Many of the questions counselors have about the admission process at Stanford are similar to those of their students, so we encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions available on our Contact Us page.

Questions there include information about:

• How to receive materials from our office
• Our selection process
• Application deadlines
• Application requirements
• Restrictive/Single-Choice Early Action vs. Regular Decision
• Applying as an international student
• Applying as a transfer student
• Financial aid
• International Applicants

Two additional areas of interest that seem to be uppermost in the minds of counselors and students alike are “Demonstrated Interest” and “Student Stress.” We invite you to review the questions and answers below to learn more about Stanford’s position on these two topics.

DEMONSTRATED INTEREST and STUDENT STRESS

• Do you offer interviews?
• Is there any advantage in the admission process for visiting campus?
• Is it helpful to keep in close touch with staff from the Office of Undergraduate Admission during the admission process? Should my students frequently update the admission officer reading their applications?
• Is there anything else my students or I can do to demonstrate their interest in Stanford?
• What is Stanford doing to address concerns that there is too much stress in the college admission process?

We choose not to offer interviews at Stanford. Many colleges and universities offer or even require interviews as a way for students to learn about that college or university. While this is an appropriate use of an interview program, if we began one at Stanford, it would duplicate many of the resources we already provide prospective students, while also shifting the focus of applying to college away from student exploration and toward student competition, thereby increasing student stress and possibly promoting gamesmanship.

We believe that our written application, especially our three short essays and one longer essay, allows students to share their interests and ideas with us in a thoughtful and comfortable way.

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Is there any advantage in the admission process for visiting campus?

Visiting Stanford is a great way to explore campus and see if Stanford is a good fit for a student’s intellectual, personal, and social needs. We encourage students to visit campus to learn more about us, but we do not want students to feel they must visit campus or stop by the Office of Undergraduate Admission in order for their applications to be seriously considered. There is no advantage in the admission process for students who are able to visit campus, nor is there any disadvantage for those who are unable to visit.

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Is it helpful to keep in close touch with staff from the Office of Undergraduate Admission during the admission process? Should my students frequently update the admission officer reading their applications?

Applicants should feel comfortable contacting our office whenever they have a specific question about the admission process, but we do not want applicants to feel that ongoing communication is required. Some of our greatest joys as admission officers come from speaking with students about their dreams and aspirations. But contacts such as a phone call or an email exchange with us pales in comparison to the “day in, day out” interactions students have with their teachers, counselors, and other mentors who know their consistent contributions to a classroom, community, or club.

Just as a strong record of achievement throughout a full academic year is more impressive than a high score on a three hour standardized test, the detailed insights and letters of recommendation from those of you who know your students best are more influential to us than their direct or consistent contact with our admission staff.

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Is there anything else my students or I can do to demonstrate their interest in Stanford?

Some students are concerned they must visit campus regularly, attend all our regional information sessions, or keep in close contact with our office in order to show their interest in Stanford. We give no preference in the admission process to those applicants who demonstrate interest through these actions. We believe that the best indication of a student’s ability to thrive at Stanford is through demonstrated excellence during high school and demonstrated effort through our written applications.

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What is Stanford doing to address concerns that there is too much stress in the college admission process?

We know that applying to college can be a rewarding journey of self-discovery. We are concerned, however, about rising levels of stress in high school and strategic gamesmanship in the admission process. Such trends make it difficult for students to conduct the thorough and thoughtful college searches that could help them explore whether or not a college is a good fit.

As a staff, we often discuss what it is that we can do to be sensitive to what it's really like to be a high school student today, and what we need to be aware of so as not to make things worse. One thing we are trying to do is debunk the myth that a curriculum loaded to the brim with Advanced Placement courses upon Advanced Placement courses—with no regard to a student’s happiness or personal interests—is a prerequisite for admission to Stanford. Such a course load is not required, nor is it healthy.

We are not saying that students should stop challenging themselves. Of course we want students to challenge themselves when appropriate, but we don’t want them to hurt themselves physically or mentally along the way.

The students who will thrive at Stanford are those who are genuinely excited about learning, not necessarily those who take every single AP or Honors or Accelerated class just because its name has that distinction. Our hope is that students will be able to spend more time discovering their passions instead of stressing out about the college admission process, how many AP tests they are taking, or what extracurricular activities may appear most impressive.

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