<p>I have strong ECS but my academics are not mind blowing or anything. Does Stanford stress more on ECs than other top schools ? even in their common data set, Stanford has ECs marked as Most important.</p>
<p>Yes, but Stanford’s CDS also lists things like “rigor of secondary school record,” “class rank,” and “standardized test scores” as Very Important. Take a look at the Class of 2017 Applicant Profile:</p>
<p>[Applicant</a> Profile : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/profile.html]Applicant”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/profile.html)</p>
<p>Clearly, a vast majority of students in Stanford’s Class of 2017 were ranked in the top 10% of their high school classes, scored above 700 on each SAT section, and scored above 30 on the ACT. These stats indicate that the Stanford Admission Office certainly considers academic excellence the most important criterion. </p>
<p>I would say that Stanford–like other top schools–takes ECs, essays, and recommendations into account when they make their actual decisions. In other words, once you make the academic “cut” (which about 80% of applicants do), their evaluation will focus more on what you can contribute to their campus/the world as a whole, as evidenced by your ECs, essays, and recommendations. </p>
<p>So, to answer your question, no.</p>
<p>
I agree with the point you are making, but looking at the data, I don’t think one can conclude that the majority scored 700+ on each section and certainly not the vast majority.</p>
<p>The data mentions 28% were below 700 on CR, 26% on writing, and 21% on math. If all 28% low CR were also low on math and writing, then it would be 28% had a sub 700 score on one of the sections. And if all of the group had only one sub-700 section that they made up for with 700+ scores on the the other two, then 75% would have a sub 600 score. So this only indicates somewhere between 28% and 75% of the freshman class had a sub 700 score. The ACT section mentions 21% had sub 30 English, while only 13% had a sub 30 composite. At least 40% of the low English ACT scorers did well on the other sections and were not in the sub 30 composite group, probably quite a bit above 40% since some of the sub 30 composite score people probably did fine in English and poorly in math & science. Applying the same ratio to the SAT scores, leads to an estimate of approximately half of the freshman class had a sub 700 SAT section. I was in this group with one poor score (500 verbal) that I partially made up with 800s on math and SAT II math, along with a 760-800 on SAT II chem (don’t recall exact score).</p>
<p>Class rank can also be misleading since only 37% of the freshman class submitted class rank and were included in the stats.</p>
<p>@data10. Where do you find that 37% of freshman class submitted class rank and were included in the stats?</p>
<p>Our school does not provide a specific ranking number, but does say if a person is in the Top 10%, Top 20% or other category. So would that be included?</p>
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</p>
<p>Are you saying that you were accepted with a 500 on reading?</p>
<p>
The Stanford 2012-2013 CDS data at [Stanford</a> University: Common Data Set 2012-2013](<a href=“http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2012]Stanford”>Stanford Common Data Set | University Communications) mentions that 37% of the freshman class submitted class rank. Many selective schools have even lower percentages. For example, the CDS for Princeton states that only 26% submitted class rank.</p>
<p>
Yes, I was admitted several years ago with a 500. At the time I applied, my score was in the bottom 1% of the freshman class, so it was by no means common.</p>
<p>@data10 - interesting on the class rank. About a third reported it but Stanford considers it in the “very important” category.</p>