<p>OK..I was just wondering what my chances are of getting into Stanford. I REALLY want to get into Stanford, thats my number 1 choice. I go to a high school in a small rural town with a 90% Hispanic population. I am an African American student that comes from a low income single parent family. I am the first in my family to go to college. I have a 4.4 GPA and ranked 2nd out of 443 in my class. I have taken every AP class that my school has to offer and I have been involved in a number of ECs. </p>
<p>Awards
All American Scholar
Golden State Exam- High Honors (Chemistry)
Golden State Exam- Honors (Spanish)
CSF Award
Academic "S" Award (4.6 GPA for 2003-2004)
Student of the Year in Debate 2002, 2003, 2004
National Forensics League Superior Distinction
AP Scholar Award
Athletic Scholar Award</p>
<p>ECs
Debate 4 years, Vice President
Student Government Junior Year- Treasurer
Football 9th,10th grade
MECHA-University Project
Calculus Tutor
80 volunteer hours at the Veterans Affairs Hospital
Stanford Medical Youth Science Program
founded a Medical Awareness Project, president
Science Club
Spanish Club
Boy Scouts- Star Scout</p>
<p>Test Scores
SAT I
Verbal-550
Math-630</p>
<p>SAT II
Writing-470
Math 1-630
US History-590</p>
<p>I am not a good test taker at all. I'm worried that my test scores may possibly hold me back. But I know that the admissions board looks at more than just test scores. My essays turned out great and I know that I have great letters of recommendation and a good counselor letter. I would appreciate an honest opinion on how much of a chance I have.</p>
<p>Honestly man the fact is your standardized test scores just aren't good enough. If you look at the average SAT scores at Stanford you're several hundred points below the average. Having said that, you have a very strong GPA and the fact that you're African American and the first in your family to go to college will surely help. Definitely don't get your hopes up though, Stanford is brutal and I'll be surprised if they can look beyond your test scores.</p>
<p>I have another question...the school that I come from puts a cap on the GPA when calculating whos going to be valedictorian. Do you think whatever colleges Im applying to will use the GPA that is calculated by my school or recalculate the actual GPA? Do you think it really makes a difference?</p>
<p>...the test scores are REALLY REALLY gonna hurt. when i was reading through ur post, i was thinking "hmm...african american, first in family, 2nd in class, good awards / EC, wow this guy is a shoo-in." </p>
<p>but then i saw ur scores. they COULD forgive the SAT I...but your SAT IIs aren't gonna cut it. I don't know what percentiles those scores are, but the writing score is gonna be the most killer. </p>
<p>If there was still time to take SATs, i'd advise you to take em again. But since i don't think u can for stanford anymore, i second timr. Its possible, but highly doubtful. sorry. </p>
<p>PS--i don't think the GPA calculation is going to make much difference because they'll only really care for unweighted and rank</p>
<p>I'd be surprised if you got in. Try to retake SAT II writing + USH. 600s are still low but are considered ok, but 500s and 400s will NOT cut it. </p>
<p>Don't give up hope! Stanford's my #1 choice as well. While on their website they say their strongest applicants have a 3.6 unweighted GPA and at least a 650 in each section of the SAT, I think with Stanford it's much more about the person than the numbers. A lot of people here tend to give evaluations that are tainted by their perceptions of a certain score, which is unfair. They look at an applicant to UPenn, for instance, with a 1320 and say, "There's no way in hell." And they end up getting in. There are lots of pleasant surprises. No one really knows for sure.</p>
<p>With your background and everything else outside test scores--Stanford is NOT going to judge you on how you did on a three hour exam versus your overall academic record for the past four years, trust me--anything could happen. However, if you can (might be late registration by now), I'd say worry more about the SAT IIs than the 1180 SAT. I've heard of sub-1300 scores like 1270 and 1290 getting in, but nothing below 1200, though I'm sure they exist. You can afford to keep the 630 Math IC where it is, but bump those Writing and U.S. scores up. Writing is probably the easiest to study for; I recommend the Princeton Review book. I went through it once and got a 750 on the first try. If you can just get those scores up into the 600s at least, you've probably got a fighting chance. I like to think that with Stanford, anything can happen.</p>
<p>Good luck, and let us know how it all works out, and who knows, hopefully we'll see one another there :)</p>
<p>I think this particular applicant might do well by applying to a large number of the Ivies in addition to Stanford. I can't imagine a scenario in which no Ivies would have space for this candidate. When you are a first gen college, low income African American student ranked second in your class, I doubt you have much to worry about. </p>
