What does Stanford truly want?

[zzx05l1]

<p>What does Stanford University want most? What is the most important characteristics that Stanford prefers?
Could any Stanford students help me? Millions of thanksss!!!!!!!!</p>

[QuixoticRick]

<p>Stanford wants a sexy student body. c:</p>

[kyledavid80]

<p>From what I've seen, intellectual vitality is what they look for -- students who have a passion for learning and interacting with others, who are good at something, who have a passion in something and demonstrate that in all that they do (ECs, honors/awards, etc.).</p>

<p>Stanford</a> | Applying to Stanford | Frequently Asked Questions</p>

[dontcha]

<p>they look for da black brothas w/brains ya hurd</p>

[6y6y6]

<p>I remember there was a thread about what you do in order to show your "intellectual vitality" in your Stanford app. The concept of "intellectual vitality" is rather vague. I don't think any college would want a student who doesn't have "intellectual vitality".</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>
[quote]
Stanford wants a sexy student body. c:

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Umm, Chelsea Clinton?... don't think so.</p>

[AngelFidelis]

<p>well... ive been looking at hundreds of kids who have gotten in.. and i have about 20 friends who go up there.. and intellectual vitality is a number of things.. First and foremost... they want their kids to be TOTALLy unique.. not 2400 unique, because hundreds of kids are like that.. if you're a minority.. and you're intelligent you got it made, but if you're part of the masses.. you need to show them how and why they should just pick you out of everyone.. To some degree your GPA and SAT put you in their radar, but its how you present yourself that will cast you over the edge.. here are some examples:</p>

<p>Accepted Person #1: 2300 SAT, 4.1 GPA vitality = extreme fund raising on his own.. he wasnt a part of ANY clubs but he raised over 10 thousand dollars for his sisters adopting orphanage. </p>

<p>accepted person #2: 2230 SAT, 4.2 GPA vitality = loves the things in life that people at stanford are not typical of loving - aka started the PING PONG club and the FAMILY GUY club, was active in community service and was on the varsity baseball and basketball teams.</p>

<p>accepted person #3: 2150 4.6 GPA vitality = 14 year gymnastics (and no he wasn't accepted for their team either) and in his vitality essay he talked about he loved to build computers etc. </p>

<p>Basically, you need to show stanford that you are smart (grades and SAT) but once you are in their range, you have to show them you ahve a life, that you're not the stereotypical 2400 nerd that is going to sit in the dorms and make campus life dull..</p>

<p>when i was a sophmore i kinda figured this out - I took cheerleading (easy transtition from gymnastics) and i started the simpsons club - nhs, mun etc allt hose stuff and im only sitting at a 4.5 and a 2220</p>

<p>so what im saying is you show vitality by being smart and getting hte requirements, but you put yourself in the clear with your essays that show the officers that you are exceptionally unique and that they should be grovelling to have your persona at their school</p>

[kyledavid80]

<p>I noticed that too -- those who get accepted tend to be those who are very unique. I've seen plenty of students who are 1) exceptionally great and 2) exceptionally bland, and they were rejected. On the other hand, I've seen 1) really great and 2) really unique students get in.</p>

[guitars101]

<p>We can all sit and try to figure it all out, but ultimately it comes down to what the adcom is looking for in an applicant on that particular day. Best of luck to everyone, we have to put our trust in the schools and trust that they know what they are doing in selecting their students.</p>

[AngelFidelis]

<p>yea as the thread above says you can't freak out and TRY to show them you are unique, just be yourself to the utmost degree in your essay REALLY show them WHO you are, unless you are an uber minority, if you have decent grades and SAT scores they are giong to see exactly who are you</p>

<p>BE YOURSELF!!!!!! and it will pay off!</p>

[alohasam89]

<p>They want your application money</p>

[zzx05l1]

<p>Thanks. I am choosing what to write in my essay. I don't mean to write something just to fit the college, but I somehow want to have a direction. The information in my country is quite narrow. Thanks a lot!</p>

[tokenadult]

<p>Applicants. It will choose some of them to receive offers of admission. Just dare to be yourself, and don't worry about it.</p>

[IBscrewed91]

<p>question: i took a gap year, and here’s my justification for it:
Ive taken a gap year, purely for pursuing other non academic interests.
Justification of Gap year:

• currently doing a certificate course in 3DS Max animation
• Himalayan expedition of 8 days
• Worked with the All India Institute of Local Self Government ( Regional Centre for Urban and Environment Studies)
• Worked with the Mayor Of Mumbai on a huge environmental project (newspaper coverage included)
• Planning on Working with an IIT Prof, who is also a Green Judge (judge in the national court for environment malpractice)
• French courses at Alliance Francaise, Mumbai</p>

