Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 21:28     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: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.



Most of the kids I know who got in were either arrogant or lied on their apps. I think Stanford has a “type” that wouldn’t get into most Ivies. They’re not the brightest bulbs in the room either. Perhaps Stanford worries about the super smart kids turning them down for MIT/Harvard/Yale.


Apparently, Yale is no stranger to people lying on their apps.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 21:27     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
I know 4 Stanford admits and they are all female rowers--- 3 out of 4 are over 6 feet tall!
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 21:21     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
From DD’s private DMV school, the only Stanford acceptances over the past 5 years were 1) double legacy with VIP parents and obscure major; top 20 percent; 2) Olympic level swimmer, top 10 percent of graduating class.

(This is a school that does very well with all other top 10 schools apart from MIT).
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 20:15     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
Anonymous wrote: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.



Most of the kids I know who got in were either arrogant or lied on their apps. I think Stanford has a “type” that wouldn’t get into most Ivies. They’re not the brightest bulbs in the room either. Perhaps Stanford worries about the super smart kids turning them down for MIT/Harvard/Yale.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 19:59     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
I taught at a dc private for a decade. Under my watch:

One heiress, you would know the family name. Smart but not brilliant.
One legacy with major donor dad
Three recruited athlete - two crew, both within the range for admission without sports, one basketball, smart kid but would have been below 25th percentile
One URM who was a gates scholar


I do not recall any unhooked kids getting in. This includes kids who won national level awards in science research.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:32     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
My bff's DD got into Stanford recently, she is a triple legacy (both parents and one grandparent).
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:30     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
Anonymous wrote:
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?


NYU obviously isn't at this level, but only lists 21% white students, although it is possible that there is a certain percentage of students reported as Latinos and internationals who are also white, so the true number may be higher. Same may be true of Stanford. But probably not a significant increase.

Keep in mind that Stanford is in California, which is a majority non-white state.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:26     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
Babson rejects mostly.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:26     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
Anonymous wrote:
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?


It's probably an outlier. Since Stanford draws heavily from California, there are probably a lot more Asian and Hispanic students than HYP.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:24     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
Anonymous wrote: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.


Isn't Stanford's student body more liberal than most of the Ivies? Maybe not Columbia/Yale/Brown level liberal but supposedly more liberal than Harvard/Princeton/Penn.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:20     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
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
Post 09/30/2025 16:04     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
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?
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 16:00     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
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.
Anonymous
Post 09/30/2025 15:52     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
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
Post 09/30/2025 13:20     Subject: Who really get into Stanford?
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.