<p>You'll get in somewhere top ranked, because your profile is such a hot commodity. Usually, the Ivies are willing to sacrifice test scores for high class rank, and vice-versa in the case of minorities, low-income students, first gen college students. You have all three of those ridiculous tips. Especially because of your outstanding rank, strong EC's, and essay/recs, I think you will be tipped into the class of an outstanding school.</p>
<p>Yeah, no one knows about admissions, but don't get set on Stanford. Try some easier top 25 schools as well - you should get in one of them. But don't count on the minority thing working for you - I knew a first-generation college student, immigrant, blue-collar background guy who didn't get in EA with a 1450. But who knows?</p>
<p>Look folks, as much as you would all like to buy that Stanford (or Harvard, or Yale) doesn't care about numbers, there's a reason they come up with near the same SAT average every year. They care. Read the boards that show which ED candidates did and didn't get in. Now, to the OP, the numbers will be a problem for you. I look at URM candidates for Harvard, and things like a below 600 writing score are a flag that you would have a hard time writing papers in college. Is there any way for you to consider a gap year with some remedial courses? Perhaps a post grad year at a prep school (scholarship money available) to sharpen your skills and then scores. To me, the one year detour would be worth it to end up at the college of your choice, which you would with higher scores. The colleges will look at your application and see someone who works hard and will succeed but needs a better foundation that it's hard to give at the college level. Email me if you would like help.</p>
<p>I agree with you there kirmum... though they say test scores don't matter a lot, they DO. A person I know is an admissions officer for Carnegie Mellon. He said that they definitely look at test scores very closely, as they are the only thing that is "standardized." In your case, you seem to be an exceptional student otherwise, so they may make some considerations. If not Stanford, anywhere else you go will be great for a student like you I think - a lot of motivation. Hopefully, all the other colleges will think the same.</p>
<p>Here are all of the schools that I have applied to...
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UCLA
UC San Diego
Stanford
Yale
Cornell
U of Pennsylvania
Brown
Princeton
Harvard
Duke
USC</p>
<p>It seems like.. a kid with URM status/1180/stellar ECs would have:</p>
<p>Reach:
Cornell
Duke
Brown</p>
<p>Reach/Matches:
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UCLA
UC San Diego
USC</p>
<p>Impossible:
Stanford
Yale
U of Pennsylvania
Princeton
Harvard</p>
<p>Don't be hurt/offended. I just feel like being realistic..
If you feel that I am being too harsh, please let me know and I will stop annoying you. :):):)</p>
<p>According to A is for Admission, if a student is a disadvantaged minority, Ivy League colleges are willing to trade off low test scores for a very strong class rank. I still think this student's chances are quite decent, because he's taken every AP class his school has to offer, and he's a first-gen college student. </p>
<p>He is at least an AP scholar ... which could just indicate 3 AP scores of 3, which are not good scores, but at least he is challenging himself. I think colleges are very likely to tip him into the admit pile, simply because he has so many tip factors working for him. The only thing that's wrong with this picture is test scores.</p>
<p>Now ... while I think that no admissions offices should disregard the test scores (as some Ivy admissions offices most probably will in this student's case), the fact of the matter is minority status, disadvantaged background, and first-gen college are taken very seriously. Well ... minority status is the most important tip of the three ... but without the three major tip factors, this student would be an auto-deny at almost any top 25 college. With the three major hooks, he could really get in.</p>
<p>A couple things...one, there are minority students with grades and scores competitive with whites and asians, and those are the ones who get in. Secondly, and I'm not saying that these tests are perfect indicators, but if you were accepted at say Stanford, based on those scores you would have an extremely hard time doing the work. The other thing that would be necessary for an accurate apprisal is your AP scores, because if you have multiple 4's and 5's than that might indicate something different.</p>
<p>i think that if you write spectacular essays, that could carry you. Stanford places more weight on essays than the Ivy's, and they will also show that you arent bad at writing (as your sat II writing score might indicate to them). So...the point is, write awesome essays and get awesome recs because that is the only way I see you getting in.</p>
<p>StanfordHopeful05, I think you have a good chance.</p>
<p>If it makes you feel better, I have a friend who is Hispanic. He scored a 1200 on the SAT. His rank was way below yours and he was involved in less EC's. He was accepted into Stanford.</p>
<p>The major problem is your SAT II Writing score. A 470 is just far too low. Raise that up, and I actually think you stand a good chance.</p>