Congrats to all those admitted today (and earlier this year) and good luck to those who will be pursuing other options!
I’m currently a student at Stanford and willing to answer questions anyone might have. Any other Stanford students/alums here feel free to chime in - keep in mind this is only one student’s experience and knowledge.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Any student/alum/parent/friend is also welcome to answer questions here.
How hard is it to balance studying and a social life? Do you spend a lot of your time studying/doing homework?
Do you enjoy the quarter system?
How’s the surrounding area (Palo Alto)?
Not OP, but current undergrad here:
In all honesty, when I’ve been bored of campus, I’ve just gone down to SF to get a change of scenery.
Thanks for doing this! I have a ton of questions, so feel free to skip around and only answer some.
Freshmen dorms generally have some sort of dorm trip up to the city near the beginning of the year. During winter quarter many dorms do a “snow trip” up to Tahoe. During spring some dorms go to Yosemite or Santa Cruz. These are generally overnight trips for 2 or 3 days.
Hi! Current Stanford upperclassman here.
*- plenty of people here are indifferent about sports, especially American football, thanks to a healthy population of internationals.
@Anonymoose3 It’s a bit long so I’ve broken it up into a few posts!
Generally the thought is that there’s inflation. It’s definitely not common to have a 4.0 and you will still have to work hard for good grades. Pre-med classes can be a bit rough for grades (as well as the infamous CS 107). Fortunately deflation isn’t generally a problem. IMO lack of deflation creates a more collaborative environment between the students.
People generally have plenty of time to participate in clubs. If anything people have the opposite problem (joining too many clubs). I’d say most students are engaged in at least one club. Personally I’m in three student orgs/clubs which makes things a bit busy but it is doable. I’d recommend 1 or 2. Really I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much of a life everyone has outside of just academics.
I’ve found people are MUCH more laid back and collaborative. It helps that most classes aren’t graded on hard curves (e.g. a curve where only 30% of students can get a B). If this were the case then sabotage and lack of teamwork would be implicitly encouraged. I would avoid any school options like this if I were you; it sounds miserable.
Some classes are curved and some are graded as is, it depends on the field of study. If classes are curved then generally it’s based on the test score (e.g. anyone who scored a 80% or higher on this chemistry test will get an A). So you’re not competing for limited slots on grades but rather for grades based on scores. Let me know if that’s confusing, I might not have explained it that well! I’ve always found people willing to help out with material.
Real. But Stanford’s doing a lot more now to talk about it and raise awareness. The key is to just be aware that most people (especially during finals) will be stressed and working hard whether you see it or not. If you’re aware of this then it’s not really a problem.
Pros: can take more courses, only have to put up with courses you don’t like for 10 weeks, material doesn’t get dull/boring because you’re studying it too long, summer goes until September, etc. I love it and much prefer it (and so does almost everyone I’ve talked to about it here).
Cons: sometimes it makes courses more challenging (since some semester long courses we complete in just a quarter) and we get out of school late (early June) which is after the start date of some internships.
It’s definitely there but certainly not as big as many state schools are. I’d agree with @merovingian on their assessment.
Depends on the people really. There are parties on the row practically every weekend (and most weekends have all-campus parties). Freshmen and sophomores tend to go to the all-campus parties more often than upperclassmen. When you’re an upperclassman you often live on the row or have friends there so you tend to go to smaller or house-specific parties. People do drink in their dorm rooms and often pre-game the big parties or just drink with some friends in their rooms. Seniors (and 21+ juniors) go out to bars on weekends.
For the non-partiers there are also options. Another thing I think Stanford works really hard at is providing non-drinking alternatives that are actually fun. They have “Cardinal Nights” where you can see movie premiers (with transportation and ticket included) for $5. Other events they put on include laser tag, on-campus movies, craft making, ice skating, etc. It’s totally acceptable to go out to the row one night and with Cardinal Nights the next night.
quote How are your debate/mock trial/model un teams? Are they pretty active in general, or not so much a campus favorite with the general entrepreneurship vibe?
[/quote]
I know people from the debate and mock trial teams. It seems like the teams are pretty active and the people I know are really involved and passionate. They’re also great people! Don’t be misled into thinking that only CS and entrepreneurship groups are popular and active (although they certainly are as well).
