What Are The Admission Requirements For Stanford University?
The highly selective university, Stanford University, has a very specific set of requirements for admission. The university is looking for students who will contribute to the community and be active members of the school. To be admitted to Stanford well need to have excellent grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and essays.
Stanford University is one of the most highly selective universities in the country.
Stanford University is one of the most highly selective universities in the country. Stanford has a 6.7% acceptance rate and 97% freshman retention rate. It is also a private university located in Palo Alto, California.
GPA
GPA (Grade Point Average) is the weighted average of your grades in high school. High schools calculate GPAs differently, but Stanford uses one of these four scales:
- 4.0 scale – The highest grade is an A and the lowest grade is a D-
- 5.0 scale – The highest grade is an A+ and the lowest grade is a B+ (no D’s)
- 6.0 scale – The highest grade is an A++ and the lowest grade is B++ (no F’s)
- 7.0 scale – The highest grade is an A+++ and the lowest grade is B+++
SAT/ACT Scores
You will need to submit your SAT/ACT scores. The admissions committee will use a combination of your SAT/ACT results, GPA, and essay to determine whether or not you’re qualified for admission. While Stanford does not have a minimum score requirement for SAT or ACT scores, it does recommend that applicants aim for a combined score of at least 1400 on the new 1600-point scale. To be considered competitive, you should aim for at least the 80th percentile in both Reading and Writing sections of the test.
For more information about what Stanford requires in terms of SAT and ACT scores, please refer to our article: [What Are The College Admissions Requirements For Stanford University?](https://www.unigo.com/admissions/college-admission-requirements/?school=stanford)
Subject Tests
- Subject Tests are required for students who want to apply to a specific major.
- Subject Tests are not required for all students. In fact, many students do not need to take any Subject Tests at all.
- Subject Tests are not required for all majors or programs at Stanford University, either. Some majors do require them, but others do not. For example, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics does not require any Subject Tests (although it does recommend taking them). However, if you are interested in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Computer Systems Engineering or Human-Computer Interaction Design then you will need to take at least one SAT II Math subject test (options include Calculus AB/BC or Integrated Math 1 & 2) as well as one SAT II Literature subject test (options include Literature).
Extracurricular Activities
Extracurricular activities are also an important part of your application. They give us insight into your character and interests, so we want to see what else you’re passionate about outside of academics.
At Stanford, we look for a broad range of experiences that show you can leverage your skills in new environments and work with others who may have different backgrounds or viewpoints than yours. We encourage applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including those who identify as first generation college students, those who attend schools with less resources than many other schools around the country and those from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
We consider all kinds of extracurricular activities: sports teams, student government positions like class officer or treasurer; academic clubs such as Model United Nations; community service projects like tutoring at an elementary school nearby; leadership roles in organizations like Relay For Life (a student-run organization against cancer); internships (paid or unpaid); working at summer camps as counselors-in-training; research experience using our library’s collections; volunteering within the community through agencies such as Meals on Wheels or Habitat For Humanity.
Letters of Recommendation
The next step is to submit letters of recommendation. These should be written by a professor, employer, or other person who can speak to your academic ability.
Letters should be sent directly from the recommender to Stanford University’s Undergraduate Admission Office in an original sealed envelope. Letters are not to be submitted online or via fax; they must be mailed directly from one party (you) to another (the Stanford admissions office). Letters should also contain a brief note indicating how long you have known this individual; for example: “A letter from your former boss regarding your work ethic would be helpful here.” The same rules apply for letters from teachers as well: The teacher’s name and address should appear at the top of each page, along with his/her signature across all pages.
Stanford Essays
- How to write a good essay:
- Start early. The best essays are often written over the course of several days, rather than hours.
- Plan out your argument. If you want to make an argument that is convincing and compelling, it’s important to plan out your points before writing them down on paper or typing them into Word. Once you have a sense of what points will be covered in each paragraph, write them down so that you can refer back to this outline later on when writing the actual essay. This will help ensure that everything is organized and structured properly.
- Consider whether or not this subject matters enough for me to take time away from other things (sports practice/family time).
To be admitted to Stanford well need to have excellent grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and essays.
It’s important to realize that while the essay is not a big part of your application, it is still an important factor in the overall admission process. If you’re unsure about what to write in your personal statement, check out this article on how to write a great Stanford essay.
Essays are the least important part of your application and should be treated as such. You should focus more on getting good grades and test scores than writing an amazing personal statement or extracurricular activities. Even though these factors count towards your GPA and test scores, they won’t make or break your chances at getting accepted into Stanford University
We hope this article has helped you to understand what it takes to get admitted to Stanford University. If you are interested in applying, contact us today! We can help you with all aspects of the application process including essay editing, letters of recommendation and more.