How I Got In #10 || Stats, ECs, Awards, Etc. (Stanford)

Main ideas / concepts conveyed

Personal background and school context

• The speaker, Leo, is half Japanese and half Dominican, and is from Silver Spring, Maryland.
• He attended a private, full boarding co-ed school that offered some AP courses, but it was not an “AP school.”
• AP tests were not mandatory there—students could take AP coursework without required AP exam testing.
• He felt this changed the perceived level of rigor, but he still worked to maximize his potential.

Academic profile (grades + courses)

• GPA: “102.5” on a 100-point weighted scale (including extra points for rigor)
  • Honors: +0.5
  • Advanced: +1
• Achieved valedictorian (ranked 1st out of 114 students).
• Took multiple advanced/high-performing classes across all four years, often earning high 90s.
• Took six AP exams total (even though his school didn’t require them) and prepared for some outside school.
  • 10th grade APs:
    • AP Computer Science A (5)
    • AP Calculus BC (5)
    • AP Spanish Language (4)
  • 11th grade APs:
    • AP Chemistry (A)
    • AP Biology (A)
    • AP US History (A)
  • Senior year:
    • Considered additional APs (including Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C, and AP English),
    • Ultimately chose not to take them because he felt unprepared and believed admission was already secured.
    • Framed it as a personal decision based on school/college expectations.

Standardized testing strategy (SAT/ACT)

• He took three tests total: two SATs and one ACT.
• SAT #1 (March 2023): 1500
  • Math 750
  • Reading/Writing 750
• He wasn’t satisfied, so he prepared for both formats.
• SAT #2 (April): 1520
  • Reading/Writing 730
  • Math 790
  • Super score: 1540
• ACT (April): 35
  • English 35
  • Math 35
  • Reading 36
  • Science 34
• Lesson/advice: choose the test format that fits you best—there’s no single “right” choice.

Extracurricular activities and how he framed them

• He emphasized using the Common App activities section effectively:
  • Fill out all boxes
  • Add extra details where relevant
• He argued that summer jobs and activities matter because they reveal what you do and who you are, not just grades.

Leadership, service, and responsibility

• Service Council co-president (senior year; serving since sophomore year)
  • Selected via application
  • Led a team of 15
  • Coordinated school-wide service, including a Day of Service for all 450 students
  • Partnered with Islamic Relief Foundation to pack food relief boxes
• Discipline committee member (described as similar to a “Supreme Court” model)
  • Conducted investigations for rule violations
  • Mentioned he wrote about the role in articles
• Dorm/residential leadership
  • Dorm monitor for two years (RA-like role)
  • Ran weekly meetings and promoted inclusivity

Academics + extracurricular integration

• Robotics (3 consecutive years)
  • Built/programmed robots in small groups
  • Produced a large 100-page engineering journal
  • Competitive results were limited overall, but improved in the final year
  • He framed losses as acceptable if discussed thoughtfully
• Ultimate Frisbee
  • Significant commitment; later became varsity in the final year
  • Practices about five times a week (roughly 10 hours during season)
• Science Olympiad (since 10th grade)
  • Competitive events in epidemiology, environmental chemistry, forensics
  • Team didn’t reach state, but he stayed active and in good standing
• Asian Student Association (4 years total)
  • Logistics coordinator
  • Helped organize events promoting Asian culture and inclusion
• Tutoring
  • Tutored math and science about 3 hours/week for grades 11–12
• On-campus job
  • Managed the school post office in his final year

Awards/scholarships and what to apply for

• Jack and Cook Young Scholar (received in 8th grade; continued through high school)
  • For financially disadvantaged students
  • Provided resources/support
• Scholarship advice
  • If first-generation or low-income, apply broadly
  • In senior year, he recommends:
    • QuestBridge
    • Gates Scholarship
    • Jack Cook College Scholarship
    • Coca-Cola Scholarships
  • Also apply for merit-based scholarships if eligible
• He describes scholarships as “free money” if you have the time, and also useful for scholarship essay writing practice.

Other recognitions and programs

• National Merit: “Commended Student”
• U.S. State Department exchange alumnus (Youth Ambassadors program), connected to PSAT/National recognition
• Member of Kumla Society (via his school)
• National Hispanic Recognition Scholar
• Externship: ~3-month internship at a local software engineering company

Summer programs / enrichment timeline

He emphasized using summer time strategically when available:

• Summer before senior year:
  • Study abroad in Mexico (3 weeks)
  • Hispanic Scholarship Fund Youth Leadership Institute
  • Jack and Cook Senior Summit
• Year before that:
  • Summer research at UC Santa Barbara (machine learning)
  • Youth Ambassador for Ecuador (served 2 weeks)
• Year before that:
  • Carleton Summer Liberal Arts Institute (4-week CS track; built a small Pong game)
• Before freshman year:
  • Took Algebra 2 to get ahead

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Methodology / instructions explicitly conveyed

• Choose the standardized test that best matches your strengths

  • Try SAT first to evaluate fit.
  • If SAT isn’t meeting your goals, consider ACT based on comfort with pacing/time management.
  • Don’t treat one exam as universally correct—“choose whatever feels best to you.”

• Decide whether to take AP exams based on context (not just courses)

  • If AP exams are optional at your school, consider:
    • Whether you’re prepared (and likely to score strongly)
    • Whether the target college values those exam scores/requirements
  • Make it a personal decision based on high school + college expectations.

• Maximize Common App extracurricular presentation

  • Fill out all 10 activity slots
  • Add relevant details where possible
  • Include summer jobs/activities so colleges better understand your interests and contributions

• If eligible, apply to scholarships early and broadly

  • If first-generation or low-income: apply to need-based programs
  • In senior year: apply to multiple scholarship opportunities (including those he listed)
  • Even if you’re not eligible for some, apply for merit-based options too
  • He views scholarships as both “free money” and useful essay practice

• Use summer opportunities strategically

  • If you have free time, do structured summer programs (research, study abroad, institutes, leadership)
  • Choose programs that build skills and create experiences you can discuss later

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Speakers / sources featured

Speaker

• Leo (a Stanford student; the only person speaking on camera/in subtitles)

Referenced organizations/sources (not speaking directly)

• Common App
• Stanford University
• Islamic Relief Foundation
• National Merit Scholarship
• U.S. State Department (Youth Ambassadors / exchange program)
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund(s)
• QuestBridge
• Gates Scholarship
• Coca-Cola Scholarships
• Jack and Cook College Scholarship / Jack and Cook programs
• UC Santa Barbara
• Carleton Summer Liberal Arts Institute
• Ecuador (Youth Ambassador service)
• Kumla Society
• National Hispanic Recognition Scholar
• A local software engineering company (internship/externship; not named)