How I Got Into Stanford (By A Student Who Successfully Transferred to Stanford)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lets face it: competition these days is stiff. More high school seniors are applying to college than ever before. The increased competition means greater numbers of eager students stuck with envelopes delivering a quick thanks-but-no-thanks rejection. Maybe you didnt know exactly what you wanted from your college experience the first time you applied, or youve done extremely well at a local school and are ready to swim in a sea worthy of your talent. Maybe going to Stanford is your dream, and you cant give up on receiving that diploma quite yet.

Applying as a transfer student allows the school admissions to have another look at you, and presents you in a different pool of applicants. Every year, worthy applicants are turned away simply because of the limited capacity of the class. Still, transferring is tricky business. Transfer admission is even more competitive than admission to the freshman class. Recently, there have only been between 20 and 40 transfer students admitted each year. The year I transferred, the number was fewer than 20. This is partially because the students at Stanford are too darn happy: student retention rate at the school is typically 98%.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Mandy Howard is a writer and painter born in Denver, Colorado. She received a BA in Art and Writing at Stanford University in 2009 and an MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute in 2011. She has studied at the Art Students League of Denver, the Slade School of Art, and Oxford University. She is the recipient of the Allied Arts Award, the New York Art Exchange Scholarship, and the Elizabeth Greenshields Fellowship. Mandy currently teaches, writes, and paints in San Francisco, California.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

Play up the things that make you unique. Emphasize your special talent. There are so many students with perfect grades and perfect test scores. What makes you different? What makes you special?

Make sure your credits will transfer. Check with the admissions office at Stanford. See if you can talk to someone about if your current course load will transfer to Stanfords requirements. Make sure that transferring is still worthwhile if not all of your courses will transfer. Keep in mind that you may have additional requirements, and it could take you longer to graduate, and that this could cost more. Look in the Stanford Course Guide, and pick exactly which major you would be pursuing. Match as best you can your currently courses to the the requirements of that major.

Excel at your current school. Consider your semester or two at your current school to be another chance to prove yourself. This is not the time to let your grades slack. If you arent happy with the location or the social situation, throw yourself into your studies. If you dont like the professors or the classes you are required to take, take revenge by acing everything. Dont isolate yourself in your room with your cell phone, do your best to participate in extracurricular activities and give something to the school you are currently at. Make the most out of your situation, youll get it back in good-school-karma.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

How I Transferred to Stanford

+ Introduction

+ The Application

+ Mistakes to Avoid

+ Secret Tips and Tricks

+ ...and much more