How stressful is Stanford?

[Anonymous]

DD intends to apply to Stanford as her "single choice early action" school. She is at the top of her class at one of the most highly-rated high schools in this area, but knows that it is nearly impossible to get into Stanford even with top credentials. That said, I am curious how the environment compares with the competitive high schools in this area. Do the kids find it stressful/cutthroat/competitive, or does the California vibe make it more collegial? Presumably, the kids from this area who go there are well-prepared academically, so hopefully that would not be an issue if she gets in.

[Anonymous]

My son found it competitive but in the inspirational way, not in the suicidal way,

[Anonymous]

OP again. In looking at the statistics, it doesn't seem that Stanford gives a significant advantage to early action applicants, unlike some of the other top schools. Would it make sense for DD to pick a different school as her early action choice even though Stanford is her first choice?

[Anonymous]

Stanford is not one of those schools you will benefit by doing REA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. In looking at the statistics, it doesn't seem that Stanford gives a significant advantage to early action applicants, unlike some of the other top schools. Would it make sense for DD to pick a different school as her early action choice even though Stanford is her first choice?

Good question. We went through this thought exercise with our DC who was looking at a different comparably selective school. Given the odds of any student getting in with even the best of statistics, we thought applying to non-single choice early action schools (U Chicago and Georgetown) made sense. If DC then got into one or both of them it would cross out other backups on the list, and then go for the highly desired school(s) for regular app. Our DC disagreed and wanted to go for the first choice early b/c if DC got in then he would be done and be spared months of uncertainty. In that situation, you need to defer to your student -- it is her life. In our case, it turned out DC was right and the second half of senior year was much less stressful. Good luck to your student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stanford is not one of those schools you will benefit by doing REA.

With what schools does REA help?

GTown? BC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son found it competitive but in the inspirational way, not in the suicidal way,

Same for my DD. Competitive as hell, but a more "positive" competition if that makes any sense.

[Anonymous]

I went to Harvard Law School, and it was a total grind in a variety of ways, leaving me permanently exhausted when I think back on that experience, and I know I'm not alone in that regard.

In all my years, if I ever ask a Stanford alum, undergrad or grad, about Stanford, their eyes glaze over and they look far off in the distance over my shoulder, and a small smile appears on their face as they remember…what? What magic? I don't know but I admit I'm sorry I didn't go there.

You watch, OP, watch them when you ask them about Stanford. You'll see it. And all you Stanford alums, I see it, you are staring at the screen right now with that wistful smile.

[Anonymous]

Not competitive (openly) at all. Very live and let live. Didn't know anyone who bragged about anything, or openly discussed grades. I think appearing competitive would have been viewed as lame. Everyone seemed to work hard but were low key about it.

[Anonymous]

Stanford gives students the opportunity to re-take classes (if necessary) which helps students keep their GPAs high. What a great idea! How many schools offer that option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Harvard Law School, and it was a total grind in a variety of ways, leaving me permanently exhausted when I think back on that experience, and I know I'm not alone in that regard.

In all my years, if I ever ask a Stanford alum, undergrad or grad, about Stanford, their eyes glaze over and they look far off in the distance over my shoulder, and a small smile appears on their face as they remember…what? What magic? I don't know but I admit I'm sorry I didn't go there.

You watch, OP, watch them when you ask them about Stanford. You'll see it. And all you Stanford alums, I see it, you are staring at the screen right now with that wistful smile.

I went there, and yes, I'm smiling wistfully. There's no magic to it, though -- it's the Palo Alto weather. You can get out and run or bike or play tennis most days, and that's a great stress-reliever. So much better than Cambridge, New Haven, New York of Chicago. My DS is at a school in one of those cities, and I'm hoping he eventually goes to grad school at Stanford so he can experience life there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Harvard Law School, and it was a total grind in a variety of ways, leaving me permanently exhausted when I think back on that experience, and I know I'm not alone in that regard.

In all my years, if I ever ask a Stanford alum, undergrad or grad, about Stanford, their eyes glaze over and they look far off in the distance over my shoulder, and a small smile appears on their face as they remember…what? What magic? I don't know but I admit I'm sorry I didn't go there.

You watch, OP, watch them when you ask them about Stanford. You'll see it. And all you Stanford alums, I see it, you are staring at the screen right now with that wistful smile.

I have cousins in their late sixties who smile when I ask them about their time at Stanford (both are college professors elsewhere) since DC has shown a keen interest. While they freely admit they might not be admitted in today's market (they're both sharp as tacks!), they never regretted the academically challenging investment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son found it competitive but in the inspirational way, not in the suicidal way,

Same for my DD. Competitive as hell, but a more "positive" competition if that makes any sense.

Makes perfect sense. I also think the wonderful weather plays a role, seriously.