Official RD Acceptance Thread - class of 2012

[golden130]

Decision: Rejected

Stats:

* Fee Waiver Used?: no
* SAT I (by section): 2200 (670CR, 750M, 780W) and 2180 (740CR, 720M, 720W)
* SAT IIs: Math2-780 Physics-740
* GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.96 uw 4.34 w
* Rank: 7th/249
* ACT: 35 comp., 35R, 36M, 36E, 33S, 34E/W, 11W
* APs (including this year's): 4
* IBs (including this year's: 0
* Senior Yr Courseload: 3 APs, Leadership, 2 easy classes.
* Number of Apps from Your School: I'd say ~5, just a guess
* Other stats (Awards, etc.): honor roll...that's about it

Subjective:

* ECs listed on app: minor community service, varsity xc, varsity track, mock trial
* Job/Work Experience: science tutor, random summer jobs
* Essays (subject and responses): pretty good, not perfect
* Teacher Recs: excellent
* Counselor Rec: excellent
* Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): n/a
* Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): sadly, no

Location/Person:

* State or Country: CA
* School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): public, good not great
* Ethnicity: white
* Gender: m
* Income Bracket: 70,000
* Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): n/a
* Strengths: test scores?
* Weaknesses: ecs, definitely
* Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: see above

Other Factors: n/a

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: I'm in at Berkeley, where I will of course publish my work on simultaneously finding the cure for AIDS and cancer under the all-caps-heading of "Take that, elitist fools!"

No, I really don't care. I knew this was coming.

[birthofthecool]

Decision: Rejected

Stats:

• Fee Waiver Used?: No
• SAT I (by section): 800 CR, 720 Math 780 Writing, 2300 Overall
• SAT IIs: 750 Math IIC, 780 US History, 740 World History
• GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.7 UW 3.89 W
• Rank: N/A
• ACT: N/A
• APs (including this year's): AP World History (5), AP US History (5), AP Physics B (3), AP Macroeconomics, AP Calculus AB
• IBs (including this year's: None
• Senior Yr Courseload: Business Law, Brit Lit, Spanish 3, AP Macro, AP Calc, Band, Environmental Science
• Number of Apps from Your School: Don't know
• Other stats (Awards, etc.): National Merit Finalist, band related awards

Subjective: This sucks

• ECs listed on app: Band, NHS, Quiz Team
• Job/Work Experience: None
• Essays (subject and responses): Can't remember
• Teacher Recs: Don't know
• Counselor Rec: Don't know
• Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): None
• Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.):

Location/Person:

• State or Country: Georgia
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Pretty good
• Ethnicity: Black
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Low
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM
• Strengths:
• Weaknesses: Poor course load
• Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Don't really care anymore

Other Factors: Life sucks

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
Nothing

[Kristina]

Decision: Rejected

Stats:
* SAT/ACT: 2370 (800 CR/ 800W/ 770M)
* SAT IIs: 800/800/800
* GPA: 4.0 UW, above 4.5 weighted.
* Rank: top 10% for sure. School doesn't rank, though.
* APs: Calc B/C: 5, Bio: 5, French Language: 5
* Course load: most difficult
* Other stats: Qualified for AIME

Subjective:

* Essays: I thought they were pretty good?
* Teacher Recs: One was really good, didn't read the other.
* Counselor Rec: Nice but not amazing.
* Interview: None.
* Major EC's: black belt, President of something, co-president of something, treasurer of two things, co-captain of waterpolo. 2 years varsity waterpolo & 2 years JV, 4 years JV swimming.
* Work experience: business internship, and various tutoring
* Hook (if any): none

Location/Person:

* State or Country: CA
* School Type: Pretty competitive public
* Ethnicity: white
* Gender: female
* Income Bracket: middle/low
* Financial aid?: yes
* Intended Major: biological sciences

[ppruks]

Decision: ACCEPTED
Stats:

* Fee Waiver Used?: No
* SAT I (by section): CR: 680 W:690 M:800
* SAT IIs: Math II: 740, Chem: 800 Biology M: 800
* GPA: 5.0 on a 5.0 scale
* Rank: 1/108
* ACT: did not take
* APs/IBs: don't have them
* Senior Yr Courseload: Not that intensive as Junior, but pretty rigorous
* Number of Apps from Your School: 0
* Other stats (Awards, etc.): International Chemistry Olympiad, International Astronomy Olympiad, European Science Olympiad candidate(didn't make it to the competitions), a lot of science-related competitions and awards

Subjective:

* ECs listed on app: science club at local university, city's youth choir, school's choir, drama club, poetry club, school newspaper, astronomy club, math/physics/chemistry team
* Job/Work Experience: 3 jobs at the local university: organizing an international law conference, launching a new student database and carrying out a survey among the readers of a law journal
* Essays (subject and responses): Very good, I didn't let anyone read them because they were really personal, the
* Teacher Recs: Superb according to them
* Counselor Rec: Excellent according to her
* Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): Did not get one
* Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): I live in Estonia with a pop. of 1,4 million, I'm not sure how many have been accepted at Stanford but I might be the second or the third, don't know exactly

Location/Person:

* State or Country: Estonia
* School Type, Average Stats of School (if available):Top 10 in the country,half-british school basically(trivia:Prince Charles also visited
* Ethnicity: White
* Gender: Male
* Income Bracket: High
* Strengths: Essays, ECs
* Weaknesses: SAT I
* Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Because everything added up very nicely I guess

Other Factors:

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
also accepted at duke, now just waiting for HYP and UPenn

[Hamman]

OMGGGGG!!!! Congratulations to everyone!!!! I just got in!!!!!

