Our family knows of two boys--one Indian American, one Korean American--who got into Stanford last spring after a super brutal Ivy Day. One got rejected from every Ivy and the other got rejected by all but Columbia. Both were very high stats but very generic/packaged. The one had a "passion project" for feeding the homeless that was obviously just for college and the other did a lot of debate things (but no national awards). Both were pretty arrogant and not overly likable. Maybe a total coincidence that both got in, but I'd say the thing they had in common was being grinds, lack of authenticity, and ego. Oh, and they are both very conservative.

Anonymous wrote:I must agree with some of these comments. Was on campus just last week and learned the last entry class was 22 percent white- and likely many of those are athletes. As a white, UMC unhooked applicant the odds are incredibly low. I can absolutely see the appeal - the campus is incredible and has great energy.

22% - that's really low. Are the other top schools like this or is Stanford an outlier?

Athletes, legacies, URM, and Asian STEM kids. If you are not one of these and not from California, you got a <1% chance. It's not as appealing for east coast kids who want to be closer to home.

My neighbor's son is there now. Best public in our area, but not in the state. He was a very strong student, high test scores, varsity swimmer but no high level titles, in ECs like Science Olympiad. Hard worker, I'm sure had strong essays and great recs.

Anonymous wrote:The one I know who is going is a rower. This kid is super smart though, and I have no doubt has the stats to get in without the sports hook. No legacy. No URM. No first generation.

But the sport IS a hook.

I kid we know that got in is a pretty great kid. Top grades, national recognition in science and music, no leadership or clubs though, no non profit, etc. No hooks, no sports. Asian male.

And there’s Brock turner.

The one I know who is going is a rower. This kid is super smart though, and I have no doubt has the stats to get in without the sports hook. No legacy. No URM. No first generation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Californians. There are high schools that send 10-20 each.
-Olympians. Stereotype is true. I know of 2 personally.
-Rowers. I know 6 personally between the kids of DMV, Philadelphia and Boston friends. they're also all strong students but not more so than any other strong students.
-kids who do something next-level in terms of extracurriculars. Like they found the typical non-profit but it ends up in the international news or their coding project gets seed-funded by Google.

This is a strange comment...every NCAA athlete that is recruited at Stanford gets in. It's not like they actively recruit Rowers but just hope they accept kids who can play baseball. You might as well say Football...because they actually recruit more football players than any other sport.

Olympians in NCAA sports of course are recruited by all colleges...I don't know, does Stanford recruit more than their fair share of figure skaters or snowboarders or other Olympians that don't play an NCAA sport?

Be a female rower. I know three current students there who rowed in HS.

+1. Even better if you are left-handed.

I know of several who have attended in recent years:
- someone who plays an obscure musical instrument and has been featured in multiple magazine articles and has competed nationally in the instrument. This is not a band or orchestra instrument.
- someone who founded a STEM nonprofit that provides ESL and translation services (via an app they created) to Afghan refugees
- two female rowers (just mentioning because of the comment above; I also know a swimmer).
- someone who founded a company that creates life-sized characters for vendors that are marketing at comic-con.
- someone who has created, acted in and directed many student plays since elementary school, some community products, and has participated national shakespeare reading competitions and things like that.

In my view, there are some regular smart kids, but usually there is something special/unique like the above.

I must agree with some of these comments. Was on campus just last week and learned the last entry class was 22 percent white- and likely many of those are athletes. As a white, UMC unhooked applicant the odds are incredibly low. I can absolutely see the appeal - the campus is incredible and has great energy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Californians. There are high schools that send 10-20 each.
-Olympians. Stereotype is true. I know of 2 personally.
-Rowers. I know 6 personally between the kids of DMV, Philadelphia and Boston friends. they're also all strong students but not more so than any other strong students.
-kids who do something next-level in terms of extracurriculars. Like they found the typical non-profit but it ends up in the international news or their coding project gets seed-funded by Google.

This is a strange comment...every NCAA athlete that is recruited at Stanford gets in. It's not like they actively recruit Rowers but just hope they accept kids who can play baseball. You might as well say Football...because they actually recruit more football players than any other sport.

Olympians in NCAA sports of course are recruited by all colleges...I don't know, does Stanford recruit more than their fair share of figure skaters or snowboarders or other Olympians that don't play an NCAA sport?

Be a female rower. I know three current students there who rowed in HS.

+1 Around here, that is who gets in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Californians. There are high schools that send 10-20 each.
-Olympians. Stereotype is true. I know of 2 personally.
-Rowers. I know 6 personally between the kids of DMV, Philadelphia and Boston friends. they're also all strong students but not more so than any other strong students.
-kids who do something next-level in terms of extracurriculars. Like they found the typical non-profit but it ends up in the international news or their coding project gets seed-funded by Google.

This is a strange comment...every NCAA athlete that is recruited at Stanford gets in. It's not like they actively recruit Rowers but just hope they accept kids who can play baseball. You might as well say Football...because they actually recruit more football players than any other sport.

Olympians in NCAA sports of course are recruited by all colleges...I don't know, does Stanford recruit more than their fair share of figure skaters or snowboarders or other Olympians that don't play an NCAA sport?

Be a female rower. I know three current students there who rowed in HS.

Why not be a female soccer player or softball player?

Many, many more female ball players of one kind or another. Every HS has a soccer team.

Let's just summarize...be a great, D1 recruitable athlete...it's easy! If you can't be that, be an Olympian in a non-NCAA sport.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Californians. There are high schools that send 10-20 each.
-Olympians. Stereotype is true. I know of 2 personally.
-Rowers. I know 6 personally between the kids of DMV, Philadelphia and Boston friends. they're also all strong students but not more so than any other strong students.
-kids who do something next-level in terms of extracurriculars. Like they found the typical non-profit but it ends up in the international news or their coding project gets seed-funded by Google.

This is a strange comment...every NCAA athlete that is recruited at Stanford gets in. It's not like they actively recruit Rowers but just hope they accept kids who can play baseball. You might as well say Football...because they actually recruit more football players than any other sport.

Olympians in NCAA sports of course are recruited by all colleges...I don't know, does Stanford recruit more than their fair share of figure skaters or snowboarders or other Olympians that don't play an NCAA sport?

Be a female rower. I know three current students there who rowed in HS.

Why not be a female soccer player or softball player?

Many, many more female ball players of one kind or another. Every HS has a soccer team.

Vandy is no Duke and never will be.