<p>I presume you are from RJ? I don’t think there are quotas for the number of students per school or per country anyway, so why not try?</p>
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<p>Well maybe that’s the case, but winning the Stanford Book Prize demonstrates superior writing skills - which is important in the college admissions process in general. There is only one winner a year anyway.</p>
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<p>I would venture a guess and say Stanford (both in terms of number of applicants and number of people who actually choose Stanford). I believe Stanford attracts a wider spectrum of people - from Physics to Economics to Literature - than Princeton.</p>
<p>My tutor also told me it’s nearly impossible & he wouldn’t recommend it. Considering that he’s the one writing my references, I don’t really want to go against his advice & he means well, I think. & no i’m not from rj ! :)</p>
<p>Hmmm thanks yeah Stanford seems to attract everybody! All the science & humanities students. Good weather helps too.</p>
<p>Oh btw, for MOE H3 courses, do we list it under Honors in the Common App?</p>
<p>Well, you never know until you try =p. Hwa Chong then (I was HC Class of '07 - the first IP batch)? I don’t think that many people applying to Stanford from the rest of the JCs.</p>
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<p>You list it under courses taken I think. I know I did.</p>
<p>Zero. It would have been an advantage if only some people from Singapore served - but since it is compulsory conscription - there is no advantage. Well, of course, if you say saved a BMT recruit’s life by shielding him from the grenade like LTA Kok Khiew Fai then I suppose it would be an interesting essay and an advantage.</p>
<p>That was EXACTLY what my math tutor said when I consulted her for US applications. She was of the opinion that I was smart but lazy and constantly underachieving in school (mainly math I suppose), which was quite true but failed to account for my personal pursuits outside of school.</p>
<p>In the end, your tutors only know one side of you. Your application essays can demonstrate your other sides.</p>
<p>I still got her to write one of my references and Stanford admitted me via SCEA after all.</p>
<p>Of course, I also had a reference from my GP teacher who had a much more favourable opinion of me as I enjoyed writing essays a lot more than math, so I am not arguing against the importance of teacher reference.</p>
<p>haha xianed all Rj and Hc ppl… From VJ here =) Anyways, how much did you guys write for the activities section in the common app? Becuz there’s just sooo much to write about each cca but at the same time I don’t want to overwrite…</p>
<p>Also, is the 150 EC essay more technical or personal? As in do you write about the things that you did in the cca or do you reflect or provide personal insights about your own experience in the cca?</p>
<p>Lastly, I’m sure most of us only have 2-3 ccas maximum… So do you include things like science research attachments under activities even though it’s only for a month? Becuz other thaan my ccas and science research I can’t think of anything else to write under activities since you have to write the no. of weeks… Thanks =)</p>
<p>Plus to confirm, does cornell grant 2 year deferment for ns?</p>
<p>You can write down almost anything you want actually, like competitions, attachments, research projects or overseas CIP trips. The time span is not that important. For example, I included a speech contest I took part in, which took up at most 2-3 hours over 3 weeks, and that’s what I filled in.</p>
<p>@frankchn: how many people applied for stanford your year? Last year 74 from 08 batch applied :\ my eyes are bleeding already, just looking at the numbers & which class were you from! (:</p>
<p>@JCX: the tutor who told me that stanford’s the hardest to get in is the one that i would say is a tutor i’m pretty tight with? & i score pretty good grades in his lessons. :</p>
<p>Oh btw, I chose the schools to apply to based on subject interest rather than rankings - I hope i’m not being stupid by not applying half ivy or something… which everyone seems to be doing. Seriously.</p>
<p>yourxlover: so which subjects interest you and -based on that- which colleges interest you?
btw i don’t think stanford book prize winners are shoo-ins. correlation =/= causation.</p>
<p>can someone answer my qn regarding the activities thingy? How much do you actually write? haha… plus the 150 ec essay, it is technical or personal?</p>
<p>@1234d : I’m looking at international relations. Political science is ok, but preferably international relations. </p>
<p>So far my list includes schools like georgetown & tufts, which have strong IR programs. While schools like UMich have exceptionally strong IR programs & don’t have affirmative action, I’m not applying because of its location?</p>
<p>Basically I narrow it down by subject, then by location & then by name (because scholarship boards aren’t gna give scholarships to Oberlin College:( )</p>
<p>pyrosphere: AFAIK either one is fine. I would have preferred a mini essay but I really ran out of ideas on 31st Dec so I just described one of my activities in a very factual manner. Boring, I know.</p>
<p>@1234d Thanks very much I think it’s really helpful(: I want to apply Berkeley too! But it’s broke… just afraid there’d be lesser educational opportunites due to to cutting cost measures etc etc.</p>
<p>@pyrosphere: I wrote very whimsical stuff about me surfing Wikipedia - no idea what possessed me to write that - though in the end I suppose it worked out well =p</p>
<p>yourxlover: actually cost cutting isn’t endemic to public universities. private universities like HYPS are also doing so because their endowments have plunged due to the current economic crisis.</p>