I was deferred, but this is how a rejection letter looks like:
The Office of Undergraduate Admission regrets to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission to Stanford University. The overall quality of our applicant pool and relatively small size of our freshman class means that we disappoint the vast majority of our applicants each year. We acknowledge your strong interest in Stanford, which makes the task of sending you this news especially difficult.
You will find below answers to the most commonly asked questions about the Restrictive Early Action process at Stanford. I hope it will help answer some of the questions you may have about our decision. Please be aware that we are not able to consider appeals to this decision.
[Insert name here], you are a fine student with solid support from your teachers and advisors. I am confident that you will enjoy great success in your undergraduate education. I only wish we had room for everyone with talent and energy like yours.
As a more formal notice of our admission decision, we have mailed you a letter copy of this email.
With best wishes for an outstanding undergraduate experience,
Richard H. Shaw
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Enclosure
_____________________________
Some Commonly Asked Questions
About the Restrictive/Single-Choice Early Action Admission Process
We hope the information on this sheet will answer your questions regarding the Stanford admission process. Please know every application to Stanford is considered both individually and within the context of a very large and talented applicant pool. This year, nearly 4,600 Restrictive/Single-Choice Early Action applicants were considered for admission. We were able to offer admission to just 750.
What criteria do you use when making decisions? Why wasn’t I admitted if I was academically qualified for admission?
We have tremendous respect for the students who apply for undergraduate admission to Stanford. All applicants are carefully evaluated based on the same set of materials. We seek to know each applicant individually and to develop an understanding of the applicant within the context of the resources and opportunities available to that student. Applicants convey their strengths through their academic record, personal essays, recommendations, activities, and by the fluency of their writing.
The two most important criteria for admission to Stanford are distinguished academic achievement in high school and significant potential to achieve at a high level during the undergraduate years. Another criterion for admission is involvement outside the classroom, where we seek evidence of sustained commitment and leadership in school and community activities. We look for students who will make a strong contribution to the Stanford community by demonstrating intellectual vitality and academic leadership, qualities not entirely captured by grade point averages and test scores. Unfortunately, because there are so many exceptional students who apply to Stanford, there are many top students for whom we simply don’t have room. For example, with more than 2,700 early applicants reporting a 4.0 or higher GPA, we were unable to offer admission to all those who presented such outstanding credentials. Ultimately, we are only able
to offer admission to just 10% of the approximately 25,000 students expected to apply.
Sometimes a candidate is denied admission, while someone he or she knows, whose rank in class and/or test scores are lower, is admitted. This occurs both because we value hard-to-quantify personal qualities and achievements, and because schools, programs and individuals vary so widely. While you might know another applicant’s rank in class, GPA and test scores, only admission officers see the entire application, including the student’s writing and teacher and counselor recommendations. Each applicant presents a unique combination of achievement, potential and intellectual vitality, as well as their personal qualities and story. It is the composite of these factors that ultimately influences our decisions.
Why was my application not deferred to Regular Decision?
Unlike many colleges and universities with early admission options, Stanford defers relatively few students to the Regular Decision period; a much greater portion of our early applicants are in fact denied. We aim to provide a final decision on every application whenever possible. Factors considered in our decision not to defer an application include an understanding of our overall applicant pool and the reality of a relatively small freshman class. Such decisions are made only after a careful and thorough review. Applicants who are not offered admission may not reapply this year under the Regular Decision
program.
Was there a quota for my school or region or any other groups?
No. We do not have quotas for any particular schools or types of schools, or any geographic region. Students from nearly 6,000 high schools apply to Stanford each year. In some cases, only one student applies; in other cases, more than one hundred students apply. Also, we do not use any racial, religious, ethnic or gender-related quotas in making our admission decisions.
Was financial need part of the admission decision?
An applicant’s need for financial aid is never a factor in the admission decision, except in the case of international students
(applicants requiring a student visa to study in the United States). Stanford adheres to a “need-blind” admission policy for all U.S. citizens and registered permanent residents. The financial aid process is completely separate from the admission decision.
Is there an appeal process?
No. Stanford admission decisions are final and there is absolutely no appeal process. Our admission officers are carefully trained to ensure a fair and consistent application review process. They read thousands of applications each year and base their decisions on the unique strengths and context of a given application in comparison with the entire applicant pool. All admission decisions are made by committee consensus/vote and not by any one admission officer. As a
result, we cannot provide applicants with specific or detailed “reasons” for why they were not offered admission. Regretfully, appeals will not be considered or acknowledged.
Can I apply again as a transfer student?
Applicants who are not offered admission are eligible to apply as a transfer student in a future year. We use the same admission criteria, however, when evaluating transfer applications and we have a similarly qualified transfer applicant pool. It is also important to note that the transfer admission process is even more competitive. In recent years, less than 5% of transfer applicants have been admitted. When reviewing applicants with only one year of college work, we focus primarily on high school grades, test scores and activities. When the applicant has attended college full time for two years, the strength of the college program and academic achievement at the college level are given primary consideration. Applicants are limited to a total of three applications to Stanford, whether for freshman admission, transfer admission, or a combination of both.
Thank you for taking the time to read this information.
We wish you the very best for your undergraduate experience.
Posted December 31, 2007 
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