Hey guys, thank you so much for taking time to answer questions! ^-^
Most of the stuff that I was going to ask was already addressed, so just a couple of things. How did you go about the college selection process after you initially heard back from Stanford? I’ve honestly never even been there (though it’s been glorified in my mind since middle school haha), but it sounds like a really amazing place. Did anything about Stanford in particular immediately stand out to you personally and made you think, “this will be my home for the next four years”?
@Pernix I liked the atmosphere more than other schools I visited. It’s collaborative (BIG selling point, even though it’s not something a lot of people think about beforehand). Most the students are pretty down-to-earth and, in my experience, less snobby/pretentious than some of the “elite” counterpart colleges. Student are also involved in clubs and activities (not just academics) and that was another selling point for me. It also has a great program for my area of study as well.
Academically it’s been great as well - here are some of my highlights:
There’s quite a bit more but I think those are some major reasons! If you can visit you definitely should (although keep in mind that admit weekends aren’t exactly indicative of the general school environment). If you can’t make the official admit weekend date then some students come alternative weekends.
Parent here, so I’ll answer based on what my son (a current freshman) has told me and what I’ve observed.
Not at all hard—there’s definitely time for both. The time spent studying/doing homework varies depending on the courses you’re taking and whether you’re approaching midterms or finals. Some courses are very time-intensive—you can read reviews of them on sites like Edusalsa—and others much less so. It helps to have a balance.
My son really likes it, though the pace is fast, and you’re already choosing courses for the next quarter just a few weeks after the one you’re in has gotten under way. He likes being able to take more courses and not being “stuck” in anything for very long. His high school was on the semester system, so this was a change for him.
My son likes some of the food options in Palo Alto but says the area and its offerings are too expensive. We agree.
Generally speaking, grade inflation, though that doesn’t mean the courses are easy. Some are extremely tough and hard to get an A in; others are easy to do well in but still require quite a bit of work.
My son has had plenty of time (except right before finals!). One fun way to use some of that time is to sign up for a PE or Wellness course each quarter—tons of options, and they’re a nice change of pace from the academic workload.
There’s definitely a laid back/collaborative atmosphere, with plenty of people willing to help. That said, there is the occasional student who is competitive, still brags about SAT scores, etc. But that’s really rare.
To be honest, I’m not sure. My impression is that people are pretty straightforward about how they’re feeling—I don’t at all sense that everyone is pretending to do great but struggling underneath. Nonetheless, this is a group of very high achieving students who are used to being “the best” in their high schools; suddenly being surrounded by people who are every bit as accomplished and “smart” as you are, if not more so, can be daunting and, for some, discouraging. It’s an adjustment, and that may be where “duck syndrome” comes from.
Pros: You can take a lot more courses and try out many different things; if you don’t like a class, it will be over soon.
Cons: Very fast paced—as I mentioned above, you’ll be planning for the next quarter before you’ve gotten very far in the one you’re in.
It’s high but up to each student how much he or she wants to participate in that. There’s no pressure to do so, and Stanford isn’t at all “cliquey.”
My son goes to parties or hangs out in the dorm. Some students go out on the town—there are plenty of options, and no one will “judge” you for your choices.
Sorry—I don’t know anything about this.
With difficulty and by weighing the pros and cons of each place. My son really liked Stanford’s feel, which he was able to get a good sense of not only from having visited it before getting in but also by comparing the local admitted students receptions in our area. Stanford’s was the best—the most exciting and most fun—and he accepted his offer the next day, before going to Admit Weekend. In our case, since we live in California and have been to the Bay Area many times, Stanford was also the most familiar option—the one that felt most like “home.” Also, since my son was planning to major in computer science, Stanford was the clear choice on that score.
Thank you for the thread and replies. It’s very informative. Would love to read more responses.
Can someone speak to their experience as an undergraduate at Stanford in engineering. Also more specifically to opportunities to participate in choral groups, a cappella, or musical theatre while undertaking an engineering degree.
Hopefully someone else chimes in since I don’t have personal experience with those groups…
But I do have friends involved in a cappella who are engineering majors. They seem to manage the balance fine although you definitely should try to avoid taking the most challenging engineering courses in the same quarter.
We have quite a few a cappella groups on campus and some of them are quite good (Talisman is generally viewed as the best). We also have choral groups although I’m not familiar enough with them or musical theater groups to talk in depth. People I know in them seem to really enjoy it. Most students (including engineers) are involved with some sort of extra curricular or club so it definitely is do-able to balance them.
