Asian female, sophomore at highly competitive private school (>8 to Stanford per year)
Intended Major: Science, Technology, and Society or Biomedical Computation
3.87 UW/4.45 W GPA (top 10%)
36 ACT (36/35/36/36) 10 essay
Math II: 800, Chem: 800
Awards
Won national computer science award (40 selected out of 10,000 applicants)
1 out of 20 girls selected nationwide for Silicon Valley technology conference (sponsored by Stanford)
Scholastic Gold Key, Youngarts
USACO Platinum
ISEF Finalist
Chemistry Olympiad Nationals
Technovation national winner
Congression App Challenge Winner
EC’s
EIC of Pacemaker winning magazine
Self coded online STEM newspaper, article about biomedical ethics published in major newspaper
Self coded blog dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental health in Asian communities
Girls Who Code president, Bioinformatics Club president, Science Bowl captain
Research at T20 university, prof went to Stanford
Internship at major biotech company
Started nonprofit dedicated to increasing gender diversity in STEM by exploring the intersection of CS with entrepreneurship, organize 6 hackathons per year
Art organization for using art as a medium for social good
Summer Activities
2018 summer (before sophomore year): research internship at selective summer program, Stanford Daily intern
@baydelrey You can never say that for sure when it comes to T20s.
FWIW, I’m planning on applying to Stanford REA too in the Class of 2026.
I’m a grade lower than you are, so you can decide how you would like to interpret what I say. It looks to me that you have a pretty good shot (although you can never tell for sure just by looking at stats). Focus on developing a personal narrative that your application will reflect and make sure to establish good relationships with your teachers so that they can advocate for you in your LORs. Join some school clubs and try to eventually get some leadership positions in them. Look at some potential summer programs with some prestige that interest you. Just do what you love and your passion for that will be shown in your application. Good job on what you’ve done so far and good luck.
Stanford is always a long shot for anyone who isn’t a celebrity, nationally recognized athlete, massive donor or a legacy and even they aren’t guaranteed. Make sure you broaden your horizons.
@skompella9892 yes, I totally agree with you. T20s are honestly unpredictable (remember the MIT incident lol). eyemgh makes a good point & you have an amazing chance already, so I would recommend you maintain this high level of achievement since you still have a year to go. Don’t think of college apps as a checklist you go through – I think they also look for growth from freshman to junior year.
@baydelrey Also, I’d like to add that although you can’t know for sure whether or not she will get into Stanford because of its ~4% acceptance rate (which will probably drop even further), I would be very surprised if she wasn’t accepted to at least one T20. This, of course, depends on the subjective parts of her application as well and is therefore hard to determine just by looking at stats. I agree with @hellopotato that you shouldn’t see college apps as a checklist; make sure that you are just continuing what you are doing and you will have a very good shot.
But OP has listed only the bare bones of a resume. Much more is needed to appeal to a tippy top. Yes, you need a narrative that shows who you are, the personal traits they want. But right now, you’ve emphasized the unilateral, everything is stem except some art. Tippy tops want depth and breadth, show them you’re open to more. (Including service to others, not just in your interest area.)
You need more understanding of what your targets will look for. You choose where to apply but they choose the class.
It’s really difficult to “chance” someone for a competitive school like Stanford solely based on stats and a list of ECs! T20 schools are looking for applicants with high test scores, good/great grades, AND wide-ranging interests. One of the best ways to illustrate such interests is by painting a distinctive portrait of yourself through your writing. My sister is a Sophomore at Stanford ('22) and I was accepted into Stanford’s class of 2024 through REA. Both of us agree that the supplemental questions are ostensibly the most important portion of the Stanford application. After all, it is a chance to show the University what makes you unique. While maintaining your grades and commitment to ECs is important, I encourage you to remember there will be tens of thousands of applicants who–numerically and statistically speaking–are equally, or perhaps even more, qualified than you are. What will set you apart in an unbelievably accomplished and impressive crowd is the way in which your personality and passions are captured in your essays.
So, to return to your original question-- I certainly think you have a chance (how much, I would not know). But I also think there are a ridiculous amount of variables that could influence your chances, most of which cannot be controlled. What you CAN control is how you quantitatively AND qualitatively present yourself to the University. There’s a reason Stanford describes their admissions process as “holistic”-- they’re looking to fill their class with the most diverse group of students possible. In this case, I’m referring to all types of diversity-- linguistic, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, religious, etc. (the list goes on and on). My best advice is to start working on your essays early, stay focused, and don’t get too caught up on the numbers and what other people are doing! The Stanford admissions committee isn’t looking for perfect prodigies; they’re looking for multifaceted, intellectually curious, and innovative scholars! If it helps, think of your application as an art portfolio-- similar to how a portfolio presents judges with works that best portray your artistic style and display your strongest technical skills, your application shows admissions officers the preeminent parts of your identity, both as a student and global citizen! Just like compiling works for a portfolio, completing your college application is time-consuming but allows you to personally sketch a consummate image of yourself.
I’ve had three B’s so far (from 8th grade to Junior year) and I know this isn’t definitive for my application at all, but I have this slightly irrational fear that people with some B’s just can’t get into Stan & other T20s. Did any current admits/students have B’s on their high school transcripts/know ppl at Stanford who did??
While it is very difficult to assess probability of success (and at the end of the day, it is just probability), I would say your list achievements look good enough to apply for admission to the class of 2024 itself!
