Thank you for watching! I hope you got something useful out of it.

Thank you, Henry. It was great meeting you and learning more about your story. Have classes started yet?

Thank you so much for your comment! I Wish I could help you with your question, but when it comes to financial aid for international students, I am not the person to ask because it's a totally different process. I can say that Stanford makes all efforts to ensure admitted students are able to meet the financial requirements. And, of course, there are many international students on campus. My advice is to call or email Stanford's Admissions and Financial Aid offices. They are separate offices but in the same building so they work closely. And you can always get someone on the phone, which is a nice perk of Stanford. I hope this helps! If not, feel free to follow up and I will give it my best shot! 😃

Thank you!

Hi, so the short answer is yes, high GPA is really important. I look at it as the cost of entry. Your competitors (roughly 2500 of them) have an average GPA of 4.95. Mine was at 4.9 for comparison. GPA isn't all that is looked at, but it shows that you can work diligently, consistently, and follow through. If your GPA is well below the average, you need to have a great story. I talk about making a low GPA a high GPA by putting it into context; if you have kids, work two jobs, are battling a disease or have achieved a respectable GPA in the face of overwhelming odds, AND you can write a GREAT essay to express that, then you might have a chance to have your application seriously considered. But if you have not shown consistent excellence over your scholastic career, it could be hard to justify selecting a person with low GPA over a high achiever. Of course, this all depends on how "low" the GPA is and what the circumstances are. It's an individualized process for each applicant. I have not personally known any students with non-competitive GPAs to get into Stanford.

Also, if your GPA is not in the competitive range, but you have managed to bring it up dramatically, that could be another instance where you could reframe it. I hope this helps!

@@alanbrantley44 My GPA was pretty poor when I first started CC (as a different major as well). Poor as in B's, B-'s, and even some C's and F's as covid stretched on (but some A's too). The result was a GPA around or slightly below 3.0. I took a gap and came back and since have gotten straight A's (taking 20+ concurrent credits as well), but my GPA is only 3.5 right now, and will likely only reach 3.67 ish if I continue with straight A's until my application. Everything included, I'll be transferring at the 6-year mark from starting CC... The main reason for my poor performance was really just covid killing my motivation and ADHD not working well with online classes, and I don't feel as if that reason is compelling (also, lack of passion for my current major and trajectory factored in as well). I did have a very poor situation with plenty of hardship in high school, which I guess sort of extended into CC as well? Do you have any advice for my situation/how should I frame my essay answers? How much does this kill my chances? Since coming back from my gap, I think I've done pretty well and got involved in school activities, and as a result I suppose, my EC's would probably look decent, and I retook the SAT a few weeks ago and it would land around the average range for their undergrad admits.

Thank you! I hope the video helped you in some way. :)

Unfortunately, I can only speak to the Stanford experience. Each school has their own culture and preferences. For instance, Cornell has a great reputation for accepting a high number of non-traditional student each year, while Harvard only accepts a handful. My best advice would be to contact the admissions office for the schools you are interested in. Of course, I would encourage you to always apply to the schools you wish to attend no matter what because you never know what can happen! Hope this helps, and best of luck with your transfer journey.

@@alanbrantley44 thank you!

Thank you for the comment! and YES! You can transfer from any school. One of my transfer classmates was a sophomore from USC! In terms of IYA, I have no videos yet...what kind of content would you like to see related to USC and IYA?

@@alanbrantley44 - Thank you for letting me know that we can transfer from UC to Stanford. My kid has got into UCSD and USC IYA as undergraduate. She is interested in IYA, however, not sure if the course will be counted towards core engineering. An insight into what opportunities and jobs can one get out of IYA would really help. Thank you!

@@pkrancho I think IYA is a wonderful school for undergraduates, and while it is not an engineering school, changes are being made for interdisciplinary cooperation with the school of engineering that will allow students to take engineering courses to supplement their IYA requirements. In terms of positions, the primary positions are in digital and physical product design, product management, and entrepreneurship. In today's economy, these positions span across industries and sectors. I believe a product design education gives students a huge advantage in the emerging digital economy due to its potential for broad application.

@@pkrancho IYA also offers ample opportunities for industry led workshops, internships, and design competitions. In addition to the multidisciplinary cooperation I mentioned before, these are opportunities that are simply not afforded to most students at USC. Of course, one has to consider their career goals, but if the goal is to design, create, build, and innovate, IYA is an excellent destination.

Thank you for that! You keep doing you, too!. The math will come if you keep at it. I believe in you! All you have to do is believe in yourself.

