<p>Collegestress16: “mmaythe don’t worry!!! I barely passed 2200 and I still applied even though everyone on CC has a really high high high score. Most people I know who got accepted are the average joes someone was talking about with about 2000+ SATs. You are done with your app like I am so don’t fret about it. Just enjoy the rest of your senior year and start panicking on April 1st. I’m sure you will get good results even if Stanford is not the right one!!”</p>
<p>mmmaythe: “well my score’s 2100”</p>
<p>In my case, I barely passed 2000 and I still applied. :p</p>
<p>That said, I hope that the admission officers see the brilliant light coming out of that score that is this same graduation year. Yea… I only got 2010…</p>
<p>Asian75’s statement doesn’t make sense; if they screened out 80% of the people, looking solely at stats before reading essays, then only people with godly stats would be read; in reality, people of all kinds of stats, ECs, and essays can get into Stanford.</p>
<p>And even if his statement is correct (only 20% of essays being read), I think it only applies to the Committee, rather than your regional adcom who reads through all your essays and selects solid applications to go to the committee for final decision.</p>
<p>There’s no need to fear; if you put together a well-written application, you will be noticed</p>
<p>Well you don’t have to believe if you don’t want to but it’s the truth. You can ask me pretty much anything about Stanford and its admission. I just can’t tell you the criteria we use to screen out ppl.</p>
<p>Actually asian75 may be right. Recently, I called the Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admissions to see if I could send them an updated copy of my common app essay (my old one had a typo in it). In response to my asking if I could send in the new paper, the lady on the phone laughed and then said in a murmured voice “any typos you have will probably not be noticed as we do not put a lot of weight in your essays.” I wasnt sure how to take that. However, asians comments do make sense.</p>
<p>“any typos you have will probably not be noticed as we do not put a lot of weight in your essays.” </p>
<p>I HIGHLY doubt this!! I would argue that the essays are even more important to Stanford than HYPM. Why else would they have so many supplemental essays if it wasn’t important? The essay ( and recss) is the only part where you can distinguish yourself from the 30,000+ other applications. Tons of people have 2100+ SAT and 3.5 GPA + and TONS of activites/ ECs but an essay separates you from the crowd. She was probably trying to tell you not to worry because I know I had at least a couple of typos.</p>
<p>Think about it this way; When the Stanford person said they didn’t weigh essays a lot, she probably meant it wasn’t the most important thing. Obviously grades/Standardized testing is on the top of the list for adcoms before they go down to your essays. But since the distribution of grades/test scores is so homogeneous (all 4.0s, all 2200+s), it probably plays a small role in assuring you admittance. </p>
<p>Essays and ECs and Recs, on the other hand, aren’t numbers, and truly set you apart from everyone else; they aren’t as important as grades, but they end up becoming the deciding factors for your admittance. So essays are definitely important on who gets in who doesn’t; honestly, typos aren’t that big of a deal unless they’re everywhere. </p>
<p>I’ve always thought of it as how in economics, marginal costs are much more important than total costs. Not sure if that’s a correct analogy, but essays are definitely important.</p>
<p>@ asian75</p>
<p>From what I’ve garnered from your posts, you don’t seem to be very satisfied with Stanford University; could you expand on why you disapprove of Stanford University, as you criticize it quite openly.</p>
<p>I hope you applied because i honestly think that getting a 2150 and 2400 is very similar for many colleges. They both show one thing: you know how to take standardized tests. </p>
<p>maybe your credentials aren’t as strong as you wanted them to be but stanford looks for more than just superficial scores. trust me, i got in with a 640 in CR and no SAT II’s.</p>
<p>of course I am serious. Essays will not get you into STanford. They’re only there to confirm the decisions. We don’t have time to read through every single essay and try to understand everyone’s life.</p>
<p>Then how can you really explain that some people got in without all those human perfection traits? I’m pretty sure Stanford can fill up their needed number of students with human perfections and say no to those who don’t fit the criteria D:</p>
<p>I think we should just leave this thread alone; no matter what the opinions of myself, asian75, and others are, it honestly has no effect on the result of your application; you’ve finished your application; give yourself a pat on the back and relax until April. </p>
<p>Continuing this post will only further a pointless debate causing tension; so have a great second semester!</p>
<p>mmmaythe. just apply. like i said. i got in with 640 in CR and NO SAT II’s. if the asian guy is right, then they woulda rejected me from the start.</p>
<p>thanks, nwdivisionchamps… maybe i should just stop worrying even if i can’t help it. maybe like rolandic7 said i should stop reading this thread.</p>
<p>the thing is, he probably worked at the admissions office. but i doubt he actually was one of the ones who graded the applications. big difference.</p>
<p>Question: Will they even take a PEEK at your essays if they notice that your stats aren’t impeccable? By that, I mostly mean test score(s). Will they simply toss it into the REJECT pile before even attempting to “get to know the applicant” a bit more through his or her essays? I thought that’s how they chose some of their students…that it ISN’T just about numbers. How would they find this out if they don’t venture a bit further and read more about you??? Also, when do they check to see if an applicant has a legacy? Scenario:</p>
<p>App-----------> GPA is 4.15+. Let’s say there’s five AP courses, pre-calc and statistics at local c.college, rigorous track all four years. Highest ACT composite is 30. One SAT subject test US History-700. Decent ECs, leadership, clubs, volunteering, etc. Passion for singing and conveyed strongly in the essays. Okay, so they aren’t the HIGHEST stats, but not too bad, either. Is this where they throw it out? OR, do they look to see if you have the LEGACY section checked? (father Stanford alum.) Do they then decide to look at the ESSAYS after all? </p>
<p>I keep hearing here that it’s NOT just about the numbers. They DO admit kids without stellar testscores because they managed to show what a great person they are through their essays, etc. So they MUST read them, right???</p>
<p>I HOPE they do…
but this is how I see it… from what I hear, I think they want people who have a clear passion and goal for something, not someone who only aims to get a super crazy good mark on everything.</p>
<p>Or maybe it’s just what I hope. I don’t know.</p>
<p>Well, I’m an Asian and got in SCEA this year with a 2010 (610 CR, 630 W, 770M). And my school grades weren’t that brilliant either. By your criteria, I should have been screened out the moment they saw my scores.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure it was my essays or ECs that did the trick as they conveyed my passion.</p>
thank you - all - for all the encouragement!</p>