The Golden Question - Will I Get In?

Colleges & Universities Stanford University
1

<p>Ok, so i first fell in love with this school one year ago when i worked with a Political Science professor during the summer. The campus, the academics, the facilities - everything suits my needs and desires. Now that i am of the age to apply, I am seeking reassurance: will i get in, and should i apply early decision (restrictive)?</p>

<h2>Here are some of my stats/extra-curric: </h2>

<p>G.P.A/Courses</p>

<p>10th Grade:
Course Title:1st sem grade/2nd sem grade
Graphics Com: A/A
US. Hist: A-/A
English: B+/A-
Int. French: B+/A-
Int. PreCalc: B+/B+
Int. Chem: B+/B+</p>

<p>10th Grade G.P.A: 3.64 (I know this is low for stanford)</p>

<p>11th Grade:
Course Title:1st sem grade/2nd sem grade
GraphicsC: A/A
U.S Hist 2: A/A
CompGovt: A-/A
English: A-/A-
Int French: A-/A-
Int Physics: A-/A
Int Calculus: B+/B</p>

<p>G.P.A: 3.72 </p>

<p>Standardized Test:
SAT: 2100 - 690 C.R, 690 Math, 720 Writing
SAT (2nd Time) - Est. 2150-2230</p>

<p>Math 2C: 740
U.S History: 700
Literature: 730</p>

<p>APS: All 5s - AB calc, U.S Hist, World Hist, English, </p>

<p>Extra Currics: </p>

<p>Varsity Soccer: 10th, 11th, 12th
Varsity Tennis: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th (Captain 11th,12th)
Model U.N: 10th, 11th, 12th (President 11th, 12th)
Acapella: 10th, 11th, 12th,
H.S Chorus: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Met. Opera Children’s Chorus: 6th,7th,8th, 9th,
Hospital Work: 9th, 10th (200 Hours)
Internship w/Prof (Stanford): Summer of softmore year
Internship w/Prof (Columbia): Summer of Junior year
Think Quest Nat’l Website Comp: 4th Place 8th Grade, 3rd Place 9th Grade,</p>

<p>Other Information: </p>

<p>Ethnicity: Iranian
Languages Spoken: Fluent : English, French, Farsi
Functional: German</p>

<p>Thank you for your time and consideration!
-Darius</p>

2

<p>What makes you stand out in the pack? What are you going to write your essays on?</p>

3

<p>Well, I like the fact that you’re an URM. And that you’re fluent in 3 languages, functional in 4.</p>

<p>Otherwise, your GPA and SAT scores are mediocre :/</p>

4

<p>I definately have some unique qualities; namely, my ethnicity and extra curriculars. I have an excellent essay planned - i mean excellent (its about my last performance at the metropolitan opera, singing next to Luciano Pavarotti and forgetting my lines!) and phenomenal teacher recomendations. I also attended the EPGY (educational program for gifted youth) at Stanford last year. Finally, my summer job this year is truly exceptional - i am working with Columbia grad students on a logitudinal oral history research project on September 11th. 240 kids applied for 3 spots (most were columbia grad students/or undergrad students), and i was selected. I expect to get a really good recomendation out of this from the professor im working with at columbia.</p>

<p>BTW: What does “URM” mean? </p>

<p>Thanks for your advice guys!</p>

5

<p>ProjectStanford, - a URM is an underrepresented minority; namely, Hispanics, blacks, and Native Americans. They’re the most sought-out groups in college admissions, although I think that being Iranian qualifies you as “Caucasian.” (correct me if I’m wrong, I believe I read this somewhere) Get that SAT to a 2250+ (your SAT II Lit and IIC scores make me believe that you can definitely improve the CR and M sections) Perhaps you can get a strong rec from the Stanford prof you worked with. You also seem to have a few strong ECs, MAKE THEM STAND OUT. GPA is low, but with enough personality and strong recommendations (and a slightly higher SAT score you seem def. capable of pulling off) I’d say you have solid chances.</p>

6

<p>This is just my own personal theory - and I have nothing other than my own gut on which to base this - but I think being varsity athlete in high school can give you a leg up on admissions. Playing team sports or being a captain of a team is gravy.</p>

<p>I don’t exactly know why this is. I think it has something to do with the fact that playing a sport sponsored by your high school is something almost every applicant has a shot at doing, it’s a pretty similar time/energy commitment no matter where you come from, and it’s something they’re familiar with and can relate to. When you say you played varsity thus-and-such, it isn’t something that needs a whole of explaining. You can list awards you won, successes you led your team to, but at the end of the day you don’t have to walk them through the nuts and bolts of whatever it is you were doing. They either know how to play the sport or the person sitting next to them will.</p>

<p>A lot of the stuff people have on their applications - while impressive - requires a lot of context and explanation for true depth of commitment an applicant had in that activity to come through. Similarly, a lot of stuff can sound legit, but in reality isn’t much more impressive than tying your own shoes. Once you get outside the realm of the known EC’s, you have to prove so much to the AO’s about what it is your doing you have very little/if any time left to impress on them your passion, etc. for that activity.</p>

<p>Because sports don’t have, or have to a much lesser degree, the above problems, I think they’re a big advantage. Bigger than most people give them credit for.</p>

<p>I’d put 5 bucks on you getting in.</p>

7

<p>Thank you guys, i appreciate your advice and support. I think it would be helpful to list the other schools i am applying to just to give you a better grasp of who i am as a student: </p>

<p>By Preference: </p>

<p>Stanford - Restrictive early action
Yale
Princeton
Columbia
UPenn
Dartmouth
UChicago
Georgetown
Johns Hopkins
Tufts</p>

