<p>Nikkor50mm and others, be careful not to overgeneralize from those kinds of anecdotes. Stanford is loaded with white and Asian students who were admitted for academic merit. It’s just that people aren’t surprised when that happens (because it happens with great frequency, and doesn’t involve elements that push people’s political hot buttons), so it draws little notice. As an academic stud who wasn’t nuked (and with lots of studly friends who similarly weren’t nuked) by Stanford, I can attest that there are plenty of us in the mix.</p>
<p>this thread is laughable.</p>
<p>This is one of the dumbest threads I’ve seen in a long time.
Yes, they go out of their way to find people who have promise but may not be the most remarkable people. Ask those people. They still do very well and love their experience.
Yes they have tutoring for URMs and special events for them. They do the same for athletes. They do the same for just about every student if you want it. </p>
<p>I just want to say I’m an Asian (Indian actually) who applied and got in. Technically, I could have applied as an African, but I chose not to because I didn’t want to be accepted for being a URM. and i wasn’t. There are plenty of ORMs who would seem unremarkable, but you didn’t read their essays. You have no way of knowing the real reasons most of them got in. The important thing is that most students end up doing well and having a great experience at Stanford.</p>
<p>I’m white, and I got in without any mind blowing, amazing ECs and am definitey not a recruited athlete. I aso live in a relatively affluent suburb and am not the first in my family to go to college. So, I think I got in on academic merit. THat said, I am the first person in a few years from my school to get in. It is however possible, you just need to have some way of standing out with your essays/teacher recs I think.</p>
<p>Well, my school has two graduates who are going/about to go to Stanford. They are both Asian. They were both not academically no.1 (but probably not that bad either, most likely still top 10%). However, everyone basically thinks that it is their special qualities that got them in. The first girl lived in Germany and knew four languages, the other had a bunch of math awards. So maybe Stanford wants people who do pretty well in school but also have some “quirky” and special qualities/achievements. Granted, my school is special in that it is an international school in China, so maybe Stanford also considers this abroad experience. Who knows.</p>
<p>In 2008, 5 people were admitted from my son’s elite prep school: three Asians, one British, and one legacy.</p>
<p>Don’t even get me started on the legacies :)</p>
<p>Stanford is for the rich and famous. Of course, they’re not rich and famous when they apply!</p>
<p>Just putting this out there …</p>
<p>Most of the Black admits for the class of 2014 were cross-admits with Princeton and MIT, with a few here and there earning acceptance into Harvard.</p>
<p>Question: Why doesn’t everyone just DECLINE to answer when they ask for your ethnicity? </p>
<p>Besides, I know four different people who got into Stanford. </p>
<p>1st: Science Olympiad, state ranking. She got in, but she really thinks that it was because of her essay. She’s not attending because she can’t pay for it (which is just really sad…). She’s Asian. </p>
<p>2nd: He did ISEF, was top 10%, low SAT scores. He got in, and is currently going to Harvard Medical School. He’s Asian.</p>
<p>3rd: Valedictorian, ISEF, perfect GPA and 2380 SAT score. Stanford accepted her, went to Johns Hopkins instead with a scholarship. Funny thing is, she got rejected by Harvard, which just goes against a lot of these stories. Haha. And she’s Asian too.</p>
<p>4th: White Female, 3.96 GPA, 2200 SAT, went to a TERRIBLE public high school. She got in! </p>
<p>To be honest, there’s always that chance. Don’t let these stories scare you away - there’s plenty of Asians accepted into Stanford. :)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Apologies. Clarification: My previous post was in response to these citations. Defining remarkability and degrees of qualification with a university using a holistic admissions process is relative to individual perspectives.</p>
<p>dude stop freaking out. Your stats are amazing, but Stanford is a hit and miss with top applicants. Write great essays, and don’t have such little confidence in your chances. There’s not secret formula to get into HYPS, and if you don’t some other awesome college would love to have you. So don’t be so concerned about Stanford. It’s a great school but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get in!</p>
<p>I agree. Refrain from hearsay and uninformed comments from outsiders who do not work in the admissions office. I was always a poor fan of “chances,” since an applicant would never really know. Stanford, as well as other schools of similar caliber, has a history (relatively short, rather) of admitting students from a wide range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds who deviate from the average quantitative assumed “standards.” If they want you, they’ll take you. If not, you’ll be perfectly fine elsewhere. Write compelling and passionate essays and hope that you distinguish yourself from other applicants with comparable credentials. Don’t kill yourself, kid.</p>
<p>The problem is really it’s location. Stanford is in a state with a lot of Asians, and it appeals to a lot of international Asians because of its (relative) proximity to Asia and strength in math/science/engineering. Like tons of almost exclusively Asian tourists pass through Stanford every day. They probably go to Berkeley too if it’s on the way. </p>
<p>To avoid accepting drastic numbers of Asian applicants, they have to reject drastically more Asian applicants. This does not necessarily mean that they intentionally make it harder for Asian applicants, but the admissions office probably weighs factors that Asians are poor at more heavily (such things as being a URM, growing up on a farm, less focus on test scores and grades and more focus on other components of app, more focus on writing ability). Not to say Asians aren’t as interesting people as whites or hispanics, but maybe they have less thrilling life stories, or get put under the “overachiever” or “helicopter parent” label, which although that tells nothing about the person, does carry a negative stigma. When I say writing ability I meant for international Asians. </p>
<p>I’m probably generalizing a bit here, and I hope I don’t come off as racist. This is just the way I see things. </p>
<p>That said, Asians do get into Stanford and do so frequently. They tend to fit in with the rest of the student body: chill but studious, athletic, funny, well-intentioned, determined, etc. So if you fit those characteristics, regardless of race, you have a good shot assuming you’re academically up to snuff. </p>
<p>Asian grad students on the other hand? Haha that’s a way different story.</p>