<p>No matter what, I think perfect scores and gpas are overrated. With competitive objectives (within the range of the college’s), you need strong subjectives (essays, ECs, awards) to get in. Maybe part of the reason why Stanford admits have seemingly “lower” scores is because their application allows for showcasing of the subjectives (they have 3 short essays plus tons of short questions), where as Harvard has only one supplement essay on the topic of your choice. Whatever the case, I think both colleges - or HYPSM, for that matter - look for the same type of students. If you’re accomplished “enough,” you should get into at least one of them. There really isn’t any difference between a H or a S student.</p>