p>Weaknesses: test scores, other recs, didn’t do anything too outstanding</p>

<p>Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think my essays and short answers showed my personality in the best way possible. They highlighted my sense of humor as well as my passion for computer science, music, and people. I’m still stunned - I’ve seen people on this forum who I’d consider to be way more qualified than myself that did not get accepted. Everything happens for a reason, and for whatever reason, Stanford accepted me! </p>

<p>Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: N/A</p>

<p>General Comments: Clearly, test scores aren’t everything, to an extent. For those who are applying in the future, I just hope that you take my advice and BE YOURSELF! Don’t try to be some crazy person who wins every award and gets perfect scores and is involved in everything, if that isn’t who you truly are. Do what you want to do - what makes YOU excited - and that’s what schools will appreciate. Your passion will come out through your writing, and for Stanford at least, that’s what counts. Congrats to all other members of the Stanford Class of 2019!</p>

36

<p>Decision: Rejected
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2190 (690 Math, 700 Reading, 800 Writing)
ACT (breakdown): Didn’t take
SAT II: 760 Lit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): My school doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): English Lit and Composition (5), Calc AB (4), APUSH (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load: Calc BC, Honors English 12, Performing Arts, Women’s History, AP Bio
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Commended Scholar, AP Scholar
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Varsity Volleyball 4 years (captain 12th grade)
School Newspaper (Co-editor 10th-12th grade)
Model UN 3 years
Job/Work Experience:
Paid Intern at Chemistry lab this summer (100+ hours)
Book keeper at a real estate company (4+ yrs)
Volunteer/Community service:
Volunteer at Ride a Wave (teaches disabled kids how to surf) for 3+ years
Summer Activities:
Intern at chemistry lab (see above)
Beach Volleyball
Indoor Volleyball
Started my own henna business
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App: 10. Prompt 1, wrote story that is central to my identity, hardship and all that stuff (I didn’t write it hoping to get the pity vote—I just genuinely feel like my character isn’t accurately explained without it)
Intellectual Vitality: 8, wrote about how discovering I had terrible eyesight awoke a deep curiosity in the world around me and what other things were out there that are hidden from me
Roommate: 5, I went the funny route and really think I screwed myself over. Didn’t use this supplement as an opportunity to expand on who I really am, which is what they want to see
What Matters to Me: 10. I wrote about my passion for writing, and not to toot my own horn but it was pretty good.
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): 9 for all
I didn’t get the chance to read any of my recs, but my teachers and counselor love me dearly. My additional rec was from the scientist I worked under during the summer, and it was awesome.
Interview: Didn’t get one (I live an hour away from Stanford, don’t think they interview people who are in such close range)
Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: English
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): N/A
School Type: Private, extremely small (less than 70 kids)
Ethnicity: White<br>
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: >200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nope, nope, and nope.
Reflection
Strengths: Strength in my intended major, English (800 writing on SAT, 760 on SAT II Lit, 5 on AP English Lit, editor of school newspaper). Besides my roommate supplement, I think all my writings demonstrated my passion for writing and were well written.
Weaknesses: SAT score was on low side, especially in math section. I took all APs my school offers, but it’s half as much as most other schools have. Roommate supplement. No crazy awards. Not a ton of volunteer work.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My weaknesses listed above definitely factored in. John Arrillaga was pushing for me (look him up if you don’t know him…Stanford’s biggest benefactor) he stumbled across my writing and showed it to the head of admissions (I did NOT ask him to do this-I don’t know the guy personally). This could have hurt me more than it helped me, who knows.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Only other school I’ve heard from is Regis (safety school), with an acceptance! I also got 20k/yr merit scholarship there  </p>

<p>General Comments:
I go to a small school (less than 70 kids), and I’ve heard that some schools like Stanford don’t like that and worry about kids transitioning to big university life. Who knows…there is no way to tell why someone got accepted and another didn’t.
Honestly, I’m relieved. I got my rejection email today and it didn’t disappoint me. My heart was not in Stanford—it was a childhood fantasy, but I am not in love with Stanford at all. I am applying to so many other less prestigious and well known schools that I LOVE, and I know everything will work out in the end. For RD and future applicants: It’s important to keep a realistic perspective on this process. There is no magic formula for Stanford—the variety of people they accept is baffling. Their acceptance rate is now lower than any school in the Ivy League. Everything happens for a reason, and Stanford was not meant for me. Failure is a part of life, and it feels pretty damn good to have failed at this and still be smiling. </p>

