Overcoming hardship

[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>

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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>