{"id":6741,"date":"2024-09-20T14:41:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-20T18:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com\/?p=6730"},"modified":"2025-04-22T08:25:39","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T12:25:39","slug":"how-to-get-into-stanford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com\/how-to-get-into-stanford\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Into Stanford: Get Accepted in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Are you dreaming of getting into a top-tier university, like Stanford?<\/span><\/p>\n

Years ago, I sent out a blockbuster 4,355-word email on tactics I\u2019ve used to write a New York Times bestseller, get hundreds of thousands of readers, and get into Stanford, which got thousands of comments like:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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@ramit not to be a suck up, but I can\u2019t believe you just sent this past earn1k email for free. best. advice. ever. thank you.<\/span><\/p>\n

@ramit No bs. That was the single best email you have ever sent. Nobody can say Ramit doesn\u2019t add value.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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And so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

I call this model \u201cThe Failure Expectation\u201d (updated for 2024), which will help you land a dream job, get into a top university or even meet your biggest role model.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll discover the specific techniques that allowed me to leapfrog some of my peers and do ridiculous things like getting invited to speak on persuasion in Japan, getting written up in the WSJ at age 22, or even get a highly paid college\/summer internship with one phone call.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Also, this isn\u2019t just about getting into Stanford. It\u2019s about getting into any exclusive organization\/university\/job\/whatever).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why should you listen to me?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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By 28, I wrote a blog that got 300,000 readers a month, an instant New York Times bestseller, and yes, I got into Stanford with over $100,000 in scholarships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am not the smartest person. My friends got way better GPAs than I did. I am terrible at math (in fact, I was the only person in my high-school AP math class to fail my AP test\u2026yes, I got a 2).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also don\u2019t come from a wealthy family. My parents are immigrants and we\u2019re very middle class. I say this up front because some people tend to dismiss others who achieve cool things by saying, \u201cOh, mommy and daddy just bought them [whatever].\u201d Yes, that\u2019s true sometimes (especially here in Manhattan), but the people who lob that insult usually use it as a crutch for not doing interesting things themselves. Get a life.<\/span><\/p>\n

So it\u2019s possible to do all these amazing things no matter how old you are or how much money you have. But my unconventional approach will dramatically change how fast you achieve these things.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How I got into Stanford<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ok, so I went to a public high school in northern California. My friends and I joked that our class, the Class of 2000, was the most competitive\u2026 but also the least attractive. Seriously, all the hot people were one year above us or one year below us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, we had a lot of smart people in my class. So when it was time to apply for college, lots of people were set on top-tier schools like Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc. But then an amazing thing happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the first round of college admissions came in, and some people got in and others didn\u2019t, many of the people who didn\u2019t get in changed their attitudes overnight, saying, \u201cWhatever\u2026I didn\u2019t really want to go there anyway.\u201d I found this really surprising, since I had planned to get rejected from my dream school, Stanford, anyway. (Most of my friends had a higher GPA than I did).<\/span><\/p>\n

Since I had already assumed that I was going to get rejected, I\u2019d already made plans for what I\u2019d do to get in, despite their rejection. I was going to send them recent updates to my coursework, a few recent press clippings I\u2019d done, and some updates on the business\/job I was doing in high school. In short, getting a \u201cno\u201d was only the first step.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I got in, it was an extremely pleasant surprise. But it was also incredibly interesting to watch the attitudes of some of my classmates \u2014 classmates who\u2019d dreamed about attending a particular school \u2014 change overnight since they\u2019d been rejected. They really took it personally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For me, I knew that I was a number, and that when I got rejected, I\u2019d simply need to convince them why I deserved to get in. I simply followed \u201cThe Failure Expectation\u201d framework.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How to use \u201cThe Failure Expectation\u201d framework to land a dream job, get into a top university, or meet your biggest role model<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Here\u2019s how you can use my Failure Expectation framework to overcome any challenge and achieve anything you want.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. The Mindset Shift: Expect Failure, Plan for Success<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The first \u201cno\u201d is where the discussion starts.<\/span><\/p>\n

When aiming for a large goal \u2014 like a college application, new job, or new city \u2014 always visualize what would happen if you SUCCEED (e.g., get admitted) vs. what would happen if you FAIL (e.g., get rejected).<\/span><\/p>\n

Do this before you get the results, which is an emotional time. I saw people throw away their dream school simply because they got rejected. Read that last sentence again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Doesn\u2019t it sound ridiculous? OF COURSE you give up when you get rejected.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, sometimes it\u2019s true, and society certainly tells us to suck it up and move on. But when it\u2019s some committee making a decision, you don\u2019t have to let that fly. Plan ahead for what you\u2019ll do if you succeed or fail \u2014 it will help you stay focused when times get tough.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Build a Unique Profile: Focus Beyond Grades<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I realized that <\/span>I couldn\u2019t compete on just grades alone<\/b> \u2013 since I\u2019m not the smartest person, so I went horizontal and did a bunch of interesting things outside of class (and outside of school). <\/span>I tried lots of things rapidly<\/b> (clubs, sports, etc) \u2013 found out what I liked, and went deeper into them.<\/span><\/p>\n

