No problem! Good luck to you and everyone else who’s applying this cycle!
And congratulations to all of the current Frosh who have survived NSO this week 
Wow! Era991, you are so helpful! I like Stanford a lot, because like you, I’m in love with Neuroscience and the Brain in general, but I’m also interested in how we can incorporate that with new technological innovations to aid neurological disorders, which is where I think Stanford can serve as a bridge for both areas. Unfortunately, the area I’m in is lacking opportunities, it’s just school and that’s it. However, I’ve tried to make a point that I can get out of my box and I’ve successfully landed a research opportunity at a place 40 mins away form my house, but I’ll start soon-- I personally think it’s worth every single second.
Just some general questions:
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How do middle school grades factor into the process? (8th grade specifically, Bs from 8th grade are on transcript, but my UW GPA is still in range nonetheless). Everything else from grades 9-12 is good.
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You don’t have to answer if you feel it might reveal too much or are too unique or something like that, but what are some ECs you really involved yourself in for neuro? Or some personal recommendations for someone like me who loves Neuroscience? I personally have a few, but I’ve contacted so many neuroscience opportunity-related sites and they never respond (rip me). I want to show Stanford that I am in LOVE with the brain.
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I’m a year younger than all my peers, which is no excuse, but obviously it has some problems-- I still can’t drive, a lot of summer programs are closed to age 16+, volunteer programs are closed off to the same requirement, etc. To add, I’m still not a permanent resident (and obviously not a US Citizen), but just a legal resident. I can’t compete in any of the olympiad due to this, nor YoungArts and other competitions. I try to work with what I can. I know for a fact however, that I will be a permanent resident (Green-card holder) by the time I apply to colleges, it’s been too long and that’s about the estimated time. Will Stanford admissions note this? I do NOT want to get their sympathy, but I want them to at least know that I struggled just a bit to do these things haha.
Thanks!
@latiere it used to be that Stanford Admissions considered only grades from 10th and 11th when recalculating your GPA. Check their page - I believe that’s still true.
If applying with the CA, use the “additional info” essay space to talk about your various special circumstances - but focus not on the challenge, but how you overcame them.
Good luck. It’s an unbelievably special place
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Middle school grades don’t factor into any college apps unless something big has changed since the days I applied.
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In general, the neuro categories would include college classes, independent studies at your HS, research lab experience, college summer classes, and neurologist/neurosurgeon shadowing. (Psychiatry, ENT, anesthesiology, and med genetics are some other neuro-flavored specialties if you can’t find the first two). For shadowing and research, personal connections are always helpful. For research, unfortunately it’s very difficult, but no impossible, for HS students to land a position. I don’t know where you live, but most universities and many med schools have outreach for HS students specifically, so I’d check the websites of the nearest such institutions if you haven’t already. For example, our institution is one of many that hosts a Brain Bee as well as many Brain Awareness Week events–I’m not sure if the Brain Bee requires citizenship for participation, and BAW events definitely do not, so I’d take a look at those to see if you’re interested.
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I can’t say for sure, having never been employed in Montag Hall, but I imagine they would notice. If you so choose, there are several places on the app where you could bring this up–not saying you necessarily should, just that you could if you felt it would be appropriate in that context.
Shorter response since today’s a long day at the hospital for me, but I think that covers everything important.
Have you met any transfer students? Are they allowed to double major, or are they discouraged to do so to “graduate on time.” Other schools I’ve visited (UC schools) say that they don’t really encourage transfers to double major because it adds pressure on counselors to get them their classes to graduate on time. But I’m really attracted to Stanford for that idea of having academic freedom and being free to pursue what you want to the full extent that you desire (of course within reasonable limits… I doubt they’d let someone be an undergraduate for 10 years haha). I don’t want to be held back because of unit caps or a “get in and get out in 2 years” system. I would love to double major in physics and economics while still being able to take some chemistry or Japanese electives (at my CC I’ve taken 2 years of Japanese and would love to continue learning it). I do wish Stanford had a chemical physics major or chemistry concentration within the physics major. Is it possible to shape your education in that way?
