Prakeerthi K, a student of grade 12 IBDP at Oakridge, has made it to Stanford University. Undergraduate admission to Stanford University stack up against the odds would be an understatement, considering that the premier University receives around 50,000 applications every year, with an acceptance rate being one of the lowest in the world at approximately 3.9 per cent. 

Prakeerthi is what her teachers would know to be an ideal student. She has consistently maintained close to perfect scores in all the online and offline tests and assignments and recorded scores of 1560/1600 and 22/24 in her SAT and SAT Essay, respectively. 

Her achievements span all the academic and extracurricular opportunities offered by the school and beyond. She cites the famous book ‘Indomitable Spirit’ written by the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam as a source of inspiration. This young girl compassionately teaches English to Non-English speakers from underprivileged societies. She is an artist who offers her Art and knowledge of Entrepreneurship in service of the visually impaired through her not-for-profit enterprise called ‘Paint2see’. 

Principal Shaila Bhamidipati said her curiosity, engagement, time-management, discipline, and resilience have helped her overcome challenges and achieve her goals. The admissions processes are formulaic, and students today are expected to be ‘angular’ and showcase ‘intellectual vitality to make it to the Stanford Quad. Prakeerthi’s ability to think critically and creatively was always evident in her curiosity and discussions during classes. It was a great pleasure reading through her TOK essay. 

IBDP Coordinator Dr Pallavi Joshi said Prakeerthi has beautifully captured the pulse of the course through her insightful and well-articulated reasoning and writing skills.