Undergraduate Admissions
Policy Statement
Stanford's undergraduate community is drawn from throughout the United States and the world. It includes students whose abilities, intellectual interests, and personal qualities allow them to benefit from and contribute to the University's wide range of teaching and research programs in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and engineering. The University admits students who love learning for its own sake; who exhibit energy, creativity, and curiosity; and who have distinguished themselves in and out of the classroom.
Stanford welcomes a diverse community that cuts across many dimensions. The University does not use quotas of any kind in its admission process: it does not favor particular schools or types of schools, nor any geographic region, nor does it have any racial, religious, ethnic, or gender-related quotas. The University believes that a student body that is both highly qualified and diverse in terms of factors including (but not limited to) culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, work and life experiences, skills, and interests is essential to the educational process. Having a student body that is diverse in many ways (specifically including race and ethnicity) furthers Stanford’s educational mission in that it promotes understanding among those from different backgrounds, contributes to the destruction of stereotypes, prepares students to be positive members of a diverse workforce and national and international communities, and shapes the next generation’s leaders. Applications are encouraged from those take initiative and responsibility for their education and who would provide additional dimensions to the University and its programs.
Citizenship and immigration status are not a condition of admission to Stanford. The University welcomes applications from all students who are ready to make the most of the extraordinary academic opportunities available at Stanford. Undocumented undergraduate applicants with questions about admission or financial aid should visit the University’s Undocumented at Stanford website.
In order to preserve the residential character of the University and to maintain a favorable student-faculty ratio, Stanford has a limited undergraduate enrollment. The anticipated size of the entering class is approximately 1,700+ students who are admitted for Autumn Quarter enrollment. Approximately 20-40 transfer students, entering either the sophomore or junior class, are also typically admitted for Autumn enrollment if space allows. Each year, the University receives many more applications from qualified students than there are places available.
Stanford is committed to meeting the University-computed financial need of each admitted student, and admission decisions are made without regard to the applicant's financial status, except in the case of international students who are neither U.S. citizens nor U.S. registered permanent residents.
Implementation Information
Application procedures, requirements, and deadlines vary from year to year. See the Undergraduate Admission website for the most recent information; or call the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (650) 723-2091.