Farm accepts fresh crop of admits

Meet the admit Class of 2009 – soon to be the Class of 2013

It was the most competitive admission year in Stanford’s history. Though 30,428 students applied, only 2,300 were accepted. For some, admittance into the Farm represents a ticket to a corporate future; to others, a fulfillment of a long family legacy. The reasons are diverse; the relief at securing a spot the same. Members of the incoming Class of 2013 guided The Daily through their admission process and discussed just what their acceptance to the third-most competitive university in the country means to them.

Thomas Colby Isabel, a prospective freshman (ProFro) from Carrboro High School in Chapel Hill, N.C. comes from a family tradition of Stanford graduates.

“My parents got their masters degrees at Stanford,” he said. “That’s where they met.”

But Stanford’s pull was more than just furthering the family tradition — both the location and academic rigor drew in Isabel.

“I’m originally from Los Angeles, so I’ve been yearning to come back to California,” he said. Location, plus the draw of “outstanding business and engineering schools,” put Stanford at the top of Isabel’s college list.

“Of course, we can’t forget Stanford’s reputation, beautiful weather and campus, scholarly aura and connections to the working world,” he added, citing Silicon Valley.

Although Isabel had above average test scores like most Stanford applicants, he felt that his essays got him in.

“I made sure to express my true passions in my essay and give the admissions officers a look into my life, not just a boringly perfect list of stats and achievements,” he said.

It worked.

On the other side of the country, Andrew Martin, a ProFro from Radford High School in Honolulu, “was expecting a rejection, what with the ridiculous amount of applications.” Despite the competitive climate, Martin secured a spot.

“I guess admissions saw something they liked,” he said.

A self-described “Navy brat,” Martin relied on his strong recommendations and his status as valedictorian to gain admittance.

“One teacher told me he wrote I was the best student he’s had in his career,” Martin said. “I kept my essays [and] short answers personal and informal. I just talked about my Navy upbringing and how it shaped my personality.”

Daniel Khalessi, a ProFro from Mountain View High School, applied to Stanford because he “hadn’t decided on a major.”

“As an undeclared major, I wanted to experience the best of different fields before committing to a field of study,” he said.

And Stanford’s location at the center of the corporate world didn’t hurt either.

“Stanford’s location in Silicon Valley also makes it the optimal choice because it provides the opportunity to implement my ideas in corporate circles,” Khalessi said.

Stanford is the envy of many for its academic standing, but Matt Grossman, a ProFro from Hunter College High School in New York had never even heard of Stanford until a good friend with family ties to Stanford raved about the Farm.

Grossman looked into Stanford, talked to students and thought the University would be a good fit.

“I loved the idea of a place that had all the stellar academics of an Ivy League school but a less competitive and buttoned-down student body,” he said. “No one in my family had even seen the place until I got in.”

While the 2009 admits were overjoyed to receive their acceptance letters, for some, getting into Stanford kicked senioritis — the phenomenon in which seniors tend to slack on school assignments after college acceptances roll around — into high gear.

Grossman, Isabel and Martin all have noticed that their attitude towards school has changed now that they have received their acceptance.

“I feel like it must’ve been a different person who signed up for classes this rigorous in September,” Grossman said.

On the other hand, Jennifer Lee, a ProFro from Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, actively resisted senioritis.

“I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize going to Stanford, so my work in my classes has been pretty stable,” Lee said.

But even Lee, who has maintained a conscious effort to stay on top of all her classes, noticed a subtle change in her attitude towards them.

“I am definitely more laid back in my classes now that the pressure is off, and that I really can learn just for the enjoyment of learning,” she said.

Many ProFros will visit Stanford for Admit Weekend at the end of April. For ProFros like Lee, that isn’t soon enough for visiting the Farm.

“I’ve already been waiting since December to go to Stanford!” she said.