chances at stanford?

guyinjapan
Mon, 03 Jul 2006 04:14:23 +0000

aight, here’s me in a nutshell.

Nationality: USA
International student in tokyo, japan
Prospective Major: mechanical engineering

SAT 1: 2220 (1530 on the old scale, 740 M, 790 V, 690 W)
SAT 2: 750 Math IIC, 730 Physics (hope to bring my math score up in fall)
ACT: 34

*i heard someone mention that most colleges are now only accepting the ACT with a new writing section i hadnt heard about… and apparently that means my scores are void? could someone clarify this, because i really dont want to take it again and push my luck lol

High school record:

Freshman/Sophomore: Allen High School (Allen, Texas)
GPA: 4.01, weighted
Rank: 27/1200-something
Advanced Courses: Full load of pre-AP advanced classes, gifted-and-talented humanities program, IB Math HL 1 sophomore year
Foreign Languages: 2 years of spanish
Extracurriculars:
Marching band
Concert band
Robotics club
Chemistry club
Book club
NHS

Junior/Senior: American School in Japan (Tokyo, Japan)
GPA: 3.97, weighted
Rank: ???
Advanced Courses: AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Microeconomics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Advanced Composition, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science, Modern Literature (Honors)
Foreign Languages: 2 years of japanese
Extracurriculars:
Jazz band
Debate
Habitat for Humanity
Model United Nations
NHS

so i guess that’s me in a nutshell. it’s not up there, but ive taken numerous tech courses and am well-versed in several computer languages, as well as in the latest animation and graphic design software. ive also played saxophone since age 10. im hoping to be in the top 10 percent at ASIJ, but it’s difficult when there’s only 100 students in my class. at the very least, ASIJ has a reputation for being academically demanding, and i think the international background will appeal to stanford and the ivys and maybe compensate for the slight drop in rankings from AHS to ASIJ, but who knows.

ive never been that active in organized sports (i work out on my own time everyday instead) but im hoping that my extracurriculars will make up for the lack of sports achievements. back in texas the band- the largest high school marching band in the world- won numerous international awards and actually marched in the rose bowl parade the year after i left… but none of those honors specifically benefit me, i guess. ive won a few awards for saxophone (“outstanding member of the year” and a few 1st division ratings at UIL), but nothing spectacular. im pretty good, but I play it more for fun than competition.

in texas, i won 2nd place in the school science fair for a magnetic rail gun project and was going to go to the regional competition in dallas… but i had to choose between that and a spring break vacation to hawaii. lol tough choice, right? i was also selected to be part of my school’s team in the regional programming competition as a first year student. im also hoping to go to the international model united nations conference next year in taipei, and im planning on running for varsity debate captain next year.

anyway, what do you think my chances are at getting into Stanford? it’s definitely at the top of my list, so im considering early decision. im visiting next month so ill decide for sure then. im also going to apply to MIT, Caltech, and maybe Harvard. im not as concerned about the others on my list: U of Michigan, Illinois, Texas, and Georgia tech. anyway, im totally open to constructive input and criticism, so dont worry about tearing me to shreds. just dont be a jerk about it lol. at best, i think my chances at getting in to stanford are maybe 60%, and that may still be a stretch. but hey, im really no better informed than the next guy, so maybe ya’ll can give me a more informed opinion. (god, i can’t believe i still say “ya’ll”. i guess im still a texan at heart lol.) anyway, thanks for your time, guys!