How I Got Into Stanford University! (Stats, ECs, & Advice)

Summary

Edward, a freshman at Stanford studying computer science and international relations, describes his high-school background, application profile, extracurricular activities, and lessons from the application process.

Academic Profile and Testing

• Edward is Chinese American and grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. He attended a large, competitive public high school.
• His school offered about 34 AP courses but no IB program. It did not rank students; he estimated that his GPA placed him in roughly the top 1–2% of his class.
• His GPA was 4.81 weighted and 4.0 unweighted.
• His best standardized-test results were:
  • SAT: 1580 — 800 Math, 780 Reading and Writing.
  • ACT: 35 — he earned a 35 on both attempts, with some changes in section scores.
• He took 10 AP exams and passed all of them. He also took additional AP courses during senior year but chose not to sit those exams after learning they would not provide college credit.
• His courses covered STEM, humanities, social science, and the arts. He added art courses in senior year partly to make his schedule more enjoyable.

Extracurricular Activities

Edward’s application included activities that combined long-term commitment, leadership, public service, and technical work:

• Fencing: He fenced for six years and competed seriously for about five. He listed tournament results and rankings, volunteered as a referee, and helped train younger club members. He later joined Stanford’s fencing team.
• Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TAS): He attended a fully funded, six-week academic program with a small, selective cohort. He valued the intensive study and shared living experience, and strongly recommended the program.
• Research at Northwestern University: Through a high-school program, he worked on a project using machine learning to estimate what Chicago Public Schools needed to meet Illinois education standards—for example, additional funding, teachers, or STEM classes. He connected this technical work to his interest in public policy.
• Congressional campaign and policy work: Over three summers, he progressed from campaign intern to work involving media campaigns and legislative policy research. He helped with a 2022 advertising campaign and efforts to engage Asian American voters, including translating ads.
• Youth jury program: He participated in an alternative-sentencing program for juvenile offenders. The experience deepened his interest in juvenile justice and influenced the focus of his writing and advocacy.
• Model UN: He participated throughout high school, eventually serving as director of education and helping organize the school’s annual conference.
• TEDx at school: He spoke to students and faculty about youth prison reform and helped promote the event.
• National Democracy Summer Field Program: Through his congressional work, he joined a national program connecting young people working on campaigns across multiple states.

His awards included Model UN and fencing honors, recognition as a semifinalist in a national scholarship program based on PSAT results, and a community-service award.

Advice and Lessons

• Show sustained commitment. Edward’s fencing experience illustrates the dedication, perseverance, and work ethic that can develop through long-term participation.
• Explain impact, not just participation. For activities and awards, he recommends showing what you contributed—such as serving the community, training others, or expanding access—rather than presenting accomplishments as entirely self-focused.
• Build a coherent but broad profile. He believes that combining technical experience, public-policy interests, athletics, and the arts helped present him as a well-rounded applicant.
• Use opportunities available through school and the community. His research placement came through a high-school program, while his campaign and youth-justice work gave him ways to explore civic interests.
• Consider a free period if your school offers one. He found it useful for completing work, resting, and recharging before after-school activities. A break in the schedule can be valuable even for students taking challenging classes.
• Choose activities and courses that genuinely interest you. Edward’s account presents the arts and youth-justice work as meaningful parts of his experience, not simply résumé items.

Speakers and Sources

• Speaker: Edward, a Stanford freshman.
• Organizations and programs discussed: Stanford University and its fencing team; his Chicago-area public high school; Telluride Association Summer Seminars; Northwestern University; Chicago Public Schools and Illinois education standards; his congressional representative’s campaign and office; a local youth-jury program; his school’s Model UN and TEDx programs; and the National Democracy Summer Field Program.