Exploration and Excellence: Stanford students are risk-takers who set high standards, show initiative, and have the courage to push themselves. We offer such students renowned yet approachable faculty members, extraordinary academic resources, and a living and learning environment that rewards those who seek excellence in everything they do. From your first days on campus, you can explore virtually unlimited opportunities that will fuel your intellectual passions and help you fulfill your academic and personal promise.

Intimacy Within a World-Class University: Stanford’s view of both the teacher and student as scholar ensures there is no ivory-tower distance. Our undergraduate curriculum gives you the freedom to pursue your interests with well-known faculty members eager to share their intellectual passions and help you discover your own. The university’s commitment to nurturing student intellect begins with small seminars; mentorship continues through faculty-student research collaborations and may culminate in the launching of your own research project or honors thesis. Students are encouraged to share their interests with members of all campus communities, resulting in a vigorous intellectual life outside the classroom as well as inside.

What We Mean When We Say “Interdisciplinary”: Some call the Stanford culture intellectually entrepreneurial. Others refer to its intellectual playfulness. Many believe it’s responsible for the innovation that gave birth to Silicon Valley. But no matter who you talk to, students and faculty agree that Stanford’s “thin walls” between disciplines cultivate an environment of intense creativity that redefines what it means to be intellectually well rounded.

Theory Active in the Real World: With each new seminar you take, faculty member you encounter, or classmate you meet, you will make connections between classroom conversations and real-life applications. You will learn from faculty who are themselves policy-makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs involved in the most pressing issues facing our society. You will be invited to join a long tradition of Stanford community members who have been credited with innovations ranging from recombinant DNA to the laser to global positioning systems. Many top leaders in business, education, media and government share these same Stanford roots, further extending our reach to influential fields in all corners of the world.