<p>Both of my parents went to G-town, so that is somewhat of a safety. Otherwise, as you can see, my list is pretty ambitious - no harvard though haha.</p>

8

<p>You need safeties. NEED them.</p>

9

<p>Yes, techinically, Iranian is Caucasian. Iranians are Aryan, after all.</p>

10

<p>Assuming a 2200:</p>

<p>Stanford - Restrictive early action: High Reach
Yale: High Reach
Princeton: High Reach
Columbia: Reach
UPenn: Reach
Dartmouth: Reach
UChicago: Slight Reach
Georgetown: High Match
Johns Hopkins: Slight Reach
Tufts: High Match/ Slight Reach</p>

<p>I would add some more matches and safeties just to be safe.</p>

11

<p>What safeties do you guys suggest? Should i consider UCLA or UC Berkley for example - I looked at them and thought the campuses were quite nice?</p>

<p>Also, there’s no way Iranian is considered Caucasian - one thing i’ve been told by everyone is that my ethnicity will help me - which certainly wouldnt be the case if Iranian was considered Caucasian.</p>

<p>By the way, just to give you a little bit more information about me: </p>

<p>Hook: Excellent/ Very Strong (Discussed above)
Essays: Excellent / Very Strong
School: Private / Sends apprx 30 of 119 to Ivy League Schools
8 Last year to Yale, 2 to Stanford, 7 to Brown 8 to Williams, 3 to Harvard, 2 to Princeton rest i dont know…</p>

12

<p>You can consider Iranian whatever the hell you want. You can even call yourself African if you so choose. But you’re not a URM.</p>

13

<p>Wow that’s brutally honest, but i thank you for your advice above. Anyway, I spoke with an admissions officer (from Columbia) today, and she told me that i should definitely list my Iranian ethnicity in the “other” category. So =P</p>

14

<p>Still won’t count as URM though. Might help a “little” but its not going to help that much. Don’t depend on it.</p>

15

<p>I’m pretty sure Iranian will get a boost, especially considering <em>some</em> people’s xenophobia about Muslims, but don’t count on it being anything dramatic other than you getting a little nudge when compared to a similarly qualified applicant. I’ll be brutally honest. There’s nothing academically about you that is special. Your grades are middling for Stanford and your test scores are in the bottom half. What is special about you, is some of your experiences and extracurriculars (Post 4). This unique combination of extracurriculars coupled with an excellent essay may just lead you to admission from Stanford. You are very unique. Use that to your advantage, though don’t overplay it in a cheesy way.</p>

16

<p>Hey guys, I appreciate your generally consolatory advice! Just to add a bit more information, i think it would be helpful to note the following: </p>

<p>10th grade - WEIGHTED - G.P.A
1st Semester: 3.78
2nd Semester 3.80</p>

<p>11th grade - WEIGHTED - G.P.A
1st Semester 3.88
2nd Semester 3.90</p>

<p>Also, a bit about my highschool; each class is roughly 120 students. Of these 120, roughly 30-40 go to ivy league schools. My school has some of the top placement in the united states. Unfortunately, we send most kids to the following schools: 13 to Brown last year, 8 to Yale, 11 to Weslyan, 4 to Harvard, 10 Cornell… only 2 to Stanford =(</p>

<p>As an aspiring sociologist i think it would also be important to note that my recommendations will be SUBLIME - i am a published sociologist, and will be getting recommendations from the department chair at Columbia. As for my other recommendations, they will also be stellar. So i still think there is hope. The only thing weighing me down is my 10th grade gpa and my sat 2s - im going to retake my SAT this October (2200+ hopefully) and retake my math 2 as well as history this November (770 + on each hopefully). </p>

<p>Also, about this ethnicity conundrum - i may have a solution. My mother was born in Mexico, and my grandmother is Mexican. The only reason why i didnt consider writing this down on my application, is because i don’t speak Spanish - whereas i do speak farsi (persian). Any advice as to what to do- should i write down Mexican + Iranian or just Iranian or just Mexican?</p>

<p>Keep posting your feedback i really appreciate it!</p>

17

<p>just because you’re not caucasion doesnt mean you have a one-up on someone.</p>

18

<p>I agree completely, though with Stanford i’ve heard ethnicity does give a slight edge. My goal is to be humble and honest in my application essays. I want to show that i’m a very good writer, and have accomplished many extra curricular things (as well as some academic achievements, but that i’m humble and will add to the community at Stanford. I definately feel that Stanford is the school for me, and i cannot see myself anywhere else, i will try to convey that as well in my application/essays. But in the mean time i have to retake my SAT to get a 2200+ and retake my Math 2 / History to get around 800. </p>

<p>By the way, does anyone know about Stanford’s rush delivery policy. I called up the admissions office and was told they cannot ensure that my November SAT 2 scores will be looked at… Is this just something they say to intimidate me, or are they completely serious?</p>

19

<p>I’m sure they’re being serious, since it says on their website that the last SAT test date they will take is the October test for EA. However, if you’re applying RD, then the last test date would be December. Here’s the link:
[Stanford</a> | Applying to Stanford | Dates and Deadlines](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/applying/1_2f_datesdeadlines.html]Stanford”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/applying/1_2f_datesdeadlines.html)</p>

<p>Besides, if that’s what the admissions office tells you, then I would trust them. Who else can you believe if not the people who are deciding whether or not to admit you?</p>

20

<p>Good advice, but to be honest, when i spoke with the admissions office the person on the phone told me that there would be “a possibility my scores are not looked at”. So basically, I will find out how to let them know i will be rushing my scores. </p>

<p>Does anyone know how to indicate that your rushing your scores, on the stanford/common application?</p>