<p>epiphany, I am intrigued by your comment about the differences between the students who actually matriculate at various “Elite” schools vs. the public perception. Would you be willing to elaborate on that?</p>
<p>Here’s what Dean Shaw said about Stanford’s entering class at the recent convocation:</p>
<p>The Class of 2014
Also speaking was Richard Shaw, dean of admission and financial aid, who said each of the incoming 1,675 freshmen and 20 transfer students would bring something exceptional to Stanford.</p>
<p>“To those of us who read your applications, your potential and promise are breathtaking,” he said.</p>
<p>Shaw said the Class of 2014 is 52 percent male and 48 percent female. Fifteen percent are the first in their families to attend college. Eight percent of the class are international students, who represent 54 countries. Every state in the union, save South Dakota, is represented among the members of the freshman class. He said that close to 50 percent of the freshman class is receiving financial support from Stanford.</p>
<p>“You are artists and musicians, scientists and journalists, actors and editors, researchers and writers, athletes and former soldiers,” he said. “You are Intel Finalists, Olympiad winners, published authors and top debaters – among hundreds of other talents and accomplishments. You have been recognized at the highest levels.”</p>
<p>To the new students in the audience who might have been thinking that the Admission Office had made a mistake in admitting them, Shaw had words of reassurance:</p>
<p>“Let me be emphatic,” he said. “We have not made any mistakes in selecting this superlative class. A good and wise friend sees more in you than you see in yourself. This is what we do. This is our profession. This is our work: to identify in you the intellectual strength and leadership potential to impact the world, to see in you the promise of the future. We have chosen you. And we have not made a single mistake.”</p>
<p>Well, it’s likely they’ve made a couple of mistakes and those kids won’t stay at Stanford…but they clearly believe they have picked a class with “intellectual strength and leadership potential to impact the world.” </p>
<p>Since my last post, there continue to be posts about the only applicants known to get into Stanford are URM’s and athletic recruits. Just to reassure everyone reading this thread — the entering class at Stanford is NOT all URM’s and athletic recruits! The kids from our Northeast HS who have been admitted in the past 5 years were white. One of 4 was an athletic recruit – and also an Intel semi-finalist and top 5% of the class. Two were over the top, exceptional students. One was not over the top – but very unique interests, and legacy. Our HS had many more students admitted to HYP during the same time period…with only 1 cross admit to Stanford.</p>
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<p>Let’s just say that it is clear that there are perceptions of Ivy admits that are based on stereotypes, assumptions, and unpleasant personal (local) experiences. An Ivy applicant does not equal an Ivy admit, either.<br>
;)</p>
<p>Got rejected by Stanford?</p>
<p>So what. 6 years ago, D suffered that terrible fate. Also with several Ivies. Did not affect her in the slightest. She won nationally recognized honors her senior year in college and has gone on to things far beyond what most Stanford and Ivy grads do</p>
<p>And there are many kids like her! Makes me wonder if Stanford (or Harvard, or Penn or Chicago) grads do well because of or in spite of their alma mater?</p>
<p>^cute.
:)</p>
<p>Well, I can’t let Richard Shaw’s quoted statement, “We have not made any mistakes in selecting this superlative class,” go unremarked. Isn’t it the case that Stanford admitted Adam Wheeler as a transfer student (per tokenadult’s newspaper article link in the Stanford forum)? Perhaps Wheeler didn’t count because he was not actually available to come to the convocation? Or he was technically not being admitted for the class of 2014?</p>
<p>The last time that I heard admissions people claiming that they “did not make mistakes” was the claim by MIT, while Marilee Jones was still Director of Admissions.</p>
<p>Everyone makes mistakes. I think it would be better if the various admissions offices acknowledged this frankly. I understand that they want to assure people with below-average stats that they <em>belong</em> at the university. They ought to just say that.</p>
<p>And incidentally, newmassdad’s daughter now has the kind of recognition that universities really like to brag about. I agree with him that the admissions decisions 6 years ago don’t matter. But it’s pretty clear that several decisions 6 years ago <em>were</em> mistakes.</p>
<p>^ But maybe not mistakes? One thing to think about is that success comes by many paths. Another is that the difference between the kids admitted to the elites and those rejected is impossible to fathom (and isn’t that a big part of this discussion) and may not matter anyway? </p>
<p>It may be that one of the few honest statements from adcoms is that the kids admitted are no different from many of those rejected?</p>
<p>Well, that is generous of you, newmassdad, to suggest that the decisions were “maybe not mistakes”! Nonetheless, I think that a number of the admissions personnel would probably wish they had selected your daughter over some of the students they did select.</p>
<p>Commenting on ellemenope’s post, our high school also has never gotten anyone into Yale to my knowledge. Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Columbia, Penn, Dartmouth, Cornell–yes. I think my D may be the first Stanford admit, but I’m not sure how many applications were submitted from students in our high school, given the distance factor. It’s odd, really, and makes me wonder if these elite schools pay special attention to high schools they are familiar with because of past admits or something. It will be interesting to see if now that D has been admitted, next year we’ll see a few more from her high school.</p>
<p>I have always assumed that a student’s chances are impacted more than a little by who the regional admissions officer is, and any politicking that goes along with those positions. For instance, in a year that one of the Ivies installed a brand new admissions officer in our region, our hs garnered 6 admits, where we usually got one or two. It made me think they either threw this guy some bones for being new, or he was substantially better at making the case for his applicants than the previous guy in that role.</p>
<p>Six years ago, we lived in the Boston area. D attended a public HS that had a very successful track record with elite colleges. In her year, 3 Stanford admits, 13 Harvard, two Princeton, and a handful at each of the remaining Ivies. (out of a class of 450) D’s dream school was Yale, where she applied early and was deferred. For RD, she re-applied f course. Her GC was the head of guidance at her HS and personally spoke to the Yale rep. </p>
<p>End result? One kid got in (who also got in to Pton, S, and every where else he applied, including H, where he enrolled. He was the class academic superstar), not my D. </p>
<p>Interestingly, D’s HS had a terrible record with Yale admissions. No one knows why, except to speculate that maybe Yale lost too many cross admits to Harvard in the past. </p>
<p>So I believe it is true that certain HS have a better “experience factor” with some elite universities. And I think it can work strongly against a star from a relatively unknown HS, in spite of what adcoms say. </p>
<p>BTW, the superstar classmate had a decent but not stellar record at H. No national level honors. He’s med school bound, like many of his classmates.</p>
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<p>Don’t put too much pressure on DD. If she indeed outperforms her classmates at Stanford, they will/should admit more from your HS next time around.</p>
<p>We had two admitted to Stanford this year. One as a volleyball recruit. His sister played last year as a 1st string freshman–they’re that good. The other guy just got in on his own merit. Super bright valedictorian with a lot of ECs and I imagine a very clever essay. We also had one go to Harvard and one to MIT.</p>
<p>Our h.s. isn’t considered “elite” at all. It’s just a public school that serves a diverse group of kids. Not all of them are high achievers.</p>
<p>**missypie said:</p>
<p>It’s interesting that in the time I’ve known kids at our HS (6 years or so), I don’t know of a single Stanford admit. Harvard, MIT, etc. but no Stanford. **</p>
<p>I know three boys who got into Stanford from one family within a 6 year spread. All but one were valedictorians. All went to the same h.s. my daughter later attended. Great, well-rounded kids. Two of them were into a cappella groups in h.s. and Stanford. All majored in computer science. Their parents are both physicians and unassuming people. Very laid back and down to earth. They just happened to have bright and really nice kids. Their daughter chose to attend Williams. She’s now a school teacher. Also, a valedictorian.</p>