37

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2300 Superscore, (800 CR, 750 MATH, 750 WRITING)
ACT (breakdown): Did not take
SAT II: 790 US History, 690 Chemistry (<—whoops, didn’t finish)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93 Unweighted, 4.33 Weighted
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank, 4500 students total, probably top 5% but not top 3%
AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (5), European History (5), US History (5), Chemistry (4), English Literature (5), Macroeconomics (5), Microeconomics (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load: ACP W131 (dual-enrollment English course, 1 semester), World Language Peer Tutor (Instead of study hall), International Relations (1 semester), AP French, AP Statistics, AP Calc AB, AP Environmental Science, AP Biology, AP Government (1 semester), Photography (1 semester)
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, a couple school awards and awards in mandarin speaking competitions, nothing terribly significant</p>

<p>Subjective: </p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-English Equestrian (9, 10, 11, 12): this is done outside of school and I spend around fifteen hours a week at the barn
-National Honor Society (12)
-National Chinese Honor Society (11, 12, Vice President)
-French Club (9, 10, 11, 12, Treasurer)
-Indianapolis Zoo Volunteer (11, 12)
-Hamilton County Humane Society Volunteer (12)
-Model United Nations (10, 11, 12)
-Youth Group (9, 10, 11, 12)</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: None!</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service: Indy Zoo, Hamilton County Humane Society, Youth Group, and NHS are all service-based</p>

<p>Summer Activities: Copy/pasted from my application:
I’ve spent them riding and showing my horse, volunteering at the Indianapolis Zoo, volunteering at Vacation Bible School, participating in Youth Group, attending (horse) camps, and traveling. I came pretty late to the game for horseback riding, so I specifically blocked out my summers to grow as an equestrian.</p>

<p>Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Common App: About falling off of horses and what it has taught me, had many friends and family members edit it, Vanderbilt interviewer said she loved it and though it was “mature and insightful”
Intellectual Vitality: About living in China (I lived there for four and a half years, moving back to the US after 8th grade) and how it led me to regard myself as a global citizen
Roommate: My personal favorite. I wrote a list of rules for my roommate that revealed a lot about myself and what I like on a more personal level (e.g. rule #6: Qdoba is now and forever superior to Chipotle) and ended by telling my roommate how we only stood a chance at being actually good friends if she challenged these rules.
What Matters: Fairytales, of the Disney variety, because they champion optimism in a cynical world.
Activity Elaboration: Talked about volunteering at the zoo and making connections between people and walruses</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: 10/10 Haven’t seen these so speculating, but this was my AP Lit teacher and we were super tight––I spent a lot of extra time with all of my junior year teachers because I missed a lot of school that year and had to make up a lot of work. She asked me to send her a specific story from the class that she could incorporate into the letter and I talked about how I waited to read The Great Gatsby and why it is my favorite novel (I’m a cliche, I know)…she had a very high opinion of me.
Teacher Rec #2: 6/10 Not sure how this one turned out. I wanted one from a science/math teacher since that is the direction I want to go in, and my only junior year math/science teacher was my AP Chem teacher. I worked closely with her to make up work as well, so I asked her to write one. It would probably be slightly better than average because she knows me and my sister and had to work with me outside of class fairly often.
Counselor Rec: 8/10 My counselor also has a very high opinion of me. Again, saw a lot of her in my junior year because I missed a lot of school/had to rearrange my schedule a lot that year, and also because of National Merit, which is largely counselor driven. Love my counselor and this letter is probably pretty dece.
Additional Rec: None
Interview: Freaking Amazing. It was supposed to be 30-60 minutes and went for 90. My interviewer and I connected really well and had some excellent discussion. At the end she said she would pull for me as much as she could, she loved how open and intensely passionate I was, and she was sure I would do great things wherever I went and whatever I decided to do. Not gonna lie I was almost in tears knowing that we might never talk again, as alums are not supposed to contact those who get rejected. IN SUMMARY, it was the best case scenario. </p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yup
Intended Major: Biology
State (if domestic applicant): Indiana
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public, gargantuan
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: upper middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I put three things in the additional information section of the Common Application. 1) I lived in China for 4.5 years 2) I had a four-month concussion 1st semester of my junior year (and had my highest grades that year), missed school to the point where I was medically excused from Calculus that year (it is possible) 3) I am a childhood leukemia survivor. Downplayed this but did mention, as it is part of who I am. </p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Essays, Interview, being the Concussion Comeback Kid
Weaknesses: SAT II (what is chemistry), extremely competitive high school, not that extraordinary at anything in particular
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Essays, Interview, overcoming challenges
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted so far at U Findlay, Purdue, which are the only ones I have heard from so far…
General Comments: MIND. ACTUALLY BLOWN. I sobbed when I read my letter. I cannot believe how blessed I am. My elder sister got rejected when she applied two years ago and I was not going to apply to Stanford at all because I didn’t think I would ever get in but my parents encouraged me to…and now here I am. I AM SO EXCITED. ACTUALLY SO EXCITED. I think for me it was a combination of academics (fairly solid) and interesting backstory. SO AMAZED. WHAT. IS THIS REAL LIFE?</p>