Thank you for your comment. I'm not a math person either! But it is still totally doable. I'm working on a couple of videos now that touch on this very topic. The main thing is effort. Plan to work at least 8 hours a week minimum going over class notes, record lectures if possible, reading the book, watching videos, and of course, practice practice practice! Do as many problems as possible and get help when you don't understand a concept. Finally, don't give up when you hit a wall, because even if it takes a week or two to grasp a concept, you will have grown immensely in the process.

If you have any specific questions related to strategies, reply to this message and I will address it in my upcoming video(s).

Thank you for saying that! Comments like this make me feel seen and heard. We are all unique and it's only a matter of diffing down and finding that thing that makes us special. I am also very lucky to have had support when I needed it and to have been in the right place at the right time. I hope you find the same type of support and success on your journey as well!

Thank you for sharing your story! It's amazing that our stories converge so precisely. The big difference between us is that you are already on the path back to school, which puts you 17 years ahead of me. I say do whatever you have to do to get in school, get good grades, and give back to the community along the way. Then you will have the makings for an extremely competitive application.

People can choose to be defined by their past or they can use it as a catalyst to learn and grow and be better. It doesn’t take away the trauma, but at least the hardship will not have been in vain. I am glad you are choosing the latter. Hang in there and never give up because you have the opportunity to define yourself on your terms, crappy childhood be damned.

Did you delete your original comment? I thought it was very insightful and made two correct observations. I started to respond to it when I hearted it but the response was getting very long so I punted and then procrastinated. Apologies for that. To your point about me not mentioning Stanford, this was the last essay I wrote. Unlike my viewers, I sought zero advice on how to write an admissions essay. I just iterated through Jack Kent Cooke, UC Personal Insight questions, to Stanford Common App over 3 months. I felt good about my main choice schools (UCLA, Berkeley), along with other UCs, and Stanford was my long shot. I wasn't attached to the idea of going to Stanford until after I applied. I thought my story juxtaposed with my success at CC was my best asset so that's what I talked about. I didn't have a good reason for applying to Stanford other than that it was the best school I could go to and it was in my state. My mindset was to tell my story. When they asked me what I was most excited about I literally said being on campus with the trees and architecture. It's difficult admitting this (hence the hesitation last time) because it is the opposite of how I guide the students with which I work. Of course I tell them to make sure it's a good fit, research programs, find faculty you'd like to work with, etc. I honestly didn't know that stuff when I applied. I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out. Now, my grad applications were a completely different story because I did strategize and do all the things mentioned above with max success. That's the honest answer.

It just goes to show that there is no on size fits all formula. That being said, it never hurts to explain your reasons for THIS school. It shows intentionality, due diligence, and purpose. In a lot of ways, I just got really lucky.

To the other point you made in your original post, you were also correct. The Additional Information essay is located in the Personal Information > Other Information > Additional Information section of the Common App. I did post about that but no video. I will for the next cycle.

One other thing I'd like to mention is that this was not a generic essay. I never copy/pasted in my essay responses. All 100% original. Where you could argue I went wrong in my essay is that they have no way of knowing that since I never mentioned the school. I feel that this essay doesn't necessarily get me accepted to Harvard, Yale, Brown as is for that reason. It really depends on the culture and the personalities of the admissions officers. At Stanford, they just care deeply and do a great job of selecting great applicants who also demonstrate caring and empathy. All of this is to reiterate the main point of this video; learn from my mistakes. If you do the things I did well and avoid the mistakes I made, you're putting yourself in a very strong position.

@@alanbrantley44 That makes more sense now. I did hear and read some other people's essay examples that got them into ivies, and some of them doesn't mention their school whatsoever. Which is kind of why I'm in a predicament, whether I should strategize on myself following that traditional style of mentioning programs, school, professors, etc, or go in a more unique direction like you have for your personal statement.

thank you for your honest comment. I applaud your courage in being so open. please know that it is never too late. you can still transfer to a more preferable university. also, one of the main lessons I have learned in life is that it's never over. our paths lead where they lead, and sometimes the walk through the dark night is the only path to brighter days. I thought I had reached the end too...still do sometimes. just keep going and try to be 1% better each day. your struggles and failures now can inform your triumphs and success in the future. for me, the key statement in your comment is that you know can do better, be better, and overcome your current circumstances. it's a lifelong process! but the rewards are worth the journey. I am wishing you all the best in your endeavors! please feel free to reach out to me personally if you would ever like to chat.

thank you! sometimes it's scary to put it all out there, but comments like this not only make it worth it, but encourage me to go further. best of luck in your educational journey. there is really nothing special about me. I just wrote some good essays. if I can do it, you can too!

yes you have a chance! bot only if you apply. the main thing is to optimize your chances by applying to as many schools as you can see yourself attending. thank you for your comment. I'm wishing you all the best of luck and skill in your application and re-entry journey!