[richboy12591]

I Got In Omg!!!

[Spartan454]

Decision: Rejected
Stats:

* Fee Waiver Used?: No
* SAT I (by section): CR: 740 W:760 M:800
* SAT IIs: Math II: 800, U.S. Hist: 770 Math I: 760
* GPA: 3.94 UW
* Rank: Top 10
* ACT: did not take
* APs/IBs: Taken 7, 4 or 5 on all.
* Senior Yr Courseload: Pretty tough
* Number of Apps from Your School: several
* Other stats (Awards, etc.): National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction.

Subjective:

* ECs listed on app: varsity tennis, varsity swimming, track and field, vice-president of club, competed in an international chess competition.
* Job/Work Experience: Work at a local YMCA for about 10 hrs per week.
* Essays (subject and responses): Good and unique
* Teacher Recs: Good, nothing special
* Counselor Rec: Good, nothing special
* Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): Did not get one
* Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): None

Location/Person:

* State or Country: WA
* School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Decent public
* Ethnicity: Asian
* Gender: Male
* Income Bracket: Middle
* Strengths: Sports, academics.
* Weaknesses: ECs, recs?
* Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Because I'm too average I guess.

Other Factors:

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
Continues a string of bad luck. 0/4 so far this week.

[rszanto]

Decision: Waitlisted

Stats:

• Fee Waiver Used?:
• SAT I (by section): 1940 total (I hate the SAT more than a senator loves bribes)
• SAT IIs: 660 (Literature), 670 (Math II), 700 (U.S History)
• GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.98 UW (one 89 percent screwed me)
• Rank:24/440 (the kids above me take the easiest classes just so they can say they have a 4.0)
• ACT:30
• APs (including this year's): School only offers three; U.S History (4), AP Physics B, and AP Lit
• IBs (including this year's:
• Senior Yr Courseload:4 highschool classes (2 AP's mentioned above) and 4 community college courses
• Number of Apps from Your School: just me
• Other stats (Awards, etc.): Will be graduating from the community college next month with three associate degrees

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: Mostly good. There weren't many, but they showed passion
• Job/Work Experience: none
• Essays (subject and responses): This was the place that I worked my ass off for. I spent my Christmas Eve perfecting my roommate response.
• Teacher Recs: Great
• Counselor Rec: Mediocre (If you aren't addicted to a drug, she could care less)
• Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): none
• Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): My college degrees, and the fact that I am a first generation immigrant?

Location/Person:

• State or Country: ID
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): God-awful public school in "urban" Idaho. (we can't use the bathrooms any more because there were too many drug deals and gang activities taking place in them)
• Ethnicity: Whitey
• Gender: Male
• Income Bracket: Middle-class
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first gen immigrant
• Strengths: I work my ass off on anything not called SAT
• Weaknesses: I don't have nearly as many academic opportunities as most other kids that applied to Stanford (I don't think my school has ever had a national winner in anything)
• Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Pity?

Other Factors:

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: I was expecting a rejection after being shunned by my top two colleges, but was ecstatic at the fact that I have a great opportunity to attend one of the world's best schools.

[QuixoticRick]

Decision: Rejected

Stats:

• Fee Waiver Used?: No.
• SAT I (by section): 1760 (630 CR, 590 W, 540 M)
• SAT IIs: 680 Eco Bio, 680 Mol Bio, 670 World History, 650 USH, 600 Math II, 550 Lit
• GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 4.00 uw, 4.58 w
• Rank: 2/236, salutatorian
• APs (including this year's): World History (4), Bio (4), Lit (TBA), Calc AB (TBA)
• Senior Yr Courseload: Chinese 5/6 (Independent Study), Chemistry (no honors/AP), Drawing (UC req), AP Calc AB, AP Lit, Econ (no AP/honors)
• Number of Apps from Your School: ~5-10?
• Other stats (Awards, etc.): National Honor Society Member; High Honor Roll Student; National Honor Roll Member; California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Balboa JROTC Battalion Commander; University of San Francisco School of Law Street Law Completion Certificate; California Mock Trial San Francisco County Championship Team; Various JROTC awards such as the Superior Cadet Award, National Sojourners Award, and the Scottish Rites Award

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: Mock trial (10-12): Varsity Trial Attorney, Varsity Team Captain, City/County Champs; Army JROTC (9-11): Battalion Commander, Battalion Trainings and Operations Officer; Newspaper (9-10): Opinions Page Editor/Regular Contributor; Political Science Club (10): Member.
• Job/Work Experience: Summer clerkship at Munger, Tolles & Olson with attorneys and paralegals.
• Essays (subject and responses): Experience in the law, passion for law academy/law, quirky roommate essay, bland why stanford essay
• Teacher Recs: Law academy teachers wrote about in-class behavior and extracurricular involvement; felt was really strong
• Counselor Rec: Wrote about my extracurricular involvement, behavior in-class, and my most rigorous courseload taken.
• Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): Lots of interest in law (law academy, law classes, mock trial, etc.)

