Stanford, cornell, northwestern??

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>What are my chances at these three colleges?
i applied early to stanford.
here is my information:</p>

<p>not in state
not legacy
not athletic</p>

<p>Academics
• Current Grade Point Average: 4.36 (3.96 unweighted)
• Current Class Rank: 5 / 474 (upper 1%)
• Principal’s High Honor Roll (each semester, freshman year to present)
• Academic Letter (each semester, freshman year to present)
• SAT: Verbal = 760; Mathematics = 660; Composite = 1420
• ACT: English = 34 ; Math = 36; Reading = 31; Science = 33; Composite = 34 (April 2004)</p>

<p>Leadership
• Eagle Scout (expected December 2004)
• Honeywell intern Team Leader (Quarter 2, 2004-2005)
• Math Club Treasurer (2004-2005)</p>

<p>Extra-Curricular Activities</p>

<p>Scholastic:
• National Honor Society (junior & senior years)
• Math Club (sophomore & junior years)</p>

<p>Music:
• Orchestra (5th grade to junior year)
• Private solo viola lessons (junior year)</p>

<p>Other:
• Boy Scouts of America (6th grade to present)</p>

<p>Honors and Awards
• Awarded Honeywell Internship (summer 2004 & senior year)
• Academic computer science medal (junior year)
• Academic orchestra medal (junior year)
• Academic math medal (freshman year)</p>

<p>Community Service
• Boy Scouts of America Community Service: highway clean-ups, church beautification days, Eagle Scout projects, and camping society all-day workdays. (summer 2001 to present, 150+ hours)
• Tutoring a mentally handicapped child (sophomore year to present, 50+ hours)</p>

<p>also, 5 on ab calc ap test, 5 on literature test. My internship with honeywell is a nationally recognized program that is frequently benchmarked. </p>

<p>my recomendations were definetly good as well... rated as top few of career i'm sure...</p>

2

<p>Your application is going to draw some attention. However, your SAT is a little low for Standford to be admitted early. What are your SAT II scores? Also, you do not have a lot that distinguishes you. Even though I must admit that your community service adds a plus that some people lack. I think Cornell is well within your reach as is Northwestern; however, Stanford is a toss-up. Still, I am pretty sure you will not get in early because of the estimated number of early applicants this year. Anyway, Good Luck!</p>

3

<p>Agree about Stanford's high SAT's might want to add some match schools. There are some good liberal arts schools like Holy Cross, Bowdoin, Colgate.</p>

4

<p>I reject a triple reject. Unless you are a URM, I doubt it. However, you have very strong stats, even though your SAT is a little low for those schools. The Eagle scout thing is great, a huge +, but I don't really see too much else in your EC's other than music(which is still good). As par72 suggested, those schools would be sure shots for you, and so would Wake Forest, Vandy, Emory, and Lehigh.</p>

5

<p>What would make someone stand out? I was under the impression that everyone applying to stanford would have high test scores and good recomendations. when you say that i would be noticed doesn't that put me above a good percentage of applicants who won't be noticed. I don't know much but I would geuss that the number one reason for not getting into stanford is not standing out.</p>

<p>also, i've read that test scores are almost irrelevant at a place like stanford as long as they aren't detractors, and based off their composite ACT score averages im in the top 75 percentile... not so well in SAT, but still probably good enough not to be a detractor. this goes along with the standing out thing i was talking about earlier. a 36 compared to a 34 isnt enough to make someone stand out more...</p>

6

<p>the scores listed are fine, but you need SAT IIs and much better ECs. treasurer of math club aint enough leadership, since you lack an amazing award. the community service is good but it doesnt set you apart.</p>

<p>hopefully we're wrong, good luck!</p>

7

<p>My SAT It’s were math 2c somewhere in the 700's same with English and physics was a 680 or something like that... without college physics course before</p>