If you’re the parent of an admitted kid then definitely Admit Weekend is a good way for your kid to talk to some of these groups and hear about what they do. In general, during Admit Weekend there’s an activities fair where clubs/groups set up tables and chat with prospective freshmen. If you come during an alternative weekend then many clubs will let you sit in on a rehearsal or let you know about concerts/recitals they’re doing.
Hi! Thanks so much for answering these questions for us 
How difficult is it to get a major and a minor at Stanford? I’m thinking of a BioE major and a CS minor - do you know anyone who has done this and how difficult do you think it will be?
How is dorm life at Stanford? Do you generally feel like your roommate is a good fit?
@magic 25:
My impression is that it’s very easy to do a major and a minor at Stanford. The CS minor is very reasonable in its requirements—much easier than the CS major! Doing a double major, though, is tougher—it doesn’t leave much room for electives.
As a parent of a freshman, I’ve been very impressed by the dorm life at Stanford. The staff go out of their way to provide seemingly endless socializing opportunities and plenty of support, and although not every student will want to participate in dorm life to the same degree, it’s nice to know that the opportunities and support are there.
As for roommates, I’m guessing this varies quite a bit. From what I’ve heard, most roommates get along, though they may not end up being best friends (or even friends at all). Though students fill out pretty extensive questionnaires in advance, the matching process is imperfect, and there’s no way to know how truthfully each student actually fills out the questionnaire—or whether significant differences in habits may develop between the time the questionnaire was filled out and when school starts. For instance, someone may say he or she goes to bed around 11 but actually end up going to bed at 2 or 3 a.m. Same thing goes for drinking habits. We haven’t been thrilled with how things worked out for our son with his roommate, but they get along, and after the first year, students can try to room with their friends.
Sorry—I meant to type “@magic125”.
I’d mostly agree with the above post.
Not too difficult at all (especially if you know what you want coming in). I’m majoring and minoring and know some people who are double majoring (and one insane person who is triple majoring). If you spend the first year exploring and trying different courses then it might be a bit difficult to fit in a major and minor. But if you start out taking mostly major/minor required courses and GERs then it’s totally doable. Look for GERs that also fulfill your major and minor requirements.
I don’t know anyone doing BioE and CS, but I do know some people doing EE with a CS minor. From what they’ve said, these are some of the more unit-heavy majors/minors. They still have time to be very involved in extra curriculars although some people who double major/major and minor in unit heavy areas forego studying abroad. Which is totally fine of course - but if you want to study abroad it might be difficult to do with that set up. You can also build your own major so you do have the potential to do a hybrid between the two of them (although this isn’t very common).
Dorm life if great and almost everyone lives on-campus for all four years. Dorm staff plan dorm events and activities throughout the year. Snow trip, movies, musicals, trips to San Francisco, paintball, etc. You generally get to know almost everyone in your freshman dorm pretty well. Really the staff are there to make your experience the best it can be. Dining halls are flexible so you can eat with friends in any dining hall on campus if you have a meal plan (which means you’re not limited to eating with friends who live only in your dorm). You get to rank your preferences on what kind of dorm you live in (all-frosh, 4 class, themed, etc.). All freshmen dorms tend to be a bit louder and are usually considered the more social/party dorms. Definitely recommend picking a dorm type that fits who you are.
Most people get along relatively well with their roommates. They might have a few quirks that you don’t like, but generally no major problems. After your first year you can choose a roommate (or roommates) or try to get a single. Stanford pairs you with your roommate freshman year based on both of your responses to some forms you fill out after being admitted (so don’t try to be someone you’re not!). In my nearly 80-person freshman dorm no one had serious problems with a roommate that required changing rooms or moving out. Most people also don’t become “best friends” with their freshmen roommates although it does happen. Usually they’re just a friendly face you say hi to when you see them around campus.
Hi thank you so much for all the really detailed responses so far!
I come from the UK where the drinking age is 18, so all my friends and I can get alcohol very easily, whether that be at a pub or a supermarket or a club. Is this still the case at Stanford? How enforced are drinking laws at supermarkets/bars/clubs etc?
How much support is there if you do end up really struggling with a particular class?
Thanks! xx
Do students there commute from off campus? Is it cheaper to live on or off campus?