They’re definitely not miserable or overly competitive! You do have to take quite a few challenging courses and there’s less room for exploring other areas. We don’t have grading caps or deflation so it’s not a miserable/competitive environment like some schools. Compared to most premeds I get the sense that ours are quite a bit happier. Many are able to study abroad, staff dorms, and participate in other student orgs. You can even be “premed” and major in something unrelated to premed requirements (not bio, humbio, chemistry, etc.). Although it is generally encouraged if you’re premed to major in something related to the core to make it easier on yourself. If you’re premed you will have to work hard since grades and MCAT scores are important and it’s often seen as a “harder” track to take. There are a lot of internship/clinic opportunities for premeds and you get to take some pretty exciting courses - some friends now are in one where they dissect cadavers.
I’ve heard that it’s hard to find internships if you’re a social sciences or humanities major, especially paid internships, and that career services aren’t as good. Any truth to it? I’d probably be a poli sci major.
I didn’t go to admit weekend (had a competition that weekend) although I wish I had! I went to an alternative date, which was a nice experience although I do wish I was there when everyone else was. I get the impression it’s pretty easy to make friends even if you don’t know anyone coming in. However, I think most people don’t make the bulk of their good friends until fall quarter freshman year. You’ll likely be acquaintances with quite a few people (say hi in the hall, maybe grab coffee sometimes, run into them at parties, sit together in class, etc.) but not make more than one or two of your really good friends - if any - at admit weekend.
As far as going to dining halls, at the start of freshman year you can expect someone to walk down the hall saying they’re going to dinner/lunch/breakfast and inviting anyone with a door open. Usually freshmen at the beginning roll out to meals in large groups. Your freshman dorm will probably all sit together at one or two large tables. After the first few days (or a week) usually freshmen will get over the need to go down in large groups and instead will just head to the dining hall and sit with whoever’s there. Dorm staff usually make sure the environment is inclusive so no one ever sits alone.
When you make plans with friends who live in your dorm usually stopping by their room, texting, or setting up a regular time for meals is how it works. For friends who don’t live nearby you’ll often text them to set something up. It’s also not uncommon after having a class to go with some friends from class to lunch.
We don’t have limits on the amount of people who can choose each major so if you want to major in CS you certainly can. It usually seems like CS majors really enjoy their major but also that the major attracts a certain kind of person. You should probably be the person who, when faced with solving a difficult problem that requires trial-and-error and many mistakes, will not be frustrated and instead excited. CS majors are usually only really stressed out the night before a PSET is due (or an exam). They do have regular assignments that are somewhat time consuming but most CS majors seem to really enjoy the major. It seems a bit more collaborative than other majors in that CS majors will discuss how they’re doing on assignments with each other, if they’ve started yet, their favorite exercise from a class someone’s in, etc. It’s not seen as one of the “easier” majors but it’s also not seen as ridiculously hard. Most CS majors don’t expect to get great grades but do get good grades.
Not all frat parties are all-campus ones though the bulk of them that freshmen attend will be all campus ones. At least until spring quarter (when rush happens) very few freshmen will likely be attending non-all campus frat parties. Usually you have a reason to attend a more exclusive frat party (i.e. brothers and their dates only, pledges and actives only, etc.).
I don’t know too much about it actually - I’ve heard it’s a nice interdisciplinary option if there’s another area you’re interested in. Some people will instead choose a non-CS major (but take some CS courses) and then co-term in CS.
Depends on the person really. Dorm lounge is only good if you’re collaborating or work well with distractions/sounds. We have TONS of libraries (four years here and I haven’t even been to all of them). Green Library is the main one and has a good variety of workspaces (super quiet room, group study rooms, more casual areas, individual desk spaces, etc.). I spend most my time studying in the Robert Crown Law Library, Green Library or my room. Green is open until 1am most days.
Don’t bring a printer! It’s cheaper and easier to just use the computer cluster ones. If you choose to have a fridge/microwave wait until you meet your roommate so you don’t double buy things (i.e. one of you buys the fridge and the other buys the microwave, then you share). Do invest in a small fan unless you’re from a really hot area.
Sign up for classes right when enrollment opens - this can help you get into your preferred section (with the best TA) and make sure that no classes fill up. Usually you can get into most classes just fine, the most competitive ones are some athletic courses (Social Dance), some language courses (fall quarter Italian/Spanish).
Don’t try to be someone you’re not - not everyone likes big parties. It’s a good experience to at least try going to a party once or twice, but if it’s not your thing then don’t feel obligated to go. There will be a lot of non-party social options as well. Join a student group, be involved with the dorm, all that good stuff.
As far as classes go, try looking for classes that fulfill a GER and also apply towards your major. It will free up your schedule more than if you take those as separate courses. Also don’t be afraid to try some courses totally new or unrelated to your major that just sound fun. Look into intro seminars (small discussions with amazing professors) since many are freshmen-specific.
I’m a social sciences/humanities major and have never had a problem finding paid internships. I don’t think it’s hard to find internships for us, rather that it’s not as ridiculously easy as it is for most CS majors. I can’t speak to poli sci specifically though, but I’ve never heard of anyone having a problem with it.
