u/TShara_Q wrote (the comment Michael replied to):
Having taken classes at a top university and a middle-tier (but of course accredited) university, the content really isn't that different. It's really stupid to restrict applicants to just the "top schools."
u/michaelnovati replied ·
Once school requires this background going in: 1530 SAT score, leadership roles in national-level clubs, impactful research experience, and significant community service accomplishments.
The other this: 1210 SAT score, participation in school-level extracurricular activities such as sports or student government, and moderate academic recognition or local volunteer experience
There are lots of biases and problems with this, but for better or worse the typical Stanford student has a strong background that then gets nurtured over 4 years, further emphasizing those gaps.
If you have the Stanford background and go to to the mid tier school, you'll have a bit harder time getting interviews but I'm sure you'll do very well in your career.