According to Richard Shaw, dean of admissions and financial aid at Stanford, there is no formula to a successful college application - but it hinges on much more than a stellar transcript. “It isn’t just about the courses or the grades,” he said. “It’s about the human being behind all of it.” Students who rise to the top of the applicant pool, he said, are those who have embraced their education in a way that shows a sense of their love for what they do. “In a lot of cases, i