<p>CONGRATS STANFORD CLASS OF 2019!</p>

38

<p>Decision: Accepted</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2240 (CR 670, Math 800, Writing 770)
ACT (breakdown): Didn’t take
SAT II: Math L2 800, Chem 800, Phys 800
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 5.6 (School has a 0-6 scale grading system)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
AP (place score in parenthesis): None
IB (place score in parenthesis): None
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus, AP Physics, Organic Chemistry, US history and English for one-year PG
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): A gold medal and two silvers from the International Chemistry Olympiad (2011-2013)</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
2 a Capella groups, 1 choral group (1 yr)
My own duo band with a friend (4 yrs)
JV cross country (1 yr)
Science club (Academic committee) (3 yrs)
Academic club (President) (3 yrs)
Environmental club (Head of the reforestation team) (2 yrs)
Chemistry camp (4 yrs)
Research about effect of the substitution on aromatic immine on the intensity of fluorescent light</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service:
Fundraising (street performance)
Healthcare center
Work in the institution for the blind
Packing supplies for the victims of major flooding in my country
~450 hrs</p>

<p>Summer Activities: None
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 10
I wrote that for the fourth year of the chemistry olympiad which I had a shot for, I spent my time teaching a junior in my school and resigned from the competition. In the end, I realized that I could benefit the community (both my school and country) not only by winning medals but also passing on knowledge to people. </p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: 10 – Chemistry teacher
Teacher Rec #2: 10 – English teacher
Counselor Rec: 8 – seem to know me well
Additional Rec: None
Interview: I talked to the interviewer for 2 hours straight. We had a lot of fun just talking.</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: No
Intended Major: Chemistry
State (if domestic applicant):
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Private
Ethnicity:
Gender: Male
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):</p>

<p>Reflection </p>

<p>Strengths: Medals
Weaknesses: No hook
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I literally have no idea how I got accepted. I am fully aware that all of my achievements can bring me furthest to just 20% or 25% pool of the applicants. But reducing down from 25 to 10 % is insane. Stanford has a lot of qualified students, they could not accept all. Perhaps, I actually belong with Stanford. It’s my dream school. I gave it a shot, and I got in.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:</p>

<p>General Comments:
For people who’re accepted, I can’t wait to see u guys on campus.
For people who’re deferred, I hope you get in for RD round.
Finally for people denied, remember you’ve done your best. You couldn’t have done any better for your application. So basically it doesn’t mean that you’re not qualified. In fact, you will end up somewhere that fits you more than Stanford. Everything happens for a reason. Don’t lose faith in yourself. Good luck!</p>

39

<p>Decision: Rejected</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2250 (750 M, 750 R, 750 W - 12 essay)
ACT (breakdown): 35 (36 M, 34 E, 36 S, 34 R)
SAT II: Math II - 800, Chem - 800, Physics - 800, US Hist - 770, Spanish - 630
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.156
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/176
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5), Chem (5), Calc BC (5), Physics B (5), Macroeconomics (5), Stat (5), US Gov’t (4)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Band, AP English Lit, AP Bio, AP Spanish Lang, AP Euro, AP Psych, Multi Calc
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Baush and Lomb Honorary Science Scholarship</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):<br>

  • Varsity Tennis (Captain, 4 yr starter, conference champion, sectional semifinalist, team regional semifinalist)
  • Mock Trial (President, 4 yr team captain, regional qualifier, largest program in state of Ohio)
  • Orange Outlet (Editor in Chief, creation of mine as a new newspaper to spread current events throughout the school)
  • Concert Band (2-time First Chair french horn), Jazz Band (1st Chair lead trumpet and soloist)
  • Model UN (Parliamentarian, 2 time gavel winner and founded a jr model un program at the local middle school)
  • SGA (Representative for the Senior Class)
    Job/Work Experience:
  • Tennis coach at local club during summer
    Volunteer/Community service:
  • Mentoring at Moreland (President, Winner of International Problem Solving Award, sends 100 kids from my high school to local elementary school to work with teachers, I have obtained 75+ hours of community service from it)
    Summer Activities:
  • Lab research at Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals - 150 hours of intensive labwork on endocrinology and vascular surgery
    Essays (rating 1-10, details):
    Common App - 10 - Best essay I’ve ever written, about how I made reform to the volunteer hour system at my school and had to stand up to a corrupt leader in the process.
    Intellectual Vitality- 7 - Talked about how I stayed up for 12 hours reading Harry Potter all night when I was 8, just for the hell of it.
    Letter to Roommate- 7 - Talked about how my room is messy, but that’s a good quality more than a bad one.
    What Matters to You- 9 - Talked about my experiences in India, my motherland, and how the fate of humanity matters to me.
    Extracurricular - 10 - Mock Trial, great story about how I reformed my team freshman year after 6/8 members quit.
    Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: Did not read, likely 10 (he was chem teacher and loved me, I had him for 2 years and he selected me to be the high school representative at Chemistry Olympiad)
Teacher Rec #2: Did not read, likely 8 (older and senile, but he loved me in class and I was much more “outrageous”, if you will, in that class…he puts a different spin on who I am)
Counselor Rec: Excellently written, basically what I told her to write, but rather impersonal…6
Additional Rec:
Interview: Not offered in Ohio.</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes.
Intended Major: Biology
State (if domestic applicant): Ohio
Country (if international applicant): US
School Type: Medium Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 500,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Leadership, test scores.</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: Leadership in extracurriculars, test scores.
Weaknesses: Essays could have been more developed and reflective of my personality. Not sure how good rec letters were. My extracurriculars may not have had focus (too widespread) and I’m also an Indian male.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: They have too many Indian males at their school. Clearly, I wasn’t the best of the best.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Ohio State, UVA, UNC Chapel Hill.</p>

