I woke up one day and decided to apply to one of the hardest schools to get in to because of a “what if”, so here I am.
I’m a prospective Sophomore from Houston, hoping to get admitted to Stanford against all odds. I’ve worked extremely hard to get to where I am. They may not be the best stats, but they’re stats I’m extremely proud of and I’m hoping for the best.
What are my odds?
Major: Communications
- College transferring from: Houston Community College
- Entering as: Sophomore
- GPA: 3.78 (4 Semesters, 2x 4.0 semesters)
- Units completed: 53
- Units in progress: 0
ECs listed on app:
- Boxing
- Photoshop Art (My avatar is one of them)
- Building Computers
- Video Production
- Music Production
- Part time/Full time job at an IT Company as their Lead Online Marketing Director
Bonus Stuff:
- Son of a Central American Immigrant family (Guatemala/El Salvador)
- I used to take care of my step father after he had a terrible fall that left him immobile and unable to look after himself. I did this during my first 3 semesters in college.
- Mentioned living in Compton California and the struggles of living in a lower income community.
- First Generation/Lower-Income Student
- Mentioned a 3 year gap between my high school and my college days. Touched upon personal growth and raising my GPA from a 1.96 in High School to a 3.78 in college.
- For some reason I included an incident that forced us out of our gang infested neighborhood and move to Texas, and I wish I never did. It seemed like it was “too much” and I hope it doesn’t bum someone out at the admissions office.
Job/Work Experience:
- Host at a Mexican Restaurant
- Sales Associate/Customer Service at a local clothing store where I was awarded "Associate of the Year
- Home Depot for about 2-3 Months
- Lead Online Marketing Director for a fast growing IT Company in Houston
Essays (subject and responses):
I believe my essays were pretty good.
Personal Statement: Centered around the growth of an imperfect rose and how it still elects to stand tall no matter what it endures. Inspired by the famous poem of Tupac Shakur “A Rose That Grew From Concrete”. I wrote the majority of it in under 20 minutes after waking up from a super weird dream.
Stanford Essays:
What piece of advice would you share with your younger self?
- Wrote basically a note to myself with the words that I wish I would’ve heard from someone else. Words of motivation from myself, to myself, in a way for me to stop taking myself for granted and start to accept myself, my past, and focus on making the most of my potential.
What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?
- I wrote about wasted potential being mankind’s greatest tragedy. The lack of equal opportunity, and how many people are born into unfortunate circumstances and are never given the chance to explore their goals, or pursue their dreams.
What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?
- Wrote about wanting to record the first ever telling of Beowulf in order to compare it with modern day depictions, providing insight on how stories tend to be corrupted whenever told through word-of-mouth. Seeing as how there’s no official transcript for Beowulf, it’d be pretty cool to have a transcript of the first ever telling.
Name one thing you are looking forward to experiencing at Stanford.
- I’m trying to revive the Stanford Boxing Club. It’s sad how it got shut down due to funding, but maybe with a little bit of campaigning, a little bit of begging, and a little bit of cupcakes, I can help revive the club.
What is the best compliment you have received? Who gave you this compliment?
- My manager once called me “amazingly weird” before she gave me my Associate of the Year Award . Pretty rad, I happily took that as a compliment (and the $250 gift card for getting the award.)
Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning
- Wrote about my bad high school days and how I graduated with a 1.96 GPA overall. Shared how I was a naïve young guy who thought I had life figured out just for me to find out the hard way that I understood absolutely nothing about life. Touched upon my 3 year gap between high school and college and how I grew and matured. Eventually that maturity lead me to understand what I needed to do in order for me continue growing and achieving a better life for myself and my family. I enrolled in some college courses thinking I wouldn’t do very well when in reality I actually shocked myself at the type of grades I was earning, eventually ending my 4th semester with a cumulative 3.78 GPA (nothing special but I’m proud of it).
Choose one of the two prompts below:
B. Stanford’s community is an essential part of the undergraduate experience. We come from all walks of life, share our own traditions, take care of one another, and think of ourselves as family. How do you define family and what contributions have you made to yours?
- Wrote about how every Christmas Eve my grandmother, mother, and me spend 14 hours cooking Guatemalan tamales. Touched on how the traditions we share are what help keep me close to my family, and rooted to my heritage.
Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why.
- Wrote about the mental health crisis that plagues lower income households. Touched upon the hardships that many people face in lower income neighborhoods and the mental toll it takes on these individuals. It’s meaningful to me because I personally experienced a lot of those same issues, and I dream of one back to neighborhoods like my own to help improve the quality of life and help provide the proper resources for people who desperately need them.
Anyways, thanks for reading my “entire” application
What are my chances? Would they even let me within 10 feet of the campus? Please let me know.