I don’t want to be held back or be told to limit myself to what is average. Stanford seems to be a unique place that lets you pursue your intellectual vitality and take advantage of what they have to offer. I don’t mind graduating in 3 years as a transfer student. I would love to spend more time at Stanford if I were to be admitted!
Though I suppose I just want to know if this image I have of Stanford is correct or not… is it more bureaucratic than what I think it is? That is mainly the problem with why I’m not too fond of transferring to a UC school. That and their lack of funding and their huge size.
I am pretty sure there are no restrictions on being a double major or taking an extra year or two to graduate. You, not a counselor, would be the primary person in charge of your course and major selection. There is flexibility in creating a custom major but it has to be approved.
Having said that, the main challenge is the admit rate of transfer students. From what I have heard admissions looks for unique qualities in transfer students to add to the diversity of the student population. Good luck if you apply.
otoribashi, the main obstacle for transfer applicants is the admit rate. Stanford’s yield has risen fairly dramatically over the past five years (see attached graph). If you apply, just hope there is a reversal in that trend so the door opens for more transfer students.
@otoribashi I do know transfer, but I’m afraid I don’t have too much insight to offer beyond what was alreayd said. I really don’t know the physics and econ major unit counts/electives credited towards the major/concentrations, so you should look at the departmental websites for definitive info.
As a humorous aside, I did hear that last year there was someone (not a transfer) who was a quadruple major in the humanities, who apparently managed to still maintain a very healthy work-life balance.
Bureaucracy…I’m not really sure how to even answer this question. I really can’t compare it to any other undergrad institution, having never attended another. I guess all I can say is I never took any real issue with our administration? There was some minor stuff, like the occasional frustration with housing and dining admin, but no complaints about the top-level general admin. The only context where I wished things were set up differently involved dorm staff, where different types of staff members received different compensation and training, despite having largely overlapping roles and responsibilities. The bio department’s admin was incredibly supportive, although sounds like that wouldn’t really be applicable to your situation.
@googledrone Thanks for graph! It’s quite helpful… though very upsetting for future transfers… Do you think the recent Brock Turner case might have an effect on admissions next year?
@Era991 Wow, a quadruple major! I wish I could do that…! I feel like I’m always looked down upon for wanting to double major but it’s great that Stanford supports that!
I guess what I mean by bureaucracy is being told I shouldn’t double major or that administration/counselors will be give you a hard time by trying to say no and dissuading you for wanting to double major because “you’re a transfer, you should just graduate in 2 years and then get out.” Also the lack of on campus housing for transfers at almost every school… I’m pretty young but the counselors made it seem as if transfers shouldn’t live on campus with a bunch of freshman (although even sophomores and other levels live on campus) because they won’t like the atmosphere… I hate that they would just assume what I would like. I might actually want the campus experience that I couldn’t do right after high school. Not that I plan on being a crazed freshman partying every night or anything but I’m probably a year younger than their Juniors and they act as if I’m a 30 year old with a family who would prefer to live in isolation because of my supposed “maturity,” just because I’m a transfer student. Surely transfers have different needs and I don’t deny that that transfer profile exists, but it’s frustrating to be put into a mold simply because they assume that all transfers are the same. We can still be mature young adults and have a desire to have a traditional campus life. (sorry that this turned into a venting session, lol) Of course, I have to live with the fact that I’ll never be a freshman college student or get that frosh treatment and that’s life. I can’t change that, but it’d be nice if we weren’t treated THAT differently. We’re not aliens! We still want to experience all that a school has to offer, or at least I do. Was it easy for transfers at Stanford to fit? Do others see them as “transfers” or do they treat them like any other Stanford student?
What kind of unique qualities do they want from transfer students? What type of student body are they trying to make? I think I can offer some diversity in personality and in experience, but again I’m not too sure of what exactly they’re looking for or what they expect a transfer student to add. Would we be completely written off if we don’t have a 4.0?
A few more lighter questions:
How cold does it get? When I visited it was like 98 degrees lol. Do you ever get a mountain chill or anything of that sort? Are professors approachable during class and/or office hours? Is it easy to make friends after the first two years or are people more closed off by then?
