<p>There seems to be no clear way of getting into Stanford, other than sports. Many vals and sals are rejected every year. What do you guys think that Stanford is looking for in a student?</p>
<p>If only I knew… 
Well, I would suppose they want what most top-tier schools want, though I agree that sports seem to be more important at Stanford. I think that they (and most top tier schools) really just want to see passion - for whatever it is that floats you boat - coupled with strong academics.</p>
<p>The people who I know to have gotten into Stanford, as opposed to other elite schools, have universally had some sort of athletic background, but also have had a certain vivacity that wasn’t necessarily present for others. Of course, the academics and test scores are strong, but the “nerdiest” types, in my opinion, have chosen to attend places with dreary weather in the Northeast.</p>
<p>Sports aren’t a clear way in, either. ;)</p>
<p>Nobody really knows what Stanford’s looking for. All that anyone knows is what Stanford says on its admissions site.</p>
<p>@HADC10 are you talking about people from Alaska? Because there are literally only a very very small handful of people from Alaska at Stanford, so I don’t know how you can make a generalization like that. (It’s possible they get into Stanford and other places, but I honestly doubt that it’s a large enough number to draw any conclusion.)</p>
<p>REA admit here, zero athletic background (though I do keep myself in shape, and I find the atmosphere at Stanford particularly conducive to doing so. At this point in the quarter with finals and papers looming, I really need the stamina and stress release that working out provides). I know lots and lots of other people here whose successful applications in no way depended on demonstrated athletic prowess. We all had options in the “dreary Northeast” and declined them. : )</p>
<p>Athletic, out-doorsy in a hip kind of way, fun-loving. Not intensely intellectual or academically hard-core in the Chicago/Swarthmore kind of way, and a bit more straight and narrow.</p>
<p>Representing for the intellectual and academically hard-core (yet fun-loving!) Stanford students here, and there’s plenty of us. I do happen to be straight, but not in the least narrow of mind or temperament. Boosters of the NE schools like to stereotype us as less hard-core academically, because they need something to try to equalize our advantage in overall atmosphere and weather (among other things, including our orientation toward the future rather than the past). I do agree we tend to engage in fewer self-pity/whining festivals than the Chicago/Swarthmore people, who seem to make it an intramural sport sometimes. Must be the endless winters.</p>
<p>^ agreed</p>
<p>@ivydoc, do you even go to Stanford?</p>
<p>Athletics can help you stand out, but what Stanford looks for more than anything is passion. If you’re in a club, you better be the president of that club; if you write an e-mag, you better have been the mag’s creator. They want to see that not only do you have the interests and intellectual abilities, but also the drive and creativity to follow them through. Given this mentality, it makes sense why Stanford regards strength of athleticism as a good indicator of passion – athleticism is merely a demonstration of one’s sense of willpower. Thus, athletics can help one stick out amongst the common high GPA, great SAT score (etc.) applicant. However, so will an illustration of drive in any other field of interest.</p>
<p>@song02 dude well attempted …it completely makes sense to me…I am with u.</p>
<p>Well honestly, there is no clear distinction among the admissions of top top schools. If you have fantastic SAT’s, fantastic grades, fantastic EC’s and fantastic essays, you can get into HYPS. </p>
<p>If you can get into H you can get into YPS. If you can get into Y you can get into HPS, etc. Just be overall perfect or exceptional in one of the areas.</p>
<p>I hear that Stanford has it’s biggest applicant pool yet! Using your knowledge of statistics, what does that say of the possibility of you getting in?</p>
<p>Just be interesting, inquisitive and ambitious. Beyond that it’s a crapshoot.</p>
<p>Actual student here. </p>
<p>Sports are not important unless you are a varsity athlete.</p>
<p>I am not entirely certain about whether sports are unimportant. Most accepted REA students (and that includes me) I know have had some involvement with sports.</p>
<p>Most applicants have some involvement in sports, I would think. And some measure of devotion to something is important, and sports show that.</p>