Thank you for your comment, Ben! Comments like these do make a difference and encourage me to do more, and more often. I'm glad it helped and hope there is something here that you can apply to your own application.

Hi Ben, thanks so much for your comment! I am glad that you have found some motivation and inspiration from watching my video. This was precisely my purpose in putting it out there. And remember, my chances were as slim as yours! You just have to shoot your shot! Work hard, get the grades, get involved in your community, and craft your narrative. And remember not to put all your eggs in the Stanford basket. There are dozens of great schools in California alone!

You ask a good question about the foreign language requirement. It depends from school to school, but yes, waivers are available. For instance, if a US student has completed the requirement in high school, the requirement can be waived. I am not completely sure about your case, but my assumption is that bilingual students already meet the requirement. You can always call the school and ask! Crazy as it sounds, someone will be there to answer your questions. Best of luck in your journey! And don't forget that the application "process" starts a year out. In reality, it's never too early to get started. I'm wishing you the best and looking forward to hearing from you.

thank you for your kind words and support! and honestly, you're probably right about the errors not being noticed. in terms of being humble, it's just a matter of putting your accomplishments into context. it's okay to be confident and proud of your accomplishments, just be sure that the achievements you are discussing are in the context of the prompt and the story you're telling. listing out your good deeds in your statement is a waste of characters because that info exists elsewhere in the application. they know what you've done. the point of the essay is to tell them who you are. as an example, rather than saying "I'm the founding President of my school's Pickleball club" (they know that already) you could say "forming and being elected President to my school's Pickleball club was important to me because..." now you're telling a story and adding context rather than show boating. plus you're telling them who you are by using what you've done as a prop.

lol glad you got a laugh out of it! I hope your essays are going well!

It has little to do with his essays at this point. His experiences are enough to be admitted.

incoming!

@@Darkjnr5 ah, but how do the admissions officers learn about my experiences? you have to tell that story. it's always all about the essay!

for your viewing pleasure. Hope they help! www.alanbrantley.com/writing

Hi, thank you for your comment! Yes, you can contact me on my Fiverr page, which is listed in the description, or directly from alanbrantley.com. Definitely get in touch, I would love to talk to you and learn more about your story!

thank you for the your request. I am working on that now!

@@alanbrantley44 I will be wait g and thank you so much. Also alan Brant, is there a place where I can contact you, I would love to hear more about your experiences and some tips personally for my application. I am a American math society publication and I really want to work these experiences into a Stanford app

@@heftygermgaming3383 It is my pleasure! You can read my Personal Statement and Additional Information statements here: www.alanbrantley.com/writing Hope they help!!

@@heftygermgaming3383 There are a number of ways you can reach me. I have a link in the description to my Fiverr page, you can contact me directly from my website, or visit my KZbin home page and email me directly from the About section. I'm looking forward to hearing from you and am excited to learn more about your journey!

@@alanbrantley44 wow that’s really good. Thank you so much Alan, I am applying for March 15 and I am working on my app right now. I’ll contact u shortly and thank you so much Alan, I feel like your video is a sign for me to go for this and do it 100 percent. I feel like I have a good chance and I’ll share my process with you on email for ur website. Also loved ur essay, I’m so curious to see what ur supplemental sounded like with that wonderful personal statement. Thanks Alan for being an inspirational to us! Appreciate it a lot and very grateful

Thank you, Aleena! I'm wishing you the best in your own college journey. If there is anything I can do to assist you, get in touch!

On me

Acacia! Thanks for watching and commenting! In the few conversations we've had I get the sense that you are in a great position to reach your transfer goals. Keep in touch and keep me posted. And definitely do not hesitate to reach out to me directly if I can help you in any way. Can't wait to see how everything turns out!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you feel like I can support you on your journey. Best of luck to you during your senior year . Hopefully one day we'll both be in the Stanford alum club!

Thank you so much for the feedback! I know it's long but I wanted to give a complete and unique perspective. I hope this helps you along in your transfer journey!

Go Hornets! and I'm there now working in the Transfer Center. come by and say hi when the term starts!

thanks for your comment and, of course, you are very welcome! I hope this encourages you to further believe in your own potential and turn in those applications!

thanks for commenting and you are very welcome! I hope you got something helpful from watching this video. the bottom line message is if I can do it, you can too. best of luck on your journey. if there is anything I can do to assist, please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly!

Thanks so much for your feedback! This video was made for you. Best of luck with your application process and transfer journey!

Thank you for leading the way! Hope you don't mind me plugging your content.