Hi! Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer mine and others’ questions 
-
What is the Japanese Language program like at Stanford? I’m looking into studying abroad in Japan but am open to other languages/study abroad locations.
-
How difficult is it to be involved in music? I want to audition for the Symphony Orchestra and/or the Wind Symphony but also am interested in the marching band. Is it difficult to be in more than one music performance group and how competitive is the audition process for the orchestra/concert band (obviously depends on instrument, but a general assessment is fine).
I actually sat in on a Japanese language class when I visited the school and was pretty impressed. Really liked the prof and it was very conversation-driven (instead of memorizing lots of vocab). You can probably count on Japanese language classes being smaller than the 15 person limit (since the more popular languages like Spanish, French and Italian are usually the main ones at limit). The intro course I sat in on had about 7 people and it led to a lot of interaction with the prof and more discussions. Stanford has a Kyoto study abroad program that I’ve heard good things about but I don’t personally know anyone who went abroad there.
It’s not hard to be involved in music in at least some capacity. In my experience the music groups are good but not outstanding (better than "honor groups"or most high school programs but not as good as top youth symphonies). Considering it’s not a conservatory or school with a true music performance major you’ll be surprised at how many really talented musicians there are. The audition process is pretty standard (play a bit of a solo, sight read, etc.) and is much more casual than high-stakes auditions. You’ll likely be auditioning in the office of the conductor for each group. Usually the audition room has only the conductor and maybe a TA or PhD student in it. It is somewhat competitive depending on your instrument (I’m guessing you’re not a string player since you’re interested in both groups, so instruments like flute and clarinet tend to be slightly more competitive).
It is a bit time consuming to be in more than one performance group (e.g. orchestra and wind symphony). Both rehearse twice a week for a total of around 5 hours each (10 hours per week to do both). Orchestra is generally viewed as slightly more musically impressive while the wind symphony is viewed as more fun (and closer outside of rehearsal). I’d encourage you to audition for both and, if you get into both, go to the first rehearsal for each then make your decision. It is possible to do both and there are a select few who do.
Marching band is interesting. If you want a serious or good marching band then don’t join. If you want a crazy, wild, party-like vibe then look into it. They literally don’t march - halftime shows are scatter drills where sections are told to make shapes on a field. There is zero marching except for when they go to the Rose Parade (and then they learn marching just for the parade). Playing wise, if you do join then join on a new instrument. Most people who join have never played the instrument they join on before. If you’re good enough to make it into orchestra or wind symphony then you would probably be as good as the section leader of marching band (if not better). You’ll be extremely bored sitting through instructions on how to finger notes or play rhythms if you join on an instrument you’re good at.
For the sake of anonymity, feel free to PM me with more specific questions on music! I’m familiar with the reputations of quite a few of the private instructors as well as conductors, sections, smaller ensemble options, etc.
Do we get elective credits for AP tests if they don’t give us credits for a specific class?
In my experience you don’t get any AP credit unless it’s one of the courses Stanford includes on their credit chart: https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/transfer-credit/advanced-placement/ap-credit-chart
Also, note that we don’t pay by the unit (you pay a set amount of tuition for the quarter regardless of whether or not you take 12 units or 20). So taking fewer units and applying AP credit would actually mean that you’re technically paying more per unit than if you took elective courses at Stanford. You shouldn’t have any trouble fulfilling the minimum amount of units for graduation (180 I think) even if none of your APs count.
thanks lagging for answering the questions in the thread :0
-i’m a beginning/intermediate level violinist. have you heard what the lessons are like for people my level? i have 0 musical acumen-- in the beginning i could barely clap a steady beat-- but i still want to continue playing. (and you said that practice rooms are hard to get-- could you expand more on that? do i just need to hover outside for a while until one is free?) are they soundproof?
-did you ever get a special snowflakey vibe from some freshmen (and others)? if so, does this mostly go away as time progresses?
-i know palo alto is expensive but are the necessities more reasonably priced? is there a shop you’d reccommend?
@tatemae
quote] I’m a beginning/intermediate level violinist. have you heard what the lessons are like for people my level?
[/quote]
There are group lessons for beginning/intermediate violin that you could definitely take. The beginning violin class is actually quite popular. Smaller chamber groups are also an option (string quartet, etc.) and usually you don’t have to audition for those.
My problem with practice rooms is that there are only 8 of them in the main music building - it’s just not enough for the student population. It’s not too bad, usually the beginnings of the quarter are when you’ll have to wait the most since people are prepping for auditions or whatnot. Usually you don’t have to wait more than half an hour, sometimes you don’t have to wait at all, sometimes it’s just a five minute wait. There’s an area in the practice room corridor where you can chill on a couch and wait until someone leaves a practice room. If you’re not taking lessons then they do charge you a fee to use the practice rooms ($50/quarter). If you take lessons the fee is waived. You basically swipe your ID card to get into the corridor and then can use any open room. They’re “soundproof” according to the company that makes the rooms, but really they’re somewhat but not entirely soundproof. You’ll be able to slightly hear the people in the rooms next to you. It’s also worth noting that some people do practice in their dorm rooms. Dorms with a music-related theme like Burbank and Kimball have spaces where you can practice (for free) as well. All dorms have a piano in their lounge that you can play on as long as it’s not quiet hours.
