<p>Say one wins some of the top youth writing competitions, UN sponsored, Holocaust Remembrance, JFK essay competition, and shows a true interest in writing - will Stanford consider this over someones average-ish academic record?</p>
<p>I see all these people with 2200+ SAT and 5.0 GPAs, and a billion leadership clubs/fundraisers/blah blah blah, but I know I won’t have that. </p>
<p>On a scale of 1 -10, my essay will probably be a 13. XD</p>
<p>I need to know if perusing this school is worth my time, or if I should aim for less selective programs. </p>
<p>It helps, of course, but it’s the whole picture that matters. If your record shows a consistent focus on writing, and consistent accomplishment there, it makes the most difference. The award matters too - some are better known than others.</p>
<p>Your SATs will always be factored in, of course - if you’re a writer the SAT CR will be looked at (I don’t know what weight Stanford puts on the SAT W, it’s often less than the SAT CR)</p>
<p>Breadth of EC activity is a LOT less important than depth, so don’t worry about the billion fundraisers and clubs issues.</p>
<p>If you really like Stanford, there’s absolutely no harm in trying.</p>
<p>a stanford representative gave a talk at a local school, and she said stanford looks at the SAT writing section just as much as any other section. </p>
<p>writing awards will definitely help you, but it should also be consistent with the focus of the rest of ur application.</p>