Hey, do any of you know what Stanford may be looking for in terms of extracurriculars for those with an intended major in political science? What is the background of the typical admitted student for this major? Thank you for any and all insight!
Stanford does not admit by major, although they obviously shape their class into different buckets (STEM, social science, humanities, fine and performing arts). So there is no specific profile for such a student, EC’s should show evidence of commitment and thoughtfulness, creativity is a bonus. Quality over quantity. That’s pretty much it.
I think focused ECs that relate to your “Interest Area” is still a big plus. Stanford requires you to write down “Interest Area” on the application, even though they don’t require a specific major. My kid had no idea, so he wrote down the major that came closest to his ECs. One of the reasons my kid went to Stanford was because pretty much all departments were very strong there in case he decided to major in something else. Although he can get nearly all As if he major in languages (because he always has been good in languages), I told him to take a variety of classes and not avoid challenging classes even if he ends up with lower GPA. Also, he likes to learn about the ways the Silicon Valley operates. You should keep in mind that Quarter system has good and bad points.