<p>General Comments: I am so disillusioned with the college process. I wish everyone luck, but at the same time, know this is literally a crapshoot. I felt so qualified to be accepted (I’ve even attended Stanford summer camps!) but the classic romance of acceptance did not happen. Kinda hate the system right now, but on to the next one!</p>

40

<p>[aB][asize=4][acolor=#008000]Decision: Accepted[/color][/size]**</p>

<p>Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1880 (600 Math, 660 CR, 620 Reading, 10 essay)
ACT (breakdown): 28
SAT II:
math: 540 Physics: 610
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10/250
AP (place score in parenthesis): English & Comp (2) US History (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load:</p>

<p>Ap Physics 1
AP lit & compos
AP Gov
AP Calc AB
Academic Mentor
Drafting B</p>

<p>Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):</p>

<p>None. I live in a farming community and I’ve never heard of these awards.</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):</p>

<p>Carnivorous plant cultivator/hybridizer
UAV Builder/designer
CNC Machine builder
Astronomist
Robotics (VP 2 years)
Ham Radio Operator</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience:
Intern at Active Motif 2 years </p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service:
I wok with a local robotics foundation to spread STEM and automation to our community. </p>

<p>Summer Activities:
Mainly just creating carnivorous plant hybrids and building drone designs. I imported several plants from Malaysia and helped import some plant seeds to help save an endangered plant species. </p>

<p>Essays (rating 1-10, details): </p>

<p>Roommate (10):</p>

<p>I talked a lot about how I like to learn from others. I also joked around with my plant hobby, telling my roommate that I could show him how to feed rats to Nepenthes Rajah (a carnivorous plant that eats rats). Mainly, I just listed off things that I would love to teach to my roommate.</p>

<p>What matters to you and Why: (8)</p>

<p>I said that Carnivorous plants matter to me because they have taught me so much (like what I feed each species, very difficult species to grow…)</p>

<p>Intellectual Vitality: (10)</p>

<p>Incredible essay. . . I discussed how instruction manuals are boring and how I’d rather be creative than read an instruction manual.</p>

<p>Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):</p>

<p>Teacher Rec #1: (10) Amazing recommendation. Although I was quiet in his class, he respected me for not interrupting like most people.
Teacher Rec #2: (8)
Counselor Rec: (6) I know him very well, but considering that he has to write a lot of recommendations, I’m pretty sure it was generic.
Additional Rec: (10) Written by the director of the foundation I volunteer for. Absolutely incredible… he contrasted me with all of the employees he’s had in the past 20 years.
Interview: N/A</p>

<p>Other</p>

<p>Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Mechanical Engineering
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public School
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: >100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):</p>

<p>Reflection</p>

<p>Strengths: ECs
Weaknesses: SAT Scores
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
My vivid expression with my hobbies and learning from my mentors.
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Accepted: Purdue ED</p>

<p>General Comments:</p>

<p>I’ve had more than enough people tell me that I wouldn’t get in because my SAT scores are too low or I didn’t have enough leadership ECs or school-related ECs. Looking at stanford acceptances on college confidential didn’t boost my confidence either, but I didn’t want test scores to distract me with my hobbies. It’s truly about finding your passion not worrying much about scores and grades. </p>

<p>To future applicants reading this: Scores/tests/grades are important, but they don’t determine who you are and your desire to succeed. Don’t let the high SAT scores and incredible ECs upset you like they upset me. In the end, showing that you have the desire to succeed and the passion to get you there is more important than showing that you can succeed with high scores. </p>

<p>General comments: </p>

<p>For people not accepted, don’t worry about the rejection! In the end, we all have different opportunities that define what we can put on our applications. I was truly thankful that my recommender started a robotics foundation to allow me to pursue more opportunities. I recall entering high school when I choose a public high school over a prestigious private. In the end, I was much more happier at the public school because it was a much better fit for me.</p>