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You’re going to have to ask yourself which is more important. Because despite the academic and geographical similarities of the two schools, they and their surrounding towns are fundamentally different.</p>
<p>@just20706-
Thank you so much for your reply and advice! It gives me a little more hope about next year. And congratulations about getting accepted by Stanford. I’m sure you’re thrilled!</p>
<p>My son will start this fall as a freshman and we are a middle class family who is not getting any financial aid. Therefore, I am looking to see if he can get his bachelor’s in three years (he is a premed and wants to do Biology as his major.) He has 23 credits that will get for his HS work and was able to design a plan of study that will allow him to finish all the graduation requirements in nine quarters. The plan looks doable, but still I think it would be helpful if he can take some GE classes this summer at the community college and reduce his load at Stanford. Does Stanford allow any GE units to be transferred from community colleges? If yes, how do we find out what classes qualify?
Any advice is appreciated.</p>
<p>^ I’m not sure about your question, but I wanted to add that if your son plays an instrument, that’s a good way of graduating in 3 years: taking classes for that instrument boosts your total # units. I know two people who did this (though they stayed a 4th year to coterm).</p>
<p>Could someone explain intro seminars? Do they give credits like classes? I got the packet and there are some awesome looking classes, and they say they work for Gen ed’s. But what’s the con of doing an intro seminar as opposed to a regular class?</p>
<p>^ there is no con. They’re awesome classes–on an interesting topic, in a small-group setting with a professor, etc. I guess the one drawback is that you have to apply for them–you rank three (some classes are lottery, some require you to write a few short-answers). Most get into one if they apply.</p>
<p>Okay sweet! What geneds do people typically try to get out of with them?</p>
<p>What is grade inflation like in CS?</p>
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I once had the choice of doing an introsem in history that dealt with utopias/dystopias in literature versus an intro to political philosophy class. The grand question of both classes were the same: is there an ideal society, and if so, what is it? </p>
<p>That said, only the polisci class would give me credit toward a polisci minor, at a time when that was something I was considering (and still am). So why would I take the introsem, a very similar class, but not have it count toward a minor? I had a hard time answering that question, so I took the polisci class. </p>
<p>So there’s a big drawback of introsems, in that they only can really count for elective credit. Also actual classes tend to be more rigorous, which is something one often desires if the subject matter is interesting.</p>
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<p>No more so than the women.</p>
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<p>I should have said “As far as straight guys go, no more so than the women.”</p>
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<p>Not many girls at Stanford except during summer school and cheerleading camp. Plenty of women though. You’ll have more luck if you remember that.</p>
<p>The 90% is an exaggeration. The 10% is probably about right for both California and Stanford. It’s also about right for the men at Stanford. One big advantage for straight Stanford men is that attractive women from outside Stanford attend frat parties and other Stanford events trying to poach Stanford men. Not many men from outside Stanford come here looking for Stanford women. So most Stanford women go to San Francisco for a social life.</p>
<p>For that matter many Stanford students live in SF. Palo Alto is a cultural oasis. Entertainment downtown is about five blocks of University Ave and two blocks of side streets Emerson and Ramona. Halfway through freshman year it’s pretty much “Been there, done that.” And if you’re a minority, PA is not a place you want to be.</p>
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Since when? The only students I’ve ever met who live in SF are grad students. </p>
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You have to be sarcastic here. At best it’s an oasis for a white, conventional, upper-class culture.</p>
<p>Senior - What about taking introsems to count for gen ed?</p>
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<p>Do you mind elaborating on the being a minority in Palo Alto?</p>
<p>^Yeah I was confused about that too. Downtown PA and the Stanford Shopping Center may be targeted towards whites, but I’ve never seen any form of racism or awkward race relations. </p>
<p>Jasonvdm- yeah introsems can go towards gen-eds. Many people take introsems for the GERs they are most afraid of, due to the easier grading and lighter workload of the introsems.</p>
<p>What would you say is a good number of course units to take first quarter frosh year? I sort of wanted to go a bit light to ease into school.</p>
<p>What can you tell me about SLE? Does it get a bad rep?</p>
<p>Oops. I meant to write that Palo Alto is a cultural void. The Oasis in Menlo Park is as close as this area comes to a cultural oasis.</p>
<p>And that is partly why Palo Alto is not very minority friendly. It’s just very, how shall I put it, sterile. You can’t help but feel out of place when no one looks like you. Don’t get me wrong. Everyone is very PC here and aren’t openly hostile, but there is definitely an undercurrent of racism that periodically surfaces publicly. Google the name “Lynne Johnson” and “Palo Alto.” She was the Chief of Police who “retired” after making the mistake of stating publicly that she had ordered her officers to stop any Black men they saw in Palo Alto as possible suspects in a series of crimes. There was also a Black man who was beaten by Palo Alto police who found him asleep in his car. The politicians were all suitably outraged but area minority residents just rolled their eyes at the outrage because both were just typical examples of day to day life for local minorities.</p>
<p>When I was a frosh I also thought all undergrads lived on campus. Given that I mostly knew other Frosh that was true. And when I looked at the cost of renting in Palo Alto ($1,000/mo for a studio), it was hard to imagine anyone living off campus. But most Stanford students can afford to live off campus and by senior year it’s not to hard to schedule classes on just three days per week. At that point SF looks very inviting. By far most Stanford students live on campus but I’ve known many who made the move to SF. Especially after working the summer there.</p>
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<p>Thanks Doss. Is Stanford itself like this or just Palo Alto? T^T Gosh, why do minorities always have to fight racism or some kind of prejudice wherever we go–whether it be very apparent or structural? . . . I’m sure there are some nice folks in Palo Alto though. =/</p>
<p>^At Stanford, white males are one of the few groups without a community center type thing. Oh wait I guess there’s Sigma Chi :)</p>
<p>idk if anyone answered the question from a few days ago about CS grade inflation - </p>
<p>let me just say, CS classes here are hard. like really really hard. they expect a lot out of you. the class i’m in now takes about 25 hours a week between reading and coding - about the same as my other classes combined. i don’t think it’s grade inflation, but i would say most people do have A-level work. even people who do have A-level work get Bs. and they definitely feel comfortable giving Cs. it’s at a point where the different between an A and a B is basically just your style.</p>