Stanford University is renowned as one of the premium universities in the United States. Considering the amount of students who apply to this prestigious school, you might be wondering how you can stand out in the admissions process, especially when only about 9% of the applicants are accepted.
At Stanford, it's not so much that they are looking to accept the best students; they are primarily concerned with accepting the best people, those who are going to make a difference in the world in which we live, as well as those who will contribute the most to their community and beyond.
Understandably there is no exact formula, yet there are fundamental components to applications that should always be included and considered carefully.
- Academic excellence – our high school transcript/GPA, SAT and ACT scores will be a clear indicator you continually challenged yourself by the classes you took and the grades you received. However, Stanford’s evaluation of potential students goes much further than a GPA or test score.
- Community service – not only the hours you devote to this type of work, but more specifically what you learned from it and how you can apply it to your future goals.
- Belonging to an organization or club – this shows you are committed to making a change or a difference and that you have a deep interest in something worthwhile as well as something that means a great deal to you personally.
- Teacher/Instructor evaluations – give the admissions committee great insight as to who you are in an intellectual setting.
- Admissions essay – Stanford considers the strongest essays the ones where genuine voice ‘stands out’ and conveys who you are, what your interests and ideas are, and what truly motivates you.
As with any college, all of the above are contributing factors to a student's consideration for acceptance. Yet, Stanford seems to look for students with not only a love for learning, but those who truly are passionate about making a difference in the world in which they live.
