<p>Clearly it is not a coincidence that individuals accepted into Stanford were accepted into the Ivy Leagues and other top universities as well. What is their secret? What do these applicants have that others lack?</p>
<p>There are a bunch of factors at play - generally if a person gets into multiple Ivys, they usually also have a more than average shot at Stanford.</p>
<p>Their secret? Well, there isn’t one. It’s more of…well what did you do as a person through your life so far?</p>
<p>Most of the people who do get into top universities do the things they do for themselves, and that takes time. So the secret really is something along the lines of being able to recognize in themselves the motivation for actions at a younger age than some people, or, at an older age, being able to apply themselves with passion.</p>
<p>Here we go, that word passion. Adcoms say it all the time, but it’s true. Take what you will from it, but that word is probably the answer to your question,…maybe.</p>
<p>I would not be so quick to assume this, based on one simple fact- the HYPS yield rates are all very high:</p>
<p>Harvard - about 76% in 2010
Yale - about 67% in 2010
Princeton - 56.9% in 2010
Stanford - 72-73% in 2010</p>
<p>Even with Princeton’s random lower percentage, it’s pretty clear that, if most students admitted to one of HYPS were admitted to more than one, the yield rates would tumble significantly. The thread I found with the Princeton yield was actually speculating that that was indeed what had happened (it was a decrease from earlier years, though I didn’t see how much).</p>
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<p>For Class of 2014, there were about 1000 Stanford admits were cross-admitted with one or more of HYPM. About half of them came to Stanford.</p>
<p>^ I want to know where those figures came from, but exactly. The majority don’t get into multiple top top top colleges. Below that- well- if you have the sort of profile that gets you into Stanford, you have the sort of profile that gets you into almost everywhere else.</p>
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It came from me. 
It is complicated to tell how to get those numbers, but what I said is about right based on the published data, if I did not make calculation mistakes. </p>
<p>Stanford accepted about 2360 students last year, about 1000 cross-admitted with other HYPSM, lost to Harvard by 62%, tied with Yale 50%, won 63% over Princeton, and won 60% over MIT. The rest of 1360 non-HYPSM-cross-admits, Stanford only lost about 160 people. So, it is not an issue if the Stanford admit is not cross-admitted with HYPM, those schools including all the “top top top” schools like the non-HYP ivies, Chicago, Duke etc.</p>
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<p>Can you at least have a go? I’m curious, and I kind of want to know that you didn’t just pull them out of a hat…</p>
<p>well here’s one secret:
[Study</a> Hacks Blog Archive How to Get Into Stanford with B’s on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/03/26/how-to-get-into-stanford-with-bs-on-your-transcript-failed-simulations-the-surprising-psychology-of-impressiveness/]Study”>How to Get Into Stanford with B's on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness - Cal Newport)</p>
<p>^I remember reading that a few months ago. Great read. I think that applies to all elite colleges, not just Stanford.</p>