What isn't good about Stanford?

<p>There is plentiful diversity of all types at Stanford. Thanks in large part to its extensive supplement and the letter to roommate essay, the admission office is able to create a class that is diverse not only in extracurriculars and ethnicities but also in personalities. I think Stanford pays substantial attention to applicants’ personalities, thus creating an unparalleled level of diversity.</p>

<p>I would like to point out our black and white definition of sexual assault that includes all forms of sexual activity when intoxicated to any degree, though rarely enforced, can really mess up a student’s life. Also, the way that the internal trials are set up with regard to accusations of sexual assault, though helpful in punishing attackers with a lack of overwhelming evidence, makes an accusation itself highly damaging and difficult to fight. Stanford, in step with many other schools, switched to a preponderance method in determining guilt. Changing from proof beyond a reasonable doubt to proof that it most likely happened (50.1%) chance it occurred. Furthermore, the students convened to act as jury are trained by biased sources that can be viewed as discriminatory toward males. [thecollegefix.com</a> by Mobify](<a href=“http://thecollegefix.mobify.me/post/9737/]thecollegefix.com”>http://thecollegefix.mobify.me/post/9737/)
The above link details some of the legal issues. </p>

<p>But at least our free speech isn’t as horribly restricted as Harvard’s.</p>

<p>Can anyone tell me what the students in Stanford like. I mean, some common features that almost all the students in SF share.</p>

<p>i try to be objective, but i cant think of any. so i’ll just go with #2, #3 & #16 :)</p>

<p>im still having goosebumps when i recall that we initially signed with another (not equally) prestigious university bec of full scholarship offer. glad that we came to our senses that you never say no to stanford, ever. oh, what could have been the ‘un-possibilities’!</p>

<p>Like others have mentioned, Stanford students are very, very motivated and competitive. No matter what the rest of your personality is like, chances are that if you made it to Stanford, your drive had something to do with it, and the atmosphere at Stanford serves not to quench or pacify it, but rather to fan the flames. You look around you and everyone looks like they have their ***** together and are getting along great, with happy, balanced lives, but if the Stanford Confessions FB page is any indication, many people are secretly miserable and suffocated, because discussing one’s unhappiness or loneliness is frowned upon, and despite countless mental health initiatives, the latter remains a prevalent problem on campus. It’s almost expected that you should be happy, fun, and chill while at the same time managing 718236 different activities/achievements/startups/etc.</p>

<p>In some circles (read: mine), there was even a competitive mindset about how many units one took / how heavy one’s courseload was, although I don’t think this is commonplace. Do it all and do it well.</p>

<p>Stanford is a prestigious school on a beautiful campus with an energetic, fun-loving student body, but contrary to what the tropical gardens on campus would have you believe, it is not fun and daisies. It is a machine where, underneath the effortless happy-go-lucky facade, you must fight to survive.</p>

<p>^ This. The common perception people have going into Stanford is that their lives are set and that everything’s going to be fun and daisies. The truth is that the competition becomes tougher than ever, you will always be worried about getting into “the next step”, and you will work harder than ever before. All in an environment where people are expected to be happy all the time and talking about your difficulties is frowned upon. Seriously, I didn’t know this kind of atmosphere could exist until I came here.</p>

<p>Want to go to a school where you will be genuinely happy? I don’t think Stanford is the place, though I am sure many people are very happy.
Want to go to a school where you will become even more competitive than before to the point of being cut-throat, never really show it, not really know what’s wrong with the whole shebang since everyone looks so happy but something doesn’t feel right and you’ll start to feel too self-conscious about yourself and everyone around you? Stanford.</p>

<p>That being said, the academic quality is truly top caliber. If you are not entirely sure about coming here, I would not base my decision off of Admit Weekend which is not representative of how you will feel on a daily basis at all - try staying for a few days with a friend or something.</p>

<p>Thanks! Actually, I think I’m one of the masochists who want to be in an environment as competitive as possible. I think Stanford is the right school for me. But I believe all top universities are heavily competitive?</p>