Location/Person:

• State or Country: California
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Rarely sends grads to top schools
• Ethnicity: Taiwanese
• Gender: Dude
• Income Bracket: Middle-class
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Extensive law interest? Good leadership in JROTC?
• Strengths: ECs, GPA
• Weaknesses: SAT
• Why you think you were denied: SAT

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: Oh well, I was a long shot here anyway.

[mammall]

DD accepted - single sitting 2400, 36, 800 on 4 SAT subjects, 4.0 unweighted, many APs, good not earth shaking APs. Mostly I think she liked the essay prompts and the application just came together really nicely. The application made her really interested in Stanford. We will be heading out there to see it.

[Hanajima Arashi]

Decision: Rejected

Stats:

• Fee Waiver Used?: No
• SAT I (by section): 800CR, 740M, 730W
• SAT IIs: 770Lit, 700Math2, 670Japanese
• GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.96uw, 4.6w
• Rank: 5/657-ish
• ACT: 34
• APs (including this year's): Calc BC
• IBs (including this year's: IB Euro, IB Precalc, IB Math HL, IB Contemporary World, IB ToK, IB Physics SL, IB Spanish 4, IB English 11, IB English 12, may be something else I don't remember. xD
• Senior Yr Courseload: 4IBs, 1 Honors, the rest stuff that colleges consider worthless.
• Number of Apps from Your School: 8
• Other stats (Awards, etc.):

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: Japanese Club (President), Key Club (President), Anime Club (VP), Archery
• Job/Work Experience: Taught English in Japan
• Essays (subject and responses): Uh...apparently not fantastic. xD See the essays thread for my responses.
• Teacher Recs: Amazing, one teacher loves me and the other said it was the best rec he'd given in his career.
• Counselor Rec: Good, but not as personal as I'd like.
• Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): N/A
• Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): Teaching English in Japan, being obsessed with Japanese despite being a white person. Lol.

Location/Person:

• State or Country: CO, usa.
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): I don't know, but we don't send many to high-caliber universities.
• Ethnicity: Caucasian
• Gender: Female
• Income Bracket: 100,000-150,000
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
• Strengths: Good recs, good writer
• Weaknesses: Imperfect gpa and scores, not enough ECs
• Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I didn't list all of my ECs, because I took "main," literally. I also didn't take a science class this year because of scheduling issues. And a lack of ECs.

Other Factors:
I think I pretty much covered it.

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
It was my first choice, so this sucks. Though I feel worse about the time my teachers wasted on writing recs and well-wishing. xP

Ah well. Off to wherever accepts me and I feel like going to...

[kyledavid80]

Well, this year's been a mixed bag--this isn't nearly as bad as SCEA. Congrats to all those accepted and good luck to all those waitlisted (if you accepted a place)!

To those who didn't get in, rest assured that you'll flourish wherever you go, whether at Harvard or at Podunk State. Remember not to take this as anything personal; far too many get bogged down in that, and it's neither practical nor wise. Good luck in your future endeavors, whatever they may be. =)

[DerrickA]

Decision: Accepted

Stats:

* Fee Waiver Used?: No
* SAT I (by section): 710 M/730 CR/800 W
* SAT IIs: 770 US History, 750 Literature, 730 Math I
* GPA: Roughly 4.0
* Rank: 4/270
* ACT: N/A
* APs (including this year's):
* IBs (including this year's: n/a
* Senior Yr Courseload: AP Phys B, AP Eng Lit, AP Macro, AP Micro, AP Govt, AP Calc
* Number of Apps from Your School: 3
* Other stats (Awards, etc.): International Oratorical Contest winner, 2 time county debate champ, cofounder of Sony Sponsored organization, founder of MUN etc.

Subjective:

* ECs listed on app:MicroboticsEngineering.org, Debate, Mock Trial, MUN, etc.
* Job/Work Experience: n/a
* Essays (subject and responses): One about my passion for econ and another about my passion for oratory
* Teacher Recs: Stellar
* Counselor Rec: Told it was Stellar
* Interview (feel, interviewer and general location): Very good vibe
* Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): Cofounder of Sony Sponsored Organization

Location/Person:

* State or Country: NY
* School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Very low avg SAT, competitive within about top 5% only
* Ethnicity: African American
* Gender: Male
* Income Bracket: Middle class
* Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc): URM
* Strengths: My essays, EC's, and recs
* Weaknesses: Nothing glaring?
* Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Obviously URM status helped, but after seeing that URM's with similar stats got denied, I think it was the depth of my EC's and how i presented myself in the essays that really pulled me through.

Other Factors:

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: *Pumps fist*

[JDorian]

I Didn't Get My Letter Yet!

[alwaysinsession]

Funny thing is, I did all of my essays and short answers the day the app was due. STILL can't believe I got in.