<p>How much do essays and recommendations weigh in? Does Stanford really want to see a lot of crazy involvement? To me that seems like pandering to your future. if I looked at an application with twenty clubs I would just say wow that kid doesn’t know what he wants... the common thread of math and science through my application, reflected in coursework, my internship, test scores, and most importantly expanded upon in my essays should tell Stanford that I know exactly what I want and that I am capable of achieving it. It also may make them think I'm one dimensional... but I think my complexity will be conveyed in my essays. And to tell the truth I am kind of one sided, except I’m also good at English. Anyways, at a Stanford info meeting they said they were looking for "well-lopsided" candidates rather than well rounded ones. I don’t know how much that counts for. </p>

<p>Then again I’m probably wrong. Maybe I should have ignored the maturation of my social skills and spent all my time at school. That surely would show them that I am onto the meaning of life. Just Kidding I would never trade my life for Stanford and that will be the reason that I will or will not get in.</p>

8

<p>680 needs major upping.</p>

<p>yes stanford prefers major depth over breadth.</p>

9

<p>Just curious, what is your experience/ relation to stanford admissions? You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about what stanford does and doesnt want...</p>

10

<p>lol i just read a few admissions booklets and went to info sessions that say specifically "its okay to have just one or two extracurricular activities" and "depth over breadth"</p>

11

<p>I wonder how valid college admission books are... I mean there are so many out there that you have to know they are written to make money not to inform, and if that is the case then wouldnt they appeal to the type of person who's going to be reading them? The type of people reading them are definetly going to be the obsessives: the people with 20 EC's. example: i've never oppened one of those books in my life, and comming to this site is even a stretch for me. It's no wonder then that those type of books dont say you dont need 20 EC's. you've got to rememeber, no one wants to be unhappy so these authors might be just saying what you want to hear, especially concidered the contradicting opinions given directly from the source at information meetings.</p>

12

<p>im talking about booklets and sessions given directly by stanford itself.</p>

13

<p>There is absolutely no doubt. Having as few great ECs is much better than a laundry list. I have seen this time and time again.</p>

14

<p>for further clarification:</p>

<p>One of my essays describes how meaningful my experience with tutoring has been. I think the eagle scout speaks for itself, and finally my internship I think counts as extracurricular, it is also a graded class... it's offered through the school district to all seniors. Basically, I work as an engineer designing websites, working on projects with a full time employee.</p>

<p>Anyone else, what are my chances??</p>

15

<p>I have to say, I still get a little confused when people say 'great ECs'--I think this is wildly subjective, as not everyone has had the same opportunities and some people haven't even really figured out what they want to do with their lives, or have, but 'too late' in high school to have some 'amazing award' for it. I'd like to see what people's standards of 'greatness' are when it comes to ECs. I almost have to laugh at the absurdity of some people's ECs; it's like they've done everything under the sun before they've even been to college, and we're a mere 17, 18 years old. It's insane.</p>

<p>With Stanford, yeah, I don't think SAT scores are that huge unless it's absurdly low (I know people who got in with 1200s, and no, they weren't URMs, athletes, legacies, and they didn't single-handedly save a third world nation, either--I think those are stupid assumptions to make in the first place). Stanford is much more interested in the individual, and essays are a huge factor in this. From what I know, Stanford is extremely liberal in their decisions, and you have no way of even guessing your chances. Anything could happen, but I'd say when everything else is in check (grades, etc), it comes down to those essays.</p>

16

<p>Cool... I personally feel the same way that you do. Hopefully my writing was good enough.</p>

<p>anyone else?</p>

17

<p>I believe you will be definitely rejected by Stanford if you applied regular decision, but since you applied early you might have a 10% chance, which is quite low considering the average admit rate for EA is around 20%.</p>

<p>Cornell I am expected 40/60, Northwestern 30/70.</p>

<p>You should find some safety schools buddy.</p>

18

<p>thanks for your kind words, any other opinions?</p>

19

<p>yo ppl dont be so mean seriously..yo i think even though ur chances of getting accpeted to the three coleges are not as good as ppl who are valedictorians and get 1600's, the admission ppl will seriously consider you. in my opinion, i'd say ur chances onorthwestern are pretty good. Cornell might be a little harder, but i think cornell will probably accept you. well for stanford i would say 60 percent chance.</p>

20

<p>You prolly have a good shot at northwestern. They have more stats based approach to admissions than Stanford or Cornell, who seem to reject good applicants for no apparent reason.</p>