Just wondering if the political climate is too overbearing at Stanford. I know it is very left leaning, but is this an issue for conservative students? I’d like to be able to find at least some conservative friends and not be constantly bombarded by liberal ideology from students and professors alike. It seems like it would be hard to have civil discourse on campus. Can anyone confirm or deny this from their experiences? Also, are fraternities more balanced politically than the rest of campus? Thanks for any help.
There are conservative student organizations and students - while there aren’t as many conservatives as liberals, it shouldn’t be hard to find like-minded friends on campus. I can’t speak to the experience of actually being conservative, but I can say that discourse was surprisingly civil in all of my experiences. In my experience, politics rarely comes up in daily conversation. You’re much more likely to talk to liberal/conservative friends about a problem set or student organization than about your views on the government. During election season would be an exception, but I always found it interesting to hear conservative friends’ perspectives on which candidates and why.
It is worth noting, however, that the type of conservative you are would potentially make a difference. I know tons of conservatives at Stanford, but during the presidential nomination process, not a single conservative on campus I know considered Trump their first choice (Kasich and Rubio were the more popular ones among students I knew). If you’re a conservative but not far right then you’ll find many like-minded conservatives at Stanford. If you’re far far right, I imagine your pool would be much smaller.
Though hopefully an actual conservative can chime in on their experience…
Thank you @Lagging. It’s hard to tell from things I see in the media about Stanford’s administration and a small group of students what the actual day-to-day life on campus is like. From your description it seems there are enough fairly moderate people on both sides that it’s not a major issue. But yes, I would like to hear what any past or present conservative students at Stanford have to say about it (if there are any on here).
the majority of campuses are hostile to conservatives…
I know folks may disagree… but just look at any college newspaper and their opinion section to get a sense of the political climate on campuses.
The Stanford prez sent out an email offering emotional and psych counseling to students after the election. all you need to know.
Stanford may be less hostile than say Berkeley but that’s not saying much:)
If you are interested in student government, you are going to have tough time. The ASSU is one of the most liberal student organizations in the country.
Also take a look at the Stanford Review https://stanfordreview.org/ the university’s conservative newspaper.