<p>I can’t speak for other schools, but the competitive atmosphere you get at Stanford isn’t the healthy kind where everyone’s cheering each other on to succeed and everyone shares what they do - it’s secretive and closed off, despite how open everything seems to be. The general atmosphere of the student body is “me, me” and there is little social activism or community work, and when there is it all seems overwhelmingly for themselves/ourselves. </p>

<p>My biggest complaint would be the bubble. Like RCMan13 said (his observations are right on point) Palo Alto is a horrible college town. Students almost never leave campus, and on campus there isn’t much to do either in terms of normal life. You will study all day and get really good at academics/test taking, but miss out on real-life events/work experience/everything else that your friends at less isolated universities are getting because the only people you are interacting with are students and professors, not a real-life community.</p>

<p>tl;dr You will get even better than you already are at taking tests and what you major in. As a person, you will need much improvement.</p>

<p>

This wasn’t my experience. Instead as a whole, students seemed more supportive of each other that at other colleges where I have taken classes, such as SUNYA and RPI. The students I knew often studied in groups and usually did engineering problem sets in groups (when allowed, as it usually was). In such groups, many made a point of assisting others who were struggling more than they were with the material. I did this myself many times . I even volunteered as a tutor for some of the classes I had taken in the past. </p>

<p>I did feel that pre-med classes were more competitive than most others fields, but as a whole students still seemed supportive of others. For example, I recall a bio test where a student sitting in front of me appeared to just give up and stop writing, not long after the start of the exam. One of the kids I knew from my dorm, who was sitting next to him, stopped his exam to ask what was wrong and encouraged him to keep going. This was a huge unnecessary risk for him, as a proctor might have mistaken it for cheating. I did know a lot of pre-med students who were highly concerned about their grades, a few even to the point of worrying about having an A- core class on their record. They sometimes discussed this with me or other persons in the dorm, who often offered support in response.</p>

<p>I wasn’t particularly involved in social activism or community work, but it seemed like there were a good amount of opportunities to get involved if desired, and a lot of related activities going on at the campus.</p>

<p>So I honestly have never EVER felt the competitive nature that the posters above described. The competition they experienced could be a result of being a pre-med or maybe another more intense major. I’m an Urban Studies major thats dipped his feet into quite a few types of classes outside of my major (CS, math, econ, and a basic engineering class) and even in those classes i never experienced an intensely competitive atmosphere. </p>

<p>Also, most of my friends don’t openly care about their grades. Obviously we do want to do our best, but we very rarely discuss our grades because we all know that it’s easy to fall into the rhythm of comparing yourself to your peers (who are all frickin amazing) </p>

<p>Also the claims of some people not being truly happy at Stanford while seeming like it on the outside is also a bit true. There’s been a big push to expose the Stanford duck syndrome over the past few years but lately I’ve been feeling like its getting a bit overblown. People are starting to act like EVERYONE is unhappy underneath the surface when that’s simply untrue. </p>

<p>In short, yes there are some competitive unhappy students here who dont show it. There are students like that at all schools. Yes Stanford has a bit of a problem with it, but at least in my experience, the majority of my close friends who I talk to about this stuff don’t fall into that category. (Or I could just be a part of the happiest clique at Stanford, lol)</p>

<p>My D still absolutely LOVES everything about Stanford after 3 years there. She finds the people to be very likeable, well-adjusted, and cooperative. Still, can any school with a single digit admissions rate not be filled with high-achieving and, therefore, competitive people? Do you actually think Stanford students become the best athletes their age in the entire USA (and foreign countries) without being competitive? Some of them are already Olympians while still in high school! And can anyone earn a GPA over 4.0 in the most difficult and labor-intensive high school classes by being completely chill? No. Still, there’s a difference between being competitive with and for yourself, and being cut-throat. Stanford does not feel cut-throat to my D and she is an econ major going into banking–a stereotypical cut-throat field. </p>

<p>In fact, she worked with two interns from Harvard this summer. The one girl was really something else–future master of the universe kind of girl with no social skills. The other one (normal) told my daughter that about half the Harvard student body is as weird and off-kilter as that girl. She said a lot of kids are really miserable socially there at H. Just sayin’… You can find anecdotes to support any thing negative you want at any of the elite schools because people want to bring them down and say they’re not all that. Well, my D thinks Stanford IS all that.</p>