On their Facebook page I always see a lot of conferences/talks/micro lectures going on that are live streamed. Is it easy for undergrads to attend those events? I would LOVE to attend those. I saw one of their events on their livestream and it was so interesting, it’s actually what led me to want to apply to Stanford.
Well, Stanford transfers all get housed on-campus in Kimball, which is one of the four upperclass (sophomore/junior/senior) dorms in the Manzanita Park complex. Of these four dorms, it tends to be the liveliest, since it is also the arts theme dorm. Transfers fit in just fine, as far as I could tell–I honestly don’t see why I would treat them any differently, and I never heard any complain about this. The obvious issue is that a lot of tight-knit friend groups form in Frosh year, so it can be harder to find a new group after Frosh year–this is true for everyone, not just transfers–but I’m told that the transfers are generally quite tight-knit themselves. And again, the Kimball community is pretty good, as far as upperclass dorms go.
As I mentioned in previous posts, I really can’t do the chancing or “what do they look for” type questions. I’ve simply never sat on a Montag Hall subcommittee, so I can’t offer anything more than conjecture. One of my first posts on this thread talks about what I value as an interviewer, but that may well be very different than what the officers value.
Weather: Generally 65-85 high during the day, sometimes 85-100 during the summer and early autumn. Coldest it gets is during winter at night, when it can drop to 30s sometimes…I remember my knuckles got cracked during Frosh year from biking back to the dorm after dark, so I had to invest in a pair of gloves.
Friends: As mentioned above, lots of close-knit friend groups form in Frosh year within Frosh dorms, which often last through graduation and beyond. After that, the next generally accepted best ways to make friends after Frosh year involve Greek organizations, clubs/non-Greek organizations, and extracurriculars including sports, and staffing a dorm. It’s more difficult, but by no means impossible to make friends in upperclass dorms and classes; you’ll just have to put in the effort. That said, about half of my closets friends with whom I keep in touch I met after Frosh year.
It depends on the talks, but yeah it’s generally not too difficult to get in. Some of the ones hosted at the professional and graduate schools require special permission or are just closed to undergrads, but the general university talks are generally pretty open.
@otoribashi apply. Lay it all out there. Research the campus and your interests in it well, and leverage that knowledge in your application. The Gaeities trailer from 2015 jokes about a atudent’s 15 majors. In general, it’s s campus filled with students who love to learn, carry way too many credits because they’re genuinely interested in that many topics, and kids who are 24/7 busy because there’s always so many opportunities. Profs are extremely approachable. As to social aspects, I feel like the campus is one giant Venn diagram - people overlap so many different groups. Good luck! Get your app in. No regrets.
In regard to weather: There are micro-climates in the Bay Area. Palo Alto is warmer and less windy than western San Francisco. The ocean winds moderate by the time they get here. l lived in Palo Alto for the last nine years. I was raised in Pennsylvania. From my perspective it doesn’t get cold here. I wear shorts and a t-shirt to work at Google year round. It does get chilly in January. So students who are not accustomed to chilly weather should bring a winter wardrobe for January and February.
In Palo Alto right now visiting. It was 80 today and 83 tomorrow!
@MomTwo2 thank you, this was really encouraging
Do you think I should still apply even if I have a very low GPA (currently 3.47, but I’m taking a very heavy courseload this semester that I realistically think I can get a 4.0 in)? Or is that an automatic disqualification? (I know they don’t have an actual transfer GPA cut-off stated in their website but I imagine it’s still quite below their standard metric) Would they ever accept a student who fit into the school’s culture and had that diverse fit going for them, if they lack a 4.0? In a way, it is kind of different and diverse from their typical student body… which probably isn’t something I should try to spin in a positive way in college apps haha! “Hey, your school is full of geniuses and I am but average! I’ll add a sense of grounded-ness to your student body!” (In reality however, my community college GPA is much better than what I had in high school… I used to have a 2.4, almost didn’t graduate, bad family/living environment…not sure if that adds some context to my current GPA and if that will be considered as well. I know they say they look at your application holistically in terms of your situation but I just can’t imagine them accepting someone without at least near perfect grades no matter the situation. I’m sure if they were going for that pool, they would have more than enough academically excellent prospective students to choose from)
@googledrone @kath00 That’s great to hear! I much prefer hot weather than cold chill in your bones that doesn’t let you get out of bed!
