Application Forms and Instructions

We are pleased that you are considering applying to Stanford! 

In applying for admission, we want you to capture (on-line) your unique strengths; tell us what motivates you; describe your intellectual passions; and share some of your hopes and dreams with us. This can be a difficult task, but we hope it is also personally rewarding. Take the time you need to submit an application that reflects who you truly are and not the person you think Stanford is seeking.

The 2008 Freshman Application


Please note that all applicants to Stanford must apply on-line and applicants must apply using the on-line version of the Common Application's First Year Application (along with the Stanford Supplement to the Common Application). We no longer offer a paper application (unless approved by the Director of Admission and only for those students who do not have access to the internet or who require a disability related accommodation). Submitted paper copies of the Common Application's First Year Application will not be accepted and will be returned.

Before you begin your application, please review this entire section for descriptions of the various pieces of the application.  Download and keep the 2008 Application Instructions document handy throughout the application process, reviewing all dates, deadlines and requirements so you are fully aware of what to expect as the months progress.

• 2008 Application Instructions

Detailed below are the various components of the application.  Both the Common Application's First Year Application and the Stanford Supplement to the Common Application must be submitted electronically, while the other documents must be submitted electronically or downloaded from the Common Application website.  No paper forms will ever be mailed to you.

• The Common Application's First Year Application
• The Stanford Supplement to the Common Application
• Secondary School Report (and transcripts)
  • Mid-Year School Report
  • Final Report
  • International Supplement to the Secondary School Report (overseas secondary schools using a non-U.S. educational system)
• Teacher Evaluation Forms
• Arts Supplement (optional)
• Application Mailing Labels

Please note:

• The Common Application's First Year Application and the Stanford Supplement to the Common Application are annually made available in early July.
• We only offer admission for the fall term, which begins in September.
• We discourage applicants from submitting application documents (such as transcripts and teacher evaluations) until they first submit the electronic version of the Common Application’s First Year Application, the Stanford Supplement to the Common Application, and the application fee (or fee waiver signed by your counselor). This allows us to create an electronic file for each applicant so we can more easily match newly arrived documents.
• You must use the Stanford mailing labels when mailing supporting documents such as the Secondary School Report, Teacher Evaluation Forms, etc.

The downloadable instruction forms can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you may download this program for free.