Background - A high schooler from India currently studying in grade 10th CBSE. Got 65% in ninth with only street play in theatre as EC. I’m currently a prefect. My entire grade depends on the final exam
Plan- Get into an IB school like Jaishree Periwal International School and learn two languages from delhi school of foreign languages. Take the SAT and score around 1550 and start a vocational training club and maybe start a blog.
Help me please, I do not understand what I have to do to get into Stanford. I really want to get in.
Many people really want to get into Stanford. The school has an acceptance rate under 5% – that number is likely lower for an international student from an over-represented country (and lower yet if you require financial aid). You would be wise to expand your horizons.
There isn’t really anything you can do to make Stanford admission likely. If you are able to achieve superior grades and test scores while engaging in sustained and impactful extracurricular activities, your application may be similar to most other applicants, a few of whom will be admitted. Do your best and take your shot, but don’t count on it happening. Good luck.
So do hundreds of thousands of students all around the world. Why do you want to get into Stanford? Because of the name?
Finish strong in high school. You need to know that even students with perfect grades, test scores and perfect extracurricular activities do not get into Stanford.
Ask your parents what they plan on paying for your college education and go from there to find something affordable.
In terms of grades, you would need to be one of the very strongest students in India. Stanford is likely to accept several students from India in a given year. However, you might expect that quite a few of the 100 or maybe 1,000 strongest students in India will apply each year, and only a tiny handful of them will get in.
In terms of extracurricular activities, do what is right for you. Whatever you do, do it very well. Treat people well. While MIT is not Stanford, the “applying sideways” blog from the MIT admissions web site outlines a very sensible approach, which is IMHO also applicable to other top schools in the US, including Stanford.
Also, think about whether Stanford is a good fit for you, and if so why. Then look for other universities that would also be a good fit for you. If the primarily reason that you want to go to Stanford is “prestige”, then understand that is not a good reason to pick a university. When you are a few weeks into classes and have piles of homework to do, “prestige” gets old very quickly. There are a large number of very good universities in the US, and also in India, and you should be looking for schools that are a good fit for you.