Always have a second plan and I know we all have ❤️
For me, Stanford is my first option (just like many of you) but I've decided that I'll not let my heart be broken if I don't get into it.
I also applied to a bunch of schools in Europe (a place I've never been to) Like Sciences Po (in Paris), Technical University of Munich (Germany), the University of Granada (Spain), or Oslo University (Norway). I know that if I don't get into Stanford then I'll be going to Europe so I'm pretty excited about both options.
Note: most of the Universities I already mentioned still have their applications open, I don't know why Europan schools close their applications so late but I think it's amazing and they are mostly free (except the one in Paris). If you are also interested in the idea check it out. ❤️
I wish you all the best of luck!