Stanford SCEA? Good stats, but not sure about ECs.

tanakeame
Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:20:29 +0000

Thanks everyone so far for their comments. Now, I’m getting a clearer idea that colleges want to see what you can bring to the school.

I realized that I was a little general before, so to clarify things:

I am not going to put that “I might get an award”! I was merely speculating that in case I get an award, it would be better to apply regular decision. I don’t think that I have any 1 thing that is a super stand out for SCEA, so I wanted to get input about my holistic app.
*Science Research since 6th grade means, I thought of my own research topics, entered in the regional competition, and won big in 11th grade. I thought that a long-term participation would show a *genuine interest in science and discovery. Most people I know do 1 or 2 years in 11th/12th for college app, so it doesn’t show genuine interest. I think this is the biggest thing I want to emphasize; my intellectual curiosity through research.
*Applying for patent. I am interacting with a Stanford faculty to further my research. I know that the patent will take a while, but I can show that I can interact with college faculty, do a project, and help the world (my projects in renewable energy).
*Gardening. To me, gardening isn’t a hobby. Its almost like a science, manipulating plants, experimenting what works, trying to plant Indian varieties of tomatoes and peppers. Also, Stanford has a community garden that is really lacking in a composting system, so this is where it applies to the school.

Anyways, I hope this will spark up some more debate. My questions now, is it good to emphasize something that is purely a hobby (no awards), but is important to you and applicable to college? And, does a long term commitment/passion in science research help me stand out by showing that I will make a difference by doing research at their college?