Andrea Botez discussed multiple Stanford University application rejections and her decision to stop applying, calling it one of the most difficult decisions of her life. The chess streamer shared her story in a documentary on the YouTube channel Moving Picture on January 25.

Andrea Botez

Andrea Botez

Chess streamer

“I tell people the time that I put into Stanford, I could have mastered another language. They were months of my life over the last couple years.

The cherry on top of the rejection was Stanford saying, “Not only are you rejected, but you’re actually not allowed to apply for a fourth year.” If they wouldn’t have said that, I probably would have tried again.

Growing up, I always had these expectations and standards. Not only the standards, that my sister went to Stanford, but everything I’ve dedicated my entire childhood for. So, deciding not to go to Stanford was the most difficult decision in my life.

Getting accepted meant that I could prove my intelligence. And I really wanted to prove to those people that I was smart and that I was worth it. But I think I’ve grown from where I’ve been the last couple years and I’m no longer searching for the validation.”

Andrea Botez is a popular chess streamer and content creator. Her sister, Alexandra Botez, was admitted to Stanford University in 2016 and successfully graduated from it.

Credit: Moving Picture