<p>If you have a SAT score of 2300+ while your school’s average is only 1200, you would have a good chance to get in. Personally I helped a kid like that get into Harvard. He was the first ever National Merit Scholarship finalist in the school history, he was the number one kid in probably back to 10 years. But, compare him with a lot of kids I know, he was just an average one in terms of test scores and grades, possibly other measures.</p>
<p>About essay, my view is totally different from others. It is probably only worth less than 20% of overall weight. After getting into Yale SCEA last year, my S just put the stuff together, sent in to Stanford and got in. I was expecting a rejection though. There are certain things Stanford is looking for, we just don’t know what they are.</p>