Does Stanford care more about academics or extracurriculars ? I mean is scoring a Perfect SAT score better than being a Basketball champion or the vice versa ?? PS : I am an international student
They would love to see both, really. Their admissions are based on your “complete package”.
Being a recruited athlete is more valuable than a perfect SAT score as that isn’t a very clear measure of potential & can be gamed. Of course, the athlete must have some decent SAT scores as well. That being said, if you have a great SAT score and grades that will at least get you considered; your ECs, recs, etc will determine your admission after that.
Sadly, xcjunior is right. A recruited athele trumps even a student with great scores and great activities and great letters since they are really looked at in a different category. It is always sad to see a student who has worked very hard and with great passion for learning get the rejection when the athelete gets a number of acceptances from top notch schools who would never have looked at them otherwise.
@rubberfall I agree that it is very tragic when a very qualified student gets rejected, however, being a recruited athlete is no easy feat. Becoming a recruited athlete takes so much time and effort and talent, and sometimes it doesn’t even pay off; that being said, becoming recruited by Stanford is incredibly difficult and incredibly rare.
I heard that Stanford actually waits test scores and other numbers the same with your character/ECs.
That said, if you are a nationally ranked athlete or mathlete or won a national award in science olympiad or something, you will be separated from the rest of the application pool anyway.
However, if you are like the other 99% of applicants, they will look at your numbers the same way as your essays, etc.
OP. Let me clarify something. It seems so many would-be applicants are confused about the importance or relevance of athletic achievement as an extracurricular activity. To Stanford academic achievement (grades and test scores) reigns supreme…but, it is the thing(s) one pursues outside of the classroom and their immediate environment that determines most students’ fate. Being a local basketball star is not really that impressive unless you were one of the top athletes in the state or nation that could be “recruitable” to play on Stanford’s team(s)…if you are locally good in athletics…it would just count as another EC…nothing more nothing less. Being a good local musician for the high school or local youth orchestra is pretty typical of so many kids…but, it would mean something to have won a state, national, or international competition. Participating in local debate competitions is OK…but participating in the state or national venues and placing tops is more impressive. Winning local science fair competitions is OK…but being at least a Siemens/Intel semifinalist, finalist, or a top winner is more impressive. Volunteering at your local community center is good…but becoming a social change agent at the state, national, or international level is even more impressive. Acting in your local rep theater is good…but, being in major TV series or movies or Broadway shows is even more impressive. Being a wonderful artist at your local school or community is good…but, having the artistic talent to get noticed and exhibited at major galleries is even more impressive. Yes, yes…I am well aware not all applicants will have these types of credentials…but, if you are UNHOOKED (which most of you will be)…it sure will help.
…in sum, Stanford seeks the best in **all **human endeavors…and they seek and want to admit the artist, musician, science/math whiz, actors, humanities and social science students, STEM lovers, engineers, CS students…not just your future multimillionaire-entrepreneur-tech-consultant-venture capital-Olympic/professional athlete…