“The Farm,” as Stanford University affectionately calls itself, offers a world-class university experience. Located about 45 minutes south of San Francisco, 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, and in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the world for academics and research opportunities for students. Founded in 1885 in memory of the son of Jane and Leland Stanford, the beautiful university is a beacon of intellectual exploration and discovery for curious minds from all over the globe. If you’ve ever wondered about what life is like at Stanford or what it takes to get into this prestigious university, look no further: we’ve got all the insights and tips for you here at AtomicMind.

‍What is Stanford known for?

Out of all of its majors, Stanford is most known for its computer science program. Adjacent to some of the most innovative places in Silicon Valley, this means that CS students have close access to internships at some of the world's most exciting companies, including Meta, Apple, Google, and Nvidia. The university’s extensive resources prepare students to be competitive applicants for these programs and beyond. 

Stanford is also famous for its unrivaled research opportunities. Stanford ranks 2nd in the world for university scientific paper output, meaning that Stanford STEM students have access to incredible opportunities to contribute to scientific research. With a large political think tank, the Hoover Institution, on the heart of campus, students also have a unique chance to work alongside people who have served at the highest levels of government. 

If your academic interests lie elsewhere, Stanford still has countless opportunities for you. In fact, if you’re a humanities student, the university’s emphasis on small class sizes allow you to study closely alongside your professors and truly get to know them. Having studied at Stanford myself, I greatly enjoyed Stanford’s French and art history classes. Additionally, its artistic and social science programs are very strong, with their faculty containing some of the most prominent leaders in their field.

And who are some of the famous professors you might meet along the way? Some of Stanford’s most prominent faculty include Condoleeza Rice (political science), Alexander Nemerov (art history), and Gerald Cain (computer science). Some of my favorite professors included Robert Rakove (international relations), Chloe Edmondson (French), Kathryn Stoner (political science), and Javier Mejilla Cubillos (economics). The connections I made with professors along the way led to insightful mentorships and even an internship opportunity at a startup in Lithuania. Stanford faculty is an incredible collection of distinguished academics that may lead you to your next big opportunity.  

‍Why are Stanford’s academics special?

Out of approximately 17,500 students, roughly 7,500 of them are undergraduates pursuing a major in one (or even two) of Stanford’s 66 available majors. Many of them also study a minor or two to complement their main studies. While Stanford has some basic course requirements for graduation (known as the “Ways” requirements), it allows students the flexibility in which classes to take to meet these requirements. So rather than just assigning students a math class to take, students have to meet a “Applied Quantitative Reasoning” requirement, which could be a math class—or a computer science, logic, or geology class. Stanford emphasizes growth in ways of thinking and doing rather than checking off specific classes to take.

The university encourages you to take a diverse set of courses your freshman year, even if that means you won’t get perfect grades. Stanford allows students to “shop” for classes for the first three weeks of the quarter, deciding which ones they like and don’t, and to take up to 36 of the 180 credits required for graduation to be “credit/no credit” classes rather than for a grade. While not everyone will need to use all 36 of those credits, it is a reminder from the University that there’s always room to explore—even if that means exploring a domain far outside your comfort zone.

‍What is the Stanford community like?

Stanford students are known for being intellectually curious, dedicated, and easy-going. The campus’s culture reflects collaboration more than cut-throat competition, making it a welcoming environment for all students in pursuit of their passion. While Stanford students are highly studious, they’re also known for loving a good time, whether that’s playing volleyball at one of the campus’s many courts or jumping into a water fountain (a Stanford tradition known as “fountain hopping”). 

With over 700 student organizations, Greek life, and intramural sports teams, students have so many ways to get involved with the university beyond academics. Stanford’s massive size—8,180 acres to be exact—makes the campus feel like a city of its own where life is centered around all that’s happening on the Farm. Plus, with nearly year-round mild weather, students don’t need an excuse to get outside and enjoy their gorgeous campus or the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area.

Stanford’s community is also made up of several talented athletes. Its sports teams, known collectively as the “Stanford Cardinal” (for the color), have won more NCAA championships than any other university in the U.S. (138, if you were curious). Its football team has produced legends such as Christian McCaffrey, while its soccer teams are consistent leaders in their field. And that’s not to mention Stanford’s Olympic accomplishments: if Stanford were a country, its athletes and alumni would’ve tied with Canada for 11th place in total medal count (39) at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics (with more medals won than any other university in the history of the Olympics). It’s not uncommon to sit next to an Olympian in some of your classes—I know I did several times.

Furthermore, its entrepreneurial spirit makes the campus a hub of promising new ideas that are constantly being tested and maybe even funded by some of the venture capital companies next door. Silicon Valley contains some of the deepest investor funds in the world, meaning that students don’t have to travel far if they’re serious about growing their idea into the next big thing. Stanford’s prime location allows for frequent visitors from top companies in Silicon Valley, meaning the opportunities to network with and learn from successful entrepreneurs are endless. A standout memory of mine is taking an entrepreneurship class featuring the youngest self-made billionaire in the world as a guest speaker.

‍Does Stanford offer good financial aid?

Over two thirds of Stanford students receive aid of some sort to attend Stanford, with about 58% receiving scholarships of any kind and around 50% receiving needs-based aid. Stanford’s financial aid policies aim to assist students based on the student’s family’s ability to contribute. This is in order to prevent financial circumstances from preventing a student from enrolling. If your family earns under $150k, then the university pledges to pay all of your tuition. If your family earns under $100k, then Stanford will cover your room, board, and tuition.

It’s helpful to visit Stanford’s financial aid website, which outlines its policies and goal of financially supporting students throughout their Stanford education.

‍Tips for Applying to Stanford

So what does it take to get into a place like Stanford? There isn’t a single ideal Stanford profile; it’s important to emphasize in your essays and list of activities how everything ties together to make you a person. Explaining yourself within the context of the world at large shows that you see your role as a global citizen going beyond just yourself. 

In general, Stanford students demonstrate an ability to thrive across several academic disciplines. Academic challenges are something to be overcome, not feared. A broad curiosity for various parts of life and how they connect would reflect Stanford’s emphasis on trying new things and drawing connections, so if that sounds like you, then you should consider Stanford.

At the same time, Stanford values a student that can truly dive into their passion and bring it to new heights. Love learning languages? Make an impact in that language’s community in your local area. Love acting? Create your own production. Authentically diving into your passion while remaining strong in other areas would make you an excellent contribution to the Stanford community.

And if you consider yourself to be a bit quirky, now is the time to show it off. Stanford loves someone that brings something new to the table. Ever seen Stanford’s marching band or tree mascot? That’s the epitome of Stanford quirkiness that makes the Stanford community a one-of-a-kind. 

‍Can you help me apply to Stanford?

Yes! If this information resonates with you, Stanford might be the perfect fit—and AtomicMind is here to help you become a standout applicant poised to make a meaningful impact at Stanford and beyond.

About the Author: Dylan is a Head Advisor at AtomicMind based in Southern California. He graduated from Stanford University with a major in International Relations and a minor in French. His passion for learning and education shaped his current endeavor of helping students design their own unique path to college, which he does in addition to his hobbies of hiking, traveling, and reading.