<p>I’d like to reinforce what RCMan13 wrote. My daughter has been teased for making literary references and she hasn’t found anyone who would enjoy seeing art with her. I would imagine that at Harvard, if one didn’t understand a literary reference, he/she would never admit it. Finally this summer she is working in the humanities department and has found others like her, but it took almost two years.</p>

<p>But it is dangerous to generalize, and my daughter and I are mostly thrilled with her Stanford experience. </p>

<p>As a parent, however, the following are my biggest beefs:</p>

<ul>
<li>The late September to mid-June schedule: it feels out of step with the rest of the world. I know there was a least one summer program our daughter could not do because of the timing.<br></li>
<li>The car issue: the kids are pretty much stuck on campus if they don’t have access to a car. Alternatives are riding bikes in heavy traffic (although many do and there are numerous bike lanes) and campus transportation options that may or may not be going where you want to go when you want to get there. When we visit, we seem to be in the car 90% of the time.</li>
<li>The ‘weird energy’ that surrounds both Stanford and Harvard. They are not normal places, and a student that doesn’t stay grounded in some way can be devoured. But this is another thread perhaps…</li>
</ul>

<p>I agree with Zenkoan’s response to SunDiego. Many of my friends and I have found tons of research opportunities on campus. Granted each department is different (I did research in DevBio starting Winter quarter of freshman year), I feel that if you continue applying to different labs and take interesting classes that can introduce you to research being done at the university, you will find your place. Now, does this mean that you will automatically be given a large piece of the project and be expected to give conceptual input? Not without sufficient experience. After all, it makes more sense for serious faculty researchers to hire postdocs and grad students with loads more experience in the field than you. Is this the same at any research institution? Absolutely. But what’s different about Stanford labs in comparison to labs at other universities? IMHO, the faculty is more trusting of their undergraduates. In my experience and drawing from the experiences of my friends, professors and faculty are more than willing to grant you more responsibility in projects once you’ve worked in the lab for about a quarter. Once you show that you’re committed, you won’t have to worry about being pushed aside in the research process simply because you’re an undergrad.</p>

<p>Also forgot to add that your experience as well as knowledge accumulates over time. You might even find yourself working in a better lab or even in industry by your second year.</p>

<p>On the quarter system, you may wind up having a midterm by your third week of classes (midterm is misleading, it just means a non-final exam) and so the pacing is fast.</p>

<p>Some people really like that, some may be used to the semester pace of a high school.</p>

<p>It’s overall a really great school. I’m a few months out, and I really miss the vibrancy of the campus. There’s so much to do, I was able to do maybe half of the things I wanted to do any given day/week/quarter/year. What I did get involved in I enjoyed thoroughly. </p>

