<p>Well this seems to be a popular question on this forum, here's my go:</p>
<p>High school class of 2010, currently in Oklahoma in an active duty Air Force family
-GPA: 3.96 (4.19 or so weighted)
-ACT: 34 (36/31/36/34 and 32 combined english/writing; taken once)
-SAT: 2280 (760+720+800; taken once)
Plenty of extracurriculars and groups, physics is my passion/plan for college
White male born in the U.S.</p>
<p>Planning on visiting Stanford in the fall, so far seems like a dream school with a top of the line physics program.</p>
<p>^ your stats look strong but “plenty of extracurriculars” is rather vague. there’s more to stanford than numbers. if physics is truly your passion, let it shine through your extracurriculars and essays</p>
<p>Your stats are good, but I agree with skyraptor in that “plenty of extracurriculars” is vague. Explain those so that we can get a fuller picture of what your application would look like.</p>
<p>Well:</p>
<p>-I’ve been a head altar server at my Catholic church (whichever one I attended depending on where my family was stationed at the time) since second grade</p>
<p>-I have held 4 jobs (including my current one) my first one starting at the end of my freshmen year. If these jobs could be important to a college, let me know and I’ll post more information, although none have been related to physics in any way. One was a pretty cool job repairing and setting up computers at my high school and my current one is pretty technical work at a veterinary clinic (I just learned 5 different white cell types and how to identify them in a blood smear of a dog under the microscope).</p>
<p>-I have run track and played football in junior high, and currently am doing summer workouts for cross country this spring.</p>
<p>-I participated in my technology club as well as two once-a-year tech/science/engineering competitions my freshmen and sophomore years</p>
<p>-My stock market club team took fifth in the region (western PA) my sophomore year</p>
<p>-I’m planning on being accepted (waiting to be notified as to whether or not I was chosen) as one of two youth councilors for my ward in Oklahoma City, a year-long commitment to my local community</p>
<p>-I’m planning on setting up a sort of career-shadowing with a local physicist my dad and I hang out with every now and then</p>
<p>-I’m also probably going to be a National Merit Scholar (does that mean anything to a school like Stanford?)</p>
<p>-I don’t have much to show for my junior year as it was a transition year (moved from Pittsburgh to OKC, had lots of trouble switching schools as far as transcript issues and such) but my grades, test scores, NMSQT beginning, altar serving, and the youth council thing.</p>
<p>I would love any advice you guys (or girls) could provide as to what else I should do to increase my chances. Thanks a lot!</p>