<p>Second the above post. There is no formula for getting into a school like Stanford (I’m still surprised I got in). Admissions at the tippity top levels are fairly crapshoot-y. Example: got into Stanford, waitlisted at Harvard and Williams, rejected at Yale and UPenn.</p>
<p>Work hard, but find a balance. Do what you love/love what you do, and you will go far. Oh, and write good essays :P</p>