How to Get Into Stanford

Stanford's admissions philosophy

Stanford University is a research-intensive private university in Stanford, California, known for its proximity to Silicon Valley and its strengths across engineering, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, law, and business.

Stanford's undergraduate admissions is among the most selective in the United States. Like other highly selective universities, Stanford uses a holistic process — academic preparation is necessary, but it is one part of a whole-person evaluation. Stanford's admissions office looks for intellectual vitality, curiosity, genuine depth of engagement, and the potential to contribute to the Stanford community.

All policies, deadlines, and requirements are set by Stanford and can change between cycles. Always confirm current information at admission.stanford.edu.

Academic preparation and course rigor

Stanford expects applicants to have challenged themselves academically in high school. A strong transcript typically includes rigorous courses — AP, IB, or equivalent advanced coursework — across core subjects including English, mathematics, laboratory sciences, history or social sciences, and a foreign language.

Stanford reads transcripts in the context of each school's offerings. A student who takes every available challenging course at their school demonstrates intellectual initiative.

Stanford's current standardised testing policy — whether SAT or ACT scores are required, recommended, or optional — is set by Stanford and may change. Always verify the current policy at admission.stanford.edu, the only authoritative source for the current application cycle.

• Rigorous coursework across multiple disciplines matters
• Verify Stanford's current SAT/ACT policy at admission.stanford.edu
• Grade trends and context (what was available at your school) are considered

Stanford's distinctive short essays

Stanford is known for its distinctive short-answer essay questions alongside the main personal statement. Past questions have asked applicants to list books they have read, describe a topic they find genuinely intellectually engaging, or share something that is meaningful to them. Stanford's prompts aim to reveal authentic intellectual interests and personal curiosity.

Approach these essays with honesty and specificity. Stanford's admissions readers have noted that they can tell when an applicant has tried to write what they think the university wants to hear versus what is genuinely true for them. Be yourself.

Current essay prompts can change each application cycle — read the current prompts at admission.stanford.edu and in your Common App account.

Extracurricular activities: depth and authenticity

Stanford values students who have pursued a genuine passion or area of deep engagement rather than those who have accumulated activities for the sake of a resume. Whether your commitment is to a sport, a research question, a creative art, community leadership, or something else entirely, what matters is that it reflects who you are.

Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial culture means Stanford has a strong tradition of students who build things, start projects, and apply ideas — but this is not a requirement. Students arrive at Stanford from every imaginable background and with every kind of passion.

Letters of recommendation

Stanford requires two teacher recommendations and a school counsellor recommendation. Ideally, your teacher letters come from educators who know your intellectual engagement in depth and from different subjects.

Stanford also accepts an optional letter from one additional person who knows you well — a mentor, coach, employer, community leader, or anyone who can provide new insights not already covered by your required recommenders. This 'Other Recommender' option is submitted via the Common App and is entirely optional.

• Two academic teacher letters plus a counsellor letter are required
• An optional letter from any person who knows you well ('Other Recommender') is available — use it only if it genuinely adds new perspective
• Choose recommenders who know your intellectual curiosity and character