Stanford University - Pictures

Stanford University - Basic Information

Stanford, CA

Total undergrad enrollment: 6,602

Ranked #5 in 2011 edition of Best Colleges (US News)

51% male/49% female

Application deadline: Jan. 1

Early action deadline: Nov. 1

Application fee: $90

Acceptance rate: 8%

Early action acceptance rate: 12.8%

Range SAT Critical Reading: 660-760
Range SAT Math: 680-790
Range SAT Writing: 660-760
Range ACT Composite: 29-33

Required standardized tests: either SAT or ACT

Admissions interview: neither required/recommended

SAT subject tests: strongly recommended (math II)
Common App

Tuition and fees: $39,201

Room and board: $11,876

13% in fraternities, 13% in sororities

Most popular majors: biological and biomedical sciences, engineering, multi/interdisciplinary studies, physical sciences, and social sciences

Average freshman retention rate: 98%

NCAA I

Stanford University - PROS

Academics

• Biology and human biology (premed preparation) - most popular programs
• Stanford-in-Washington program - allows 60 students to live, study, and intern in Washington D.C. each quarter
• Courses available in marine/biological sciences at Stanford Hopkins Marine Station
• Summer Research College - full-time summer research on campus
• 3 honors programs
• Amazing faculty
• 95% of classes taught by faculty instead of grad students
• Ranked #1 - best classroom experience
• Class discussions encouraged
• Student-faculty ratio - 6:1
• 70% of classes have less than 20 students

Student Life

• Guarantees housing all four years
• Great freshman dorms
• Great weather
• Nearby hills perfect for jogging/biking
• Small lake - sailing/windsurfing
• Intramural sports
• Laid-back-but-ambitious crowd
• Not any counter productive cut-throat competition
• Staff and students all supportive of each other
• So many extracurricular opportunities are available 
• San Francisco nearby
• Ranked #3 - school runs like butter
• Ranked #6 - happiest students
• Ranked #19 - best quality of life
• Ranked #4 - best college radio stations
• 450 athletic scholarships annually in 35 sports

Stanford University - CONS

• Extensive graduation requirements
• No merit scholarships
• Expensive Silicon Valley
• Food is just decent
• Social life can be limited
• The school's larger administration and bureaucracy is "inefficient, disorganized, unhelpful, etc."
• Palo Alto - not a college town