Stanford University Top Questions

Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

Christopher

My favorite aspect of life at Stanford is certainly the open-mindedness, especially with respect to the vibrant diversity that exists on campus. There are limitless opportunities at Stanford for all individuals to express themselves, regardless of race, heritage, religious ideals, political affiliations, or any other personal identifications that otherwise create barriers between students. Upon initially acquainting myself with current students during Admit Weekend when I was a high school senior, I found that they were extremely open to learn more about and understand the perspectives of their diverse peers. I appreciate that everyone is incredbly welcoming, accepting, and warmhearted.

Courtney

The best athletics in the country combined with the best academics in the country. Of the top-tier, Ivy-league type schools, there is absolutely no place that can compare to Stanford University.

Sachie

Stanford is a school full of high achieving, trail blazing students, but it is a very human and diverse environment. It's population varies from self-made millionaires to students who barely made it through high school, but each one contains a flame of bright potential. People don't go to Stanford to just get an education, they come to Stanford to live in the hub of innovation for a menagerie of fields. Stanford is as much a technically ferocious school as it is strong in the humanities. Stanford is an unbelievably well rounded school in all areas.

Connor

Stanford has a different "feel". Everywhere you go, people are brilliant, people are smart, and people want to help you do awesome things. The amount of opportunities here dwarfs those anywhere else.

ELIGIO

STANFORD UNIVERSITY IS DEDICATED TO FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THE GREAT CHALLENGES OF THE DAY AND TO PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LEADERSHIP IN TODAY'S COMPLEX WORLD.

Lauren

There are lots of really smart people here, but they aren't geeks--smart but normal and very social.

Patrick

Amount of helpful resources dedicated to the student body.

Sam

It is the best university that is on the West coast with plenty of career opportunities available after graduation.

Cameron

If you are white rich and Californian, Stanford is a good place for you. Otherwise, try and find a school that is a little less concerned with aesthetics.

Anaya

Stanford offers a tight-knit community with world-class professors and facilities. It's like an Ivy League school but in the more vibrant, exciting atmosphere of northern California. People are unbelievably friendly and helpful, as well as talented and accomplished here.

Jeffrey

Stanford is unique in that students are encouraged to think outside of the box. You will learn things in ways you never imagined before once you start taking a Stanford class. Poetry can be taught through neuroscience and math, medical students are required to study art history; the disciplines bridge and connect in ways never even imagined in high school. By crossing these subject boundaries, by exposing students to new paths of thought in surprising ways, the students themselves become so intellectually curious, so ready to apply new concepts to old fields. Stanford allows you to truly experience everything.

Harper

Why you should go to Stanford.

Kathy

Although Stanford offers excellent academics and students work hard, there is an emphasis placed on having fun, being spontaneous, and enjoying life.

chris

Everyone is excited to be at Stanford

Benjamin

Stanford offers small class sizes, and everyone there is extremely friendly. Stanford has a unique breed of students there. We work really hard, but only compete with our own personal standard, not with the people around us. It creates an environment of stress, but without direct competetion.

Krystal

People seemed friendlier and happier. I thought the campus was gorgeous. It was closer to home.

Elliot

Everyone has a reason to be here. Either you're rich, an athlete, a genius, or have done something amazing. Everyone has a story.

Zinnia

Stanford has a great atmosphere and a ridiculously driven student body. While students here are innately competitive, there is very little outward competition and this has made my experience at Stanford very smooth.

Erica

At all the schools I toured , there was a sense of community, a sense of academic excellence, and other common attributes; however, Stanford was the only school that astonished me with its numerous opportunities to get involved. Granted, it can be difficult at times to choose between the many clubs, internships, sports, fraternities/sororities, academic initiatives, outreach programs, and over 650 student organizations. The hardest lesson I had to learn this past year was the burden of over-commitment, but I do think that Stanford?s plethora of activities and ways to get involved on campus is truly unique.

Andrew

We are diverse and also have everything a campus can have to offer students.

Don't

There's just SO much going on all the time... you can be whatever kind of person you want to be and have a great time. All kinds of social scenes and a beautiful campus.

Paige

whack

Sasha

I enjoyed my freshman your greatly! It was one of the most amazing times of my life. The delicate balance between Social life and Academic life is perfectly weighted and gave me the opportunity to discover more about myself and develop to the person I am now. Great times, you should definitely consider it!

Tate

One really special aspect of Stanford that I think bears mentioning is it's location in Silicon Valley. While Stanford has no undergraduate business program, there are vast resources here for students wanting to start his or her own company. If you need advice or want to learn about business, the GSB is right on campus and some classes are open to undergrads, if you are hoping to get funding for an idea, there are a million venture firms next door on Sand Hill Road. Also, the strength of the engineering program here makes it easy to find manpower for any idea you want to implement. There are also a lot of classes and programs here that support entrepreneurship, including: The Stanford Product Realization Network BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students) lots of Management Science and Engineering Classes on innovation and entrepreneurship Stanford Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar (check out the website, they bring in awesome speakers) At Stanford, there are great opportunities and resources available for anyone who wants to take what they've learned in the classroom and apply it in a business venture setting, whether it's for profit, not-for-profit, social entrepreneurship etc.

Jordan

N/a

Jordan

The weather's great year-round and 280 is the greatest highway ever

John

I was extremely satisfied with virtually all aspects of my experience at Stanford, and wouldn't trade a minute of it. In fact, if I could change any one thing, I would have stayed longer.

Andrew

Yes, Stanford has Freshmen and Sophomore Seminars, to encourage faculty-student interaction and small class sizes. But the number of open slots for students is extremely limited, and most professors don't participate. Thus the vast majority of undergraduates miss out with one-on-one faculty contact, even though 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body pays the full tuition. Also, don't get me started on the undergraduate "advising system", which is a joke! Currently 78{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the faculty do NOT participate in advising undergrads. Many of the remaining advisers are upperclassmen trying to pad their resumes, or graduate students who are alumni of other universities and who are also trying to pad their resumes . You will not get good advice from these people, because they do not really have a track record to demonstrate the validity of their advice. It is the "blind leading the blind." My own experience was a nightmare. Once I had declared my major, I chose a particular faculty member to be my adviser; he was the only guy in my field of interest. When I went to get my study list signed by him, he flatly refused, saying "I don't advise undergraduates." I was furious, but what could I do? I ended up signing the remainder of my study lists on my own.

Chris

This place is small enough to feel like home after your first few months. Living here really is like being at "Camp Stanford" (if you're a happy optimist) or like being trapped within the "Stanford Bubble" (if you're a negative, anti-social pessimist).

Ben

The underground gay scene is nearly as big as the out gay scene- Craigslist and Boredatstanford are big facilitators for closeted sex, and hooking up in Green Library is definitely not unheard-of. It can be really hard to get laid, for everyone but especially for gay men because the out gay scene is uptight and gossipy, so even out gay men end up looking for sex online. It's too bad but the way it works out.

Reese

Beautiful place. Wish I'd taken better advantage of it. Now that I'm off to graduate school, I have to figure out whether I want to go back (admitted, but unsure). Obviously, it is what you make of it. Make the most.

Torry

I've seen a lot of weird stuff at Stanford, from people tying dolls/teddy bears to their bikes, to people protesting naked, to people coordinating their singing in the shower. I've also met some amazing people who are doing things I would never have thought of. On the other hand, I've met people who are too caught up in school and their future careers and have forgotten to have fun along the way. There are definitely some people here who could loosen up a little, but there are some who are having a good time.

Wyatt

I love surveys. Thank you so much for this.