Stanford Attempts to Explain Selection Process

In its recent alumni magazine, Stanford University has an article that attempts to demystify its undergraduate admissions process.  I am not sure if it is a story that will make anyone feel better about Stanford Admission’s hyper-competitive class building process, but it does address one thing that is important, not just at Stanford, but at any competitive college or university.  It mentions the importance of having a passion or interest that you have devoted lots of time to in addition to your rigorous academic history. Ideally, you have grown with, perhaps taken risks because of, and have excelled at this activity too.  This provides the theme that binds the various parts of your application together and without which you become just a list of numbers and grades.  They are looking to admit people who will contribute something unique to their campus.  Read the article (see link that follows) and think about what sets you apart from the crowd? In addition to your terrific grades, academic awards and high test scores, why are you special?  Making a commitment to an activity, art form, community organization/issue or sport could make a difference to your chances of being admitted to a competitive college.

http://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=66225