First of all, be REALLY GOOD at what you do. If you want to get into a top college or job, you can\u2019t just be average. Why would a very selective institution want you? Ask yourself that and then do remarkable things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Huh? Ramit? WTF does that mean? Being remarkable doesn\u2019t always mean getting the best grades (I certainly didn\u2019t). It can mean being remarkable at volunteering, or starting a side business repairing cars\u2026or whatever interests you. THIS is why being remarkable is so hard \u2014 because I can\u2019t simply tell you what to do. You have to decide for yourself. This is why most people, by definition, are not remarkable. It\u2019s hard<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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3. Craft an Irresistible Application<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Your application should tell a cohesive story, and it needs to stand out.<\/span><\/a> Most people think that if they just do well in school or work, their application will speak for itself. <\/span>That\u2019s not enough.<\/b><\/p>\n

In my view, the way you construct your application is hugely important in getting into a top college, getting a great job, etc. Compare this to people who believe, \u201cIf I just do great work, they\u2019ll realize it.\u201d No.<\/span><\/p>\n

My applications had a THEME<\/b>. I was the guy who wanted to do online business, and hey Mr. Application Reader, here\u2019s what I\u2019ve done to show you that I\u2019m serious about this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luck plays a role.<\/b> Expose yourself to luck. I have no qualms admitting that a lot of the reason I got into Stanford was luck. It could be a total tossup, or maybe the committee was feeling good, or whatever. However, don\u2019t just count on luck \u2014 cultivate it for yourself. Give yourself every advantage.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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4. Ask for Help and Don\u2019t Pay for it<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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One of the key things that set me apart was my willingness to ask for help\u2014from friends, peers, and people who\u2019d already been accepted to my dream schools. <\/span>And I didn\u2019t pay for any of it. <\/b>If I\u2019d had more money, I would have, but I didn\u2019t. What you realize is that most people will help you out for free.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask at least 10 other people to review your application.<\/b> Ask them to be brutally honest. AND MEAN IT. If you ever get defensive about their feedback, I will personally find you and hit you on the head with a metal bat.<\/span><\/p>\n

I asked a ton of people to review my application. I can\u2019t emphasize this enough. I told you how I was horrible at math in high school. Well, I was a pretty good writer. So it surprised me that more people didn\u2019t ask me to review their applications, because I got TONS of outside help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHey Mike, what do you think about this essay idea?\u201d, \u201cMichelle, what\u2019s more compelling?\u201d Etcetera. So many people lock themselves in their room and come up with an essay topic that\u2019s trite, vapid, and boring. The simple action of asking someone if your idea is compelling forces you to say it out loud \u2014 which eliminates at least 25% of bad essay ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Write at least 5 versions of your essay.<\/b> I did something like 42 versions. Are you prepared to work that hard?<\/span><\/p>\n

And lastly, NEVER do the committee\u2019s job for you. It is THEIR job to reject you, not yours. What the hell is wrong with people when they say, \u201cEhh\u2026I\u2019m not going to apply to [college\/job]\u2026I could never get in.\u201d Guess what? You just proved yourself right. It\u2019s not your job to reject\/accept you, it\u2019s someone else\u2019s. Let them do their job.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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5. Don\u2019t Let Money Hold You Back<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Don\u2019t let money get in the way. People are incredibly clueless about finances when it comes to college. First, people will delusionally say, \u201cI\u2019m not going to apply to [expensive college]\u2026I could never afford it.\u201d If you\u2019re good enough to get in, they will take care of you. LET ME REPEAT THAT. Never let money decide where you are going to apply.<\/span><\/p>\n

STOP USING MONEY AS AN EXCUSE. A lot of people will say, \u201cRamit, what about the application fee? It can be really expensive. You\u2019re out of touch with your (book\/fancy website\/NY & SF apartments\/blah blah blah).\u201d Hey whiner. When I was applying, I had no money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the applications can be really expensive. You know what I did? I put a note in there that said, Look I can\u2019t really afford this application fee. If you really need the $50 for the fee, just please let me know and I will find a way to send it. But if not, I hope you can waive the fee for me.\u201d I never heard a peep from them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask people who have GONE to your dream schools how they like it. Oh yeah, one more thing\u2026ASK THEM HOW THEY GOT IN. They should be reviewing your application and offering you feedback every step of the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And yes, you know people there\u2026if you don\u2019t, call the university admissions office and ask to get connected to some students. Everybody loves seniors in high schools who are applying to college because they are so weird\/desperate\/naive. Everybody helps them. Use this to your advantage.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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So Now What? Take Action and Embrace Rejection<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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So what are you going to do now?<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you going to feel inspired for the next 10 minutes and then forget all about it?<\/span><\/p>\n

You can use this framework to achieve ANYTHING great, whether it\u2019s landing your dream job, getting into a top university school, or even networking with your biggest role model.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to ACTUALLY achieve something great, treat rejection as a normal step in the process. Expect it. Manage it. Take action and the next time you get shot down, remember that means you\u2019re just getting started.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Want to build a business that enables you to live YOUR Rich Life? Get my FREE guide on finding your first profitable idea.<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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