<p>I am a recent Stanford admit with relatively low stats [1750 SAT + 90 TOEFL (75 for the first time)]. The situation was even worse given my ethnicity (Chinese living in Beijing) and the fact that I needed a full ride to go to Stanford. I had never known about CollegeConfidential.com until I already submitted my applications. My very first feeling when I first visited this website is that there were “too” many overachievers whose stellar profiles both amazed and intimidated me a great deal. I created some threads on the boards of schools I had applied to, asking about my chance of getting in. The majority of repliers said that I had no chance and advised me to apply to some safety schools, while some others gave me their warmest “Good luck!” Right now, I just wish to thank you guys very much for taking the time to read my posts and to offer me great pieces of advice. </p>
<p>I had never thought I would get into Stanford until I opened the email and seeing the nicest word on this earth—“Congratulation!” “Does this mean that I got in? No way!”—I asked myself constantly. I was speechless. S-T-A-N-F-O-R-D! Yes, if the school provides me with enough financial aid and UPenn’s Wharton does not let me in, then I am going to Stanford this fall. </p>
<p>So, I am creating this thread just to tell you, the future aspiring Stanford applicants, that: PLEASE, DO NOT LET ANYTHING DISCOURAGE YOU FROM STRIVING TO GET YOURSELF THE BEST EDUCATION IN THIS WORLD. Not everyone with lows stats like me gets in, but please make sure that at least you do try. I had no SAT practice book, but I tried to scrutinize the structure of the test through some practice tests I found on the Internet. My family had no money for me to go through all the application process, but I went to bed at twelve to finish my homework and woke up at four every morning to work extra time to earn enough money myself. My bike broke down right in the morning I took the test and there was no one home to take me there, but I was willing to run several miles to the test center. Right then I had no Internet at home, so I went to my best friend’s house for online information about American colleges and their application process. (Now I am glad that I have it at home!) I had no idea of what an application essay should be, and I ended up writing a five-page personal essay. For every word I wrote, I took it with care, with treasure, and with my heart. I was not either the founder or president of any club, never the top of my class, and I did not lie about that. I think honesty in my overall application and essays is what got me in.</p>
<p>Your story is very inspiring and also very puzzling. I don’t know much about TOEFL scores. Isn’t 75 rather low, yet your thread is written in the manner of someone who speaks English as their first language. Your SAT score indicates you must have taken the writing portion of the exam? Can I inquire what your score was on the writing portion of the SAT?</p>
<p>Would you share what specific portion of your application you think was the reason you were accepted?</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your comment. I got 600 in the writing portion with a score of 8/12 for my essay.</p>
<p>Honestly I do not know what truly got me in. But I believe the essays contribute a significant role in my acceptance. In the common application essay, I wrote about how I struggled in school initially, came over all the obstacles afterward, and came to appreciate the education I was given; in the three supplemental essays for Stanford, I wrote about a class discussion in high school, my annoying habit of waking up quite early in the morning, and all Stanford has to offer to help me become a successful entrepreneur.</p>
<p>I also asked my best friend to write an additional letter of recommendation for me. Although I did not inquire, she let me read the letter and edit it if I would life to do so. I respected everything she wrote anyway, therefore leaving the letter as it originally was–despite the many English grammatical errors she made (she is not good at English). By the way, her letter made me cry out loud when I read it.</p>
<p>Why did you get in? I just read a few paragraphs you wrote and I really like you, an impressive feet considering English is your second language and I am a stone-hearted engineering major. If I like you after a few short comments online, I don’t think it is much of a stretch to think that you can get an admissions committee to like you after 5 pages.</p>
<p>I think the main reason Pleasewharton was accepted was the fact that he is an ‘‘ordinary’’, in contrast to affluent and from-an-international-school, Chinese applicant; and also that he was able emphasize this in his application. Giving the best of the US education to youth like him is of great importance to many.
Despite this, I am sure that other aspects of his application were very compelling too.</p>
<p>@Bilguun I bet the friend rec helped as well. I can also tell that pleasewharton is very good at writing from his/her heart. Also, the fact that he/she had the drive and motivation to do THAT MUCH just to simply apply to colleges and take some standardized tests shows that he/she can DEFINITELY handle Stanford. @pleasewharton, congratulations! You seem like a really hardworking, genuine person who definitely deserves it!</p>
<p>You are awesome man!!! Seriously though, if you ran to the test center and worked so hard, you honestly have more potential than a kid who came from an affluent family scoring 2250 on SATS and being president of like 5 clubs at school (although he/she still has potential, im not bashing anyone). But seriously, you are like an extraordinary applicant, which is why i think you deserve it. </p>
<p>And, the one thing that I truly, truly love about these top colleges (Stanford, Harvard), is that they actually try to look for people who are low-income and high achieving. What this does is provide social mobility for people like you and me. I mean our lives, considering that we keep up with our motivations in college, are going to be much better than our current situation (living low-income lifestyle etc.). Best of luck to you, cant wait to see u at stanford (if i go).</p>
<p>I know how you feel! I came illegally from Mexico just 2 years ago, literally crossed the rio grande for a better life. In that time, I was able to learn my english that I know now. I was too very excited when I got accepted to stanford, eventhough my act score was very low (20). I am also acepted, and i’m so excited to go to stanford in the next year!</p>
<p>I’m also curious about your TOEFL score. I have many friends who scored in the low hundreds whose writing is no where near as good as yours, although I suppose some people just have a gift for writing with passion. Regardless, congratulations on your acceptance! You certainly deserve it. Its people like you who humble and inspire me.</p>
<p>Thank you guys very much! My writing is nowhere that great… I only got 22 for the writing portion of TOEFL (20 for the first time). I think the TOEFL is more about learning the skills and the structures of the test than it is about grasping the knowledge. </p>
<p>I did not have much time and resources to prepare for the TOEFL test. All my savings were spent on the test registration and score sending fee, the air plane fees to fly to Vietnam to take the SAT, and also the mailing fees (thanks God, I used the regular mailing service and my application portions still fully arrived in time for consideration.) Luckily though, the two girls sitting right in front of me in class was also studying the test, so I listened to them revising the templates of the writing and speaking portions and tried to absorb every little thing. My classmates were too competitive against other people, and thus, it was really hard to borrow reference books from them. But that’s how the girls helped me with TOEFL anyway… They seem to be desperately waiting from Ivy League schools tomorrow, so I just wish that they will get into their dream colleges.</p>
<p>And for you, international students who complain about your 2200 SAT score, you will feel happy enough if you know that my beloved old small English dictionary even lacks many SAT words. If you are provided with the opportunities to prepare well for your application process and have a dream of going to, say, Stanford, then you must be luckier than millions of those kids who even never dare to dream of an American education.</p>
<p>I love English and I spend one hour writing in English every day. My parents saved enough money for me to buy some used English books. Those books are my teachers, and I, in return, am the teacher of my two younger brothers. If I do not try to learn well, then how can I teach other people?</p>
<p>pleasewharton, first of all congrats, you deserve that acceptance, it seems like all your hard work payed off, hope you choose stanford, its a great school.</p>
And I really hope you join Stanford '14.</p>