<p>i genuinely do love the environment and politics. so instead of doing MUN, which i did do during high school, i decided to make real changes. </p>

<p>however, my SAT i sso low, ive lost all hope for Stanford. 2030.
im planning on retaking it, maybe pushing it to 2150.
IS it really good enough?</p>

[vonlost]

<p>Like most schools, they want a wide variety of students, NOT a uniform class all alike.</p>

[BrandoIsCool]

<p>They just want your $$$$$$. That’s the honest truth!</p>

[Papa_Chicken]

<p>from the Selection Process overview:[Our</a> Selection Process : Stanford University](<a href=“Page Not Found : Stanford University”>Page Not Found : Stanford University)

Intellectual Vitality
We want to see your commitment, dedication, and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons; both in what you write about yourself and in what others write on your behalf. We want to see the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm that will allow you to spark a lively discussion in a freshman seminar and continue the conversation at a dinner table. We want to see the energy and depth of commitment you will bring to your endeavors, whether that means in a research lab, while being part of a community organization, during a performance, or on an athletic field. We want to see the initiative with which you seek out opportunities that expand your perspective and that will allow you to participate in creating new knowledge.

</p>

<p>Intellectual vitality is actually rated at Stanford, beginning in the 1990’s:[Former</a> frosh admission director skewers acceptance myths](<a href=“Stanford Report”>Stanford Report)

During the 1990s, the Office of Undergraduate Admission tweaked its point system by adding another rating for intellectual vitality – basically an effort to flag applicants demonstrating particular intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn.

</p>

<p>another reference to the rating system circa 2001:[Vice</a> Provost Jim Montoya to take College Board post: 4/01](<a href=“http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/01/montoya411.html]Vice”>http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/01/montoya411.html)

an “intellectual vitality” rating scale designed to assess applicants’ love of learning and deep-seated intellectual curiosity

</p>

<p>the President’s convocation speech for the class of 2004:[Hennessy</a> Convocation speech](<a href=“Stanford Report”>Stanford Report)

Although we carefully examined your scholastic achievements and extracurricular accomplishments during the admission process, your intellectual vitality is what sets you apart from so many of your peers. Some of you have shown that intellectual engagement by pursuing a single field of study; others engaged in a variety of scholarly activities outside of the classroom setting; still others have applied classroom studies to work in your community. However you have shown it, your love of learning – that passion for new knowledge – revealed you to us as the kind of student we most treasure at Stanford.

</p>

<p>from a 2006 report:<a href=“http://facultysenate.stanford.edu/2005_2006/minutes/04_20_06_SenD5831.pdf[/url]”>http://facultysenate.stanford.edu/2005_2006/minutes/04_20_06_SenD5831.pdf&lt;/a&gt;

“ ‘Intellectual Vitality’ means passion and depth and breadth for the intellectual
experience beyond just getting grades…having a deep passion about the academic
enterprise, about learning, about engaging in the subject material. We use terms
like ‘showing maturity’ and ‘self-discipline in the fulfillment of projects,’ ‘read
deeply’ and ‘create energetically’, or ‘experiment creatively in response to deep-seated intellectual curiosity’. These are less easy to quantify, but when you see
them, you recognize them.

</p>

[_helen]

<p>Hello everyone!!!</p>

<p>I will make application for Stanford University as International Student.
I had make some calls to university and after some weeks they sent me a letter with all informations about the university.Stanford is my first choice,but i don’t know yet…I looked at the site of Stanford and i learned many things about the application and what they want.
The only thing that it’s scaring me is the statement of purpose i think that i don’t have enough…</p>

[BigMike3541]

<p>Basically, stanford gets a billion applications of people with 4.0 unweighted gpas and ~2400 SAT scores. That doesn’t make anyone particularly special. Same goes with national honor society, (generally) student government etc. So you should try to be more interesting than that :)</p>

[tokenadult]

<p>

Basically, stanford gets a billion applications of people with 4.0 unweighted gpas and ~2400 SAT scores.

</p>

<p>Not likely, even as hyperbole, as to the SAT scores. </p>

<p>[College</a> Search - Stanford University - The Farm - SAT®, AP®, CLEP®](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board) </p>

<p><a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat_percentile_ranks_2008_composite_cr_m_w.pdf[/url]”>Higher Education Professionals | College Board; </p>

<p>(year-old information that may or may not be updated soon) </p>

<p>SAT scores near 2400 are rather rare. </p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/413821-sat-score-frequencies-freshman-class-sizes.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/413821-sat-score-frequencies-freshman-class-sizes.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;