I never really got this vibe - it’s pretty humbling coming here and I think most students recognize that almost everyone has something that makes them special. If anything, I think the “special snowflake” comes more from parents than students. Students here aren’t generally impressed by bragging-type attitudes.
Palo Alto isn’t too bad for necessities (there’s a Walgreens that’s priced pretty similarly to a typical Walgreens). It’s more for bar hopping or going out to dinner or buying clothes that it’s overpriced. It’s still not too bad - you can get Boba for like $4, you can get decent thai food for like $12, etc. Students do go there quite often still, usually for food.
Generally the best places to go buy stuff nearby are Costco, Walmart or Target. They aren’t in Palo Alto, but they’re pretty close to campus (and our free shuttle takes you to the Walmart/Target area). Don’t buy any necessities at the Stanford Shopping Center - it’s even more overpriced than Palo Alto. There’s also a typically priced Trader Joes near campus.
thanks sm for your detailed answers!
@Lagging I love your answers! Just a quick question that popped up but when would you say is the best time to do a study abroad quarter? What year and what quarter? I am just trying to plan where I want to go
The general thought is that junior spring is the most popular and “best” time to study abroad. It’s less desirable to go abroad winter quarter (you have to move in and out of fall housing and move back in and out spring housing, whereas if you do fall/spring abroad you only move in/out once). Spring and fall are usually more competitive to go abroad and some programs waive or decrease the language requirement for winter quarters. Generally people consider the weather while abroad most desirable in spring quarter.
Senior year most people don’t want to be abroad in spring because you’ll miss all of your “lasts” at Stanford. Almost no one goes abroad as a freshman (I don’t know if you’re even allowed to go abroad then). Sophomore year is also a fine time to go abroad.
Really it’s up to you - anytime during sophomore and junior year is most common.
Hi @Lagging! What courses do freshmen usually take? I’m a little confused with the GER requirements - do people take these freshman year, or distribute them over four years? I’m a prospective bioengineering major, so what type of courses do you think I’d have to take freshman year? Also, if you don’t mind, would it be possible for you to list what courses you took in all three quarters of your freshman year?
Thanks so much Really appreciate it
Freshmen usually take the intro courses for their prospective major as well as some GERs. Some GERs you have to take freshman year (although the current GER requirements are different from my year’s requirements). You still have to take PWR 1 as a freshman - it’s a writing and rhetoric course where you can preference certain topics (e.g. Rhetoric of Innovation, Rhetoric of Human Machines, Rhetoric of Dissent, Rhetoric of Biomedical Ethics…). My year the only other GER you had to take as a freshman was Thinking Matters although I’m not sure if that’s still a requirement for freshmen.
Some other GERs you can fulfill with courses applicable to your major. The main exception would be the language requirement if you don’t test out. Most students begin language courses freshman year so you can have the option of going abroad starting sophomore year. Ideally start it in freshman fall - you need to register right away to get into the more competitive language courses in fall. You can test of out of the language requirement, but quite a few people choose not to take the test and rather explore another language here.
Stanford encourages you to take a lighter unit load freshman fall to get used to college vs high school. They recommend 12-15 units. I took:
Fall
Intro course for my major
Intro course for my minor
PWR 1
CS seminar
Athletic course for fun
Winter
Intro course for my major
Intro course for my minor
First year language 1
Grad school related course
Spring
Intro seminar for my major* definitely take an intro seminar freshman year, it’s specifically meant for underclassmen and is a small (15ish) group of students with usually an amazing professor
Intro course for my minor
First year language 2
Thinking Matters
I’d say that’s pretty common. Those without an intended minor can often take multiple courses for their major per quarter. The only area of study where you’re much more regimented on what you should take is pre-med. The “pre-med track” is something most people start freshman fall and I’ve heard it’s hard to graduate on time if you don’t follow a certain schedule. I’d imagine you would take PWR 1, maybe 3 quarters of language, and at least 1 major related course per quarter (probably will be mostly at the intro level freshman year). You can look up the BioE requirements online and see how to best space them out.
@Lagging thank you so much for the detailed answer! So, for the language requirement, if I were to get a 5 on the AP exam, would I automatically get out of the requirement, or would I have to take the placement test? And based on the placement test, does the college determine if you need one, two, or three quarters of language? thanks!
Depending on the language, a 5 could test you out of the requirement (https://registrar.stanford.edu/students/transfer-credit-and-advanced-placement/advanced-placement/ap-credit-chart and https://web.stanford.edu/dept/lc/language/requirement/). Alternatively, you can take the placement test where Stanford will tell you what year and quarter you belong in. Then you can either continue the language in that placement or start a new language. Most people who take the test manage to test out of at least one quarter if they studied a language in high school. I’d recommend at least trying a language course and seeing how you like it - they’re usually really popular and much more useful than high school language courses.