<p>Some complaints, though:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>The only good things about the Palo Alto area are that you will never be at a loss for places to eat/shop and that the foothill part of town (which abuts Stanford) is stunning. Besides that, Palo Alto is overpriced, overpopulated, undiverse, ugly, and generally lacking in culture. Not the standard bearer for college towns, that is for sure. </p></li>
<li><p>The quarter system is generally good, but winter/spring is pretty tough, with only 1 week off. Especially if you don’t spend that week relaxing on the beach, but take advantage of one of the many spring break service learning or career opportunities available. </p></li>
<li><p>I feel the campus is getting more vanilla each year. I feel Deresiewicz’s critique of students as sheep being herded is quite apt. Places and traditions that once gave Stanford originality and spunk are being taken over by the administration and/or banned outright: eating clubs, co-ops, streaking, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Stanford students have passions, but finding peers with serious interests in the arts and humanities can be difficult, especially freshmen year. If you are one of these types, you either have to get lucky or be proactive in who you meet and get to know. Whereas if you were interested in, say, a startup, there’s probably ten people down the hall in your freshmen dorm who would be all ears. With that in mind, lots (probably a majority) of students will be interested in arts/culture/politics, but often this is cursory and tangential to their primary passion. </p></li>
<li><p>Public service, especially the military, is generally not as well regarded at Stanford as it is in other schools. We have a few ROTC members, but if I’m correct they have to take classes at other colleges in the area and do not get Stanford credit for them. But if all you’re interested about is a career at Goldman Sachs or Google, this should be no problem for you.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m sick of the duck syndrome metaphor, I think the main thing to combat it is to just be calm under pressure. Yeah crap can hit the fan easily in college: imagine if you’re having relationship issues with the guy/girl down the hall during finals week spring quarter when you also have to be worrying about moving out and starting that internship in a few days. The people that don’t lose their marbles when stuff like that happens are generally gonna get through it. Otherwise you’re gonna be fighting the current… a lot. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>THAT SAID, I think there is a lot of pressure to be “successful.” It will come from parents, family, friends, society, and yourself. Say you decide to take an unglamorous and low-paying job. Even if you keep your wits about you, you’re gonna run into people that don’t equate your career with your college choice. Some of them will even say you are “wasting” an opportunity, that you are “obligated” to do something grand for mankind. Last time I checked, the only one who owns me is me.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Students are generally super busy. It’s hard to find time to be spontaneous, at least with other people. </p></li>
<li><p>If you’re not Greek, the party scene is geared towards freshman and seniors. I was never in want of a party those two years, which was great. If only we could have figured out a way to keep that up the other years. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>There’s probably a couple more I’m forgetting, but that about covers it. The academics are really rock solid here, so most of my complaints revolve around the social/career aspects of being a student. Ultimately academics are just one dimension, dare I say an overvalued one in the eyes of most high school students/parents. College is ultimately what you make of it- if you go to a university where you are one of the brighter students, then enroll in graduate classes. It’s not as easy to adjust the social “feel” of a school and it’s impossible to change it’s location.</p>

<p>wow … thanks for the insight everyone ! Yes, any school that accepts top students are bound to be competitive. This really should be a lesson in finding your “fit” and not go by rankings.</p>

<p>I think Palo Alto and the 101 section around Palo Alto are getting just too congested. I agree with StanfordCA about the “pressure to be happy.” </p>

<p>Though when I was there (mid-90’s), the issue was grade-inflation - some freshman wrote about finding entering a junior college, (officially the school’s name is “Stanford Leland Junior University”).</p>

<p>My daughter loves Stanford after visiting and we love it, too, along with one other university on the east.</p>

<p>The only concern is that it is on the west coast. The prediction of another disastrous earthquake is close. I remember it was said that within 30 years after the 1989 SF quake there will be a worse one. It had been about 25 years since the last SF earthquake… and I saw this:</p>

<p>[World</a> Earthquakes Live, Earthquake breaking news, Earthquake statistics & predictions](<a href=“Real-Time Global Earthquake Updates & AI Prediction Methods”>Real-Time Global Earthquake Updates & AI Prediction Methods)</p>

<p>California is estimated to have next quake in 2017 - 2021. Is there awareness on this?</p>

<p>There is a large number of Asian students much greater than national average.</p>

<p>^^excuse me???..are you confusing Stanford with UCBerkeley??? Yes, the Asians represent 5.6% of the US population…so what does that have to do with the merit of the students who are applying…whatever the ethnic background of the student? Your statement is rather blatantly racist…sorry to say!</p>

<p>Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton have been STUCK at around 15-20% Asian college population…for several years now. And, don’t confuse the number of graduate school populations at these schools…</p>

<p>…I would hate to be Asian and applying to SHYP schools knowing there is a unwritten quota…</p>

<p>[Do</a> Elite Colleges Discriminate Against Asians?](<a href=“http://blog.priceonomics.com/post/48794283011/do-elite-colleges-discriminate-against-asians]Do”>http://blog.priceonomics.com/post/48794283011/do-elite-colleges-discriminate-against-asians)</p>

<p>[The</a> Myth of American Meritocracy | The American Conservative](<a href=“http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-myth-of-american-meritocracy/]The”>http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-myth-of-american-meritocracy/)</p>