@otoribashi I’m not an AO or an interviewer. I will say the student body is filled with grounded, diverse, humble people from many different walks of life. I’m just a mom of a student. So I’ll offer motherly advice that is not based in any inside information at all: if you want to attend Stanford, and you believe it is a place where you can thrive, then apply. The worst that can happen is you’re not admitted. If you don’t apply, Your also not admitted BUT with one distinct difference: you’ll never know what might’ve been. It seems you have identified compelling reasons why Stanford is a fit. Rather than talking about them loosely in college confidential, turn your efforts in earnest towards your application. Look at your current portfolio - does it adequately explain who you are? Or are there activities or experiences you want to add to It? Can you identify for yourself what makes you unique in a pool of applicants. This is kind of like brainstorming: no idea is to be dismissed initially as you think about this for yourself Highlight them for yourself. Ask yourself: “what aspects of me am I most proud of?” And craft essays which help the admissions officer learn about you in your own voice. If you have experienced challenges, frame them in terms of how you have overcome them or if you have not yet overcome them, how you recognize their impact on your life and what you’re doing to change that. I believe Stanford admissions officers truly look at the entire package of each applicant Again, this is just personal advice I would give to any student who wants to pursue his/her dream.
Good luck! No matter where you end up, don’t let your past define you.
PS- @otoribashi I know a lot of kids at Stanford and they - proudly - are NOT a “type.” They each bring different values to a collaborative community of learners and doers whose academic backgrounds also differ. So don’t compare yourself to what you believe the Stanford student is because your idea may not be reality. Ask yourself: “what can I bring to the community? How can I add value?” And then humbly weave that aspect of you into your essays as part of the fabric of who you are.
@MomTwo2 Wow, thank you very much for all of this advice! I will definitely make sure to implement this into my application and start brainstorming and focusing more on that than on comparing myself online haha… thank you so much! Motherly advice was definitely needed
@otoribashi it’s just ONE perspective. Follow your gut. Believe in yourself, with humility. Good luck!!
Thank you for this thread. My son just started as a part of the 2020 class. He is a humbio major and wants to do medicine. He is talking only chemistry, calculus and a writing class for fall quarter. No classes on Tuesday or Thursday but just a lab on Tuesday. Do you think this is too lax a schedule? He is loving life at Stanford and I’m happy for him. He got a 5 on AP Physics which I think is the only AP class Stanford accepts so he gets credit for that. Should I be concerned that he might not finish undergrad in 4 years? Do many pre-med students take longer to finish their undergrad degree. My concern is the effect on cost vs. not wanting him to feel overwhelmed. Any thoughts?
@NosyCaliparent likely, he’s fine. Dean Julie has always said to freshman “treat 1st quarter freshman year itself like a 3 hour course”. And current advisors echo that. It takes a lot to adjust to campus: there are so many fantastic things to do, and it’s a great time for them to build community and connect with their freshman dorm
As to classes taken, even that depends. Not all ours are created equal. Is it Chem 31? Or 31X? Big difference in intensity and amount of work. For Calc, is it the math 20 series or 50s? )don’t answer - just Qs for you to consider). And if writing is PWR1 then the final papers for a freshman can be very time consuming at the end. Hopefully by thanksgiving he’ll have figured out that with an entire week off, he can use a few days to completely take a break and a few days to get ahead and finish up as much of the paper as he can. I would suggest you encourage him to explore the campus as much as possible without overcommitting. Winter quarter is where the kids really add on the hours. By then, he might be carrying as many as 20. But don’t worry: some could be fun hours or creative courses. Spring again is time to back down a little.
Encourage him to apply for a Freshman seminar. Deadline for winter is Monday. They can be fabulous, especially if the topic is something he’s really interested in and the professor is one of these amazing high-end people he might not otherwise have access to for a year or so.
Make your reservations now for parents weekend. I hope he lives his dorm.