Overcoming hardship

[serendipity1234]

<p>Does Stanford admissions view overcoming a unique, significant hardship during high school as a hook? Assuming LOR’s and essays are great and GPA/standardized test scores are in the correct range (2200+, 31+, 4.35) Does it help in admissions?</p>

[Jdpaul88]

<p>I would not say overcoming a difficult hardship merits any more weight than determination or passion. I would side on the argument that hardships aren’t necessarily pertinent to a college application; however, scholarships are a different story. Unless the hardship or difficulty faced in life led to your academic statistics you are showing to the University, I would not include it. If I may ask, what was the difficult situation or hardship you had to overcome?</p>

[phantasmagoric]

<p>^ please don’t give out advice unless you’re sure about what you’re saying. You would have steered this person completely in the opposite direction.</p>

<p>serendipity1234, yes, hardships are very much considered. (I wouldn’t say “hook” because I think that word is overused and misunderstood; I might say “boost” instead.) Stanford, among other top universities, started doing this a few years ago in order to increase socioeconomic diversity in student body, but it’s been generalized to what Stanford admissions calls “context.” (Other schools, like the UCs, call it “holistic admissions.”) It’s one of the three main components of the selection process at Stanford, the other two being academic excellence and intellectual vitality. From the main admissions website:</p>

<p>

Just as no two Stanford students are the same, no two Stanford applicants are identical. This means that as we review each application, we must pay careful attention to unique circumstances. We take into account family background, educational differences, employment and life experiences. By focusing on your achievements within context, we evaluate how you have excelled within your unique school environment and how you have taken advantage of what was available to you in your school and community.

</p>

<p>[Our</a> Selection Process : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/index.html]Our”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/index.html)</p>

<p>From the FAQ:</p>

<p>

Stanford has a strong commitment to admitting and enrolling a student body that is both highly qualified and diverse. We read all applications with a sensitive awareness to the applicant’s personal experiences, family background and potential to add to the rich and dynamic texture of our campus. We recognize special circumstances, and we pay close attention to the unique educational contexts and life experiences of students from low-income families and nontraditional backgrounds. We believe that diversity is essential to the educational process and that it affects the student body in all of the ways that our students experience the University. At a place like Stanford, where students learn so much from one another, a dynamic range of perspectives and experiences influences learning both in and out of the classroom. We are committed to making Stanford as strong a university as possible, and this entails enrolling the most promising students from all backgrounds.

</p>

<p>[FAQ</a> : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/site/faq/index.html#faq_4_1]FAQ”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/site/faq/index.html#faq_4_1)</p>

[gravitas2]

<p>^^completely agree with Phanta. What most students and parents don’t understand is that “socioeconomic” diversity in a class of 1700 is highly prized at Stanford…the struggles and hardships (she does not have to divulge on CC for privacy) this OP has had to endure while maintaining academic excellence and intellectual vitality…speaks volumes about one’s CHARACTER and emotional MATURITY…that cannot be ignored…</p>

<p>…let me give you a hypothetical comparison…two students with identical GPAs, test scores, and similar high school sports, clubs, leadership positions…but student (A) is a student from wealthy Atherton, CA with two parents both with advanced degrees (who was given all the resources to take SAT prep, use tutors for classes, expensive summer courses at elite colleges, and access to professional college advisers)…and student (B) is from a single parent household with 4 siblings (she being the eldest)…mother (no college education) works 2 jobs…so the student has to work part-time at McDonalds to help make ends meet…she also helps care for the younger siblings while her mother is at work…</p>

<p>…now, who do you think will have a more compelling “life story” to write about in their essay?..and who do you think the admissions committee will ADMIT?..who would YOU admit?</p>

[aleaiactaest]

<p>Adversity you have faced is particularly compelling if it has inspired you to DO SOMETHING and/or has influenced your choice of ECs. </p>

<p>For example: some of my classmates who had cancer were so moved by the experience that they raised substantial amounts of money (typically in excess of $100,000) for cancer research; some of my classmates who came from immigrant families spent their high school careers working for non profits that help immigrants; and some of my LGBT classmates whose home communities weren’t LGBT-friendly dedicated themselves to being activists for LGBT rights.</p>

<p>Simply overcoming hardship isn’t enough. Through your essays and ECs, you must show the admission committee how overcoming hardship contributed to your development as a kind, compassionate person who CARES about the issues you overcame and who wants to help others as a result. Actions speak louder than words, so it helps if your activities bolster your convictions about the hardships you’ve overcome.</p>

[Dragonqian]

<p>What if I have struggled through the hardship but just managed to keep the original place, without slidding backward. Is this kind of experience OK?</p>