Should I apply early decision?

Data10
Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:30:15 +0000

He has a ACT of 33 & SAT of 2200+, 11 AP classes and outstanding ECs. He was lucky enough to make it. His classmates with 2400/36…

I agree that the ACT score is lower than most. The applicant profile page of the Stanford website mentions a 3% admit rate for applicants with a 24-29 ACT vs a 7% admit rate for 30+. While a higher score would increase chance of admission, I wouldn’t get hung up on having near-perfect stats at the expense of getting involved in interests outside of the classroom or things like LORs and essays. If you look at the RD decision sticky in this forum, the admitted posters have worse median stats than the rejected posters including lower SAT/ACT, lower GPA, lower class rank, and worse rigor of classes including number of APs. The first page includes a rejected valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 UW GPA, 2400 SAT, perfect scores on SAT II tests, perfect AP scores, and advanced classes beyond AP level. Instead the admitted posters as a whole have superior ECs, awards, unique experiences, or various other characteristics that suggest they are likely to do amazing things at Stanford and beyond. For example, a few years ago, someone on CC posted about their chances with a 28 ACT and a 24/25 math/science. He was accepted and after graduating was elected as a 22-year old city councilman who is doing amazing things for his community. The full thread is at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/425882-first-generation-urm-male-first-plan-messed-up-needs-your-help.html .



Note that it is not enough that one has many APs - AP score matters. Check the other threads to see how you match up.

Stanford admissions has been quoted multiple times about denying the myth that a large number of AP classes is required for admission to Stanford or even healthy. The Stanford website states that AP scores rarely play a significant role in admissions. The full quote is below:

Stanford Admissions:

We want to be clear that this is not a case of “whoever has the most APs wins.” Instead, we look for thoughtful, eager and highly engaged students who will make a difference at Stanford and the world beyond, and we expect that they have taken high school course loads of reasonable and appropriate challenge in the context of their schools.

As a result, we do not require students to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. AP scores that are reported are acknowledged but rarely play a significant role in the evaluation of an application. Grades earned over the course of a term, or a year, and evaluations from instructors who can comment on classroom engagement provide us the most detailed insight into a student’s readiness for the academic rigors of Stanford.