Introduction

Stanford University, located in the heart of California boasts a college area of 8,180 acres. Stanford University is ranked #2 as per QS World University Rankings (2020) and #1 as the Best Business Schools (MBA) in 2021 by US News. The university has alumni and faculty who went on to receive 83 Nobel prizes and 28 Turing Awards. The university is famous for its business school which has paved the way for students starting their own companies and eventually giving employment opportunities to thousands of others. There are 3 undergraduate schools with 40 departments leaving plenty of options for students to decide what they want to major in. Getting into a prestigious university like Stanford is itself an achievement and that’s why we have included everything there is to know before applying.

English Proficiency Test Requirements

International students who are non-native English speakers have to submit test scores in English proficiency tests as it is a requirement for Stanford University and helps them decide your capability of keeping up in their country. Stanford University accepts the following scores:

• 100 and above on the TOEFL iBT
• 7.0 and above on the IELTS Academic
• 68 and above on the PTE Academic

ACT/SAT Requirements

Stanford University requires all undergraduate applicants to submit ACT/SAT test scores. There isn’t a minimum score that would guarantee admission as the university considers the application as a whole and not just the test scores. The average scores mentioned below are just to improve your chances of being selected. If you’re targeting a university like Stanford, it’s always best to keep your scores high.

Tuition Fee and Cost of Living

With the university located in California, you can expect the living expenses to be a bit high depending on your lifestyle. The values below are just an estimate and change every year. Make sure you check the university website for the exact figures.

The conversion from USD to INR has been made with $1 = ₹70. The cost may vary with the varying exchange rate.

Application Portal

Stanford University accepts applications via two portals:

• Common Application (apply here https://www.commonapp.org/) and 
• Coalition Application (apply here https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/). 

You can apply through any one of these platforms by adding Stanford University to the list of universities you’re applying to.

Essay Prompts

Since Stanford University gives you a choice of submitting either a common or a coalition application, each of these applications has its own set of essay prompts followed by Stanford University’s essay prompts.

In addition to the essay prompts of the common or coalition application, applicants must write a short essay of 100 to 250 words on each of the following topics:

Stanford Essay Prompts:

1. The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.
2. Virtually all of Stanford’s undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate and us get to know you better.
3. Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why?

College Application Deadlines

The following are the deadlines for freshmen applying to Stanford University:

All the deadlines end at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time and the applications are to be submitted on the common or coalition application portal.

Reference: https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/deadlines/index.html

Conclusion

The great thing about Stanford is that they don’t require you to specify your major until after you join the university. You only need to specify your interests but it doesn’t affect your application in any way. Hear it first hand on what UniRely’s student mentors studying at Stanford University have to say. Sign up at UniRely to talk to a student mentor and get your application to top universities noticed!