The Stanford application is a bear (or at least it used to be). Without a hook beyond grades and test scores, I would not waste the time.

Why didn’t you tell us her unweighted gpa? We have no idea without knowing that

Different poster - This is all so eye-opening. Applying in the 90s was so different. I hope I can get my DH to understand this. We talk about the low acceptance schools, but he always says, "Well, someone gets in." I just don't know what it does to the kid to get so many rejections.

Anonymous wrote:My rising senior DD is in an FCPS top school. High stats, perfect SAT, 10 AP's with 4 and 5's. She plays a niche sport and has many service hours in her related sport. She will not be applying as an athlete recruit. Her dream school is Stanford. What are the chances for someone from East coast to get to Stanford. Harvard versus Stanford, any advice?

She has a 1-2% chance at any elite school. That is just the numbers.

Why are people on here suggesting that OP’s kid has as much as a 20% chance of getting into Stanford? Her child has no standout ECs and no hooks, is coming from an affluent suburb and a school where dozens of kids will be applying to Stanford and similar. Her kid is not getting into Stanford, perfect stats notwithstanding, unless she writes a world class essay. OP, I sincerely hope your child does not waste a SCEA or ED application on a HYPMS type school. There are plenty of great schools looking for kids like yours, and now is a great time to start making a realistic list.

Mind you, my perfect stats DD ignored this advice a few years ago and did blow her SCEA on Stanford despite our advice to not go this route. She didn’t get in, nor did any of her other high stats/no hooks friends from our top public. The few who did were athletes, legacies, and URMs, all of whom also had high stats (our younger child is at Stanford now and is an athletic recruit). All these kids from my DD’s class have graduated or will graduate this year, and all are doing great. If your kid is in the top of their class at a top public here, they truly will thrive wherever they go. I know it’s hard to really understand this when dealing with the college application frenzy the first time, but it’s true.

No one has a good chance at Stanford or Harvard. Apply if she wants to go. Someone gets in...but have a nice list of other choices as well.

My similar stats daughter got in to one Ivy after being waitlisted. Dinged from 1 other Ivy also dinged from MIT and UChicago

Anonymous wrote:Flair not flare, she’s not aflame

PP here. To get noticed bt Stanford, I stand by flare. Light it up!

The chances are always low at those schools, and you and your child need to absorb that math before starting the process.

Include any reach you want in her search, but be sure to find matches and safeties where she could be happy (this won't work if you are focused mostly on name/rank). Actually articulate qualities she wants in a school/community.

Good luck. Your child seems really blessed and like she will do well in life.

Flair not flare, she’s not aflame

She needs more pieces of flare to stand a chance -- state and national awards. Also leadership-- is she club pres or sports captain? The kids I know that got in had regional, state and national awards, tons of service and school leadership. No particular hook other than awards. Standard magnet fare CS, robotics, science team. But, put a lot of effort into demonstrable service through Congressional medal (though kids at school don't see a service mentality as kid is really arrogant) and winning awards.

Stanford favors legacies and athletes. Perfect stats are not their thing.

The tough love news is that her chances are low. Without hooks (legacy, URM, first gen), she has the same chances as a kid with high grades, the highest rigor courses, and a 1500 SAT. Maybe 20%.

That took me 2 months to internalize this time last year. Your DD has gotten a lottery ticket to play in the big league game. It may work! But the odds are against her still.

Honestly the people I know who have gotten into Stanford from FCPS and local private schools do not get in bc they have perfect stats but rather something very special and unique that they have done. Without that, and being very similar to my kid and many others I’d say it’s very unlikely. To the extent that I wouldn’t even try.

Any hooks OP? What major is she interested in? Her chances are low like most people, especially if she isn’t recruited to play sport. Odds are similar to Harvard less than 5% or else she has a hook that would increase her odds but probably no more than 10-20% chance of admittance.

My rising senior DD is in an FCPS top school. High stats, perfect SAT, 10 AP's with 4 and 5's. She plays a niche sport and has many service hours in her related sport. She will not be applying as an athlete recruit. Her dream school is Stanford. What are the chances for someone from East coast to get to Stanford. Harvard versus Stanford, any advice?