스탠포드 대학교 (Stanford University)
- Paschar
- Mar 18
- 4 min read
* This article is based on firsthand accounts from current students and alumni, as well as official university-provided information. Imagine combining MIT and Duke University—that's somewhat similar to Stanford University. Stanford boasts outstanding large-scale athletic programs, excellent preparation for professional schools (law, medicine, dentistry, business), exceptional engineering programs, and a relatively less competitive atmosphere compared to East Coast peers or UC Berkeley. Visiting Stanford, you'll likely be captivated by its vibrant and upscale environment.
The West Coast's "Ivy League"?
Those who haven't visited Stanford might assume it's similar to East Coast Ivy League schools, but aside from offering top-notch education and facilities, Stanford is essentially their polar opposite.
Stanford fully embodies Northern California’s distinct vibe. Unlike East Coast Ivy League schools characterized by Gothic architecture and tradition, Stanford's campus features predominantly red-roofed buildings, and its strengths lie prominently in science and engineering rather than humanities.
스탠포드 대학의 Science and Engineering Quad
Recently, even East Coast Ivy schools have begun shifting away from their traditional atmosphere, yet Stanford remains distinctly different. Eastern elite universities historically emphasized existential inquiry and life's meaning. In contrast, Stanford embodies America's relatively recent emphasis on technological innovation, scientific progress, and modern development.
With an endowment of about $26.5 billion, Stanford's upscale facilities and atmosphere immediately impress visitors. Originally founded with a strong focus on engineering and sciences, Stanford only recently began enhancing its humanities programs.
With one of the lowest acceptance rates in the U.S.—rejecting about 19 out of every 20 applicants—Stanford plans to expand its campus size long-term by increasing dormitories and faculty.
Unlike historically male-only Eastern schools, Stanford has welcomed female students since its founding in 1885, reflecting a fundamentally progressive mindset.
학업
Stanford students complete one course under "Thinking Matters" and eleven under "Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing," including aesthetics, inquiry, formal reasoning, ethics, quantitative reasoning, and creative expression—names highlighting Stanford’s straightforward, practical style.
Similar to other elite institutions, Stanford requires one year of foreign language study and courses in writing and public speaking. Over 200 small seminars are available for first- and second-year students, promoting close faculty relationships.
Computer science is Stanford’s most popular major, followed by engineering and biology. Stanford’s innovative CS+X programs offer joint degrees combining computer science with humanities disciplines such as philosophy, linguistics, foreign languages, and history, demonstrating Stanford's commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology education with classical liberal arts.
Stanford Students
Don't assume studying at Stanford is easy due to its Californian location. Stanford students often compare themselves to ducks—calm on the surface but paddling furiously underwater, unseen. Students consistently push themselves academically, yet the atmosphere remains collaborative rather than cutthroat competitive.
"People are always working together on projects and assignments. This might be because it is intense, and many students do take on a heavy workload."
Current Stanford student
Class sizes remain small, with 68% under 20 students, and 93% taught directly by faculty members.
Prof. Maryam Mirzakhani is the first female laureate of the Fields Medal (known as the Nobel Prize for mathematics)
"Overall, professors do seem to care about the students. They are definitely accessible, almost all having open office hours."
A Computer Science major at Stanford
Prof. W.E. Moerner is a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry in 2014
Stanford also encourages study abroad, with 51% of students participating in programs in South Africa, Australia, Chile, Japan, Germany, and other countries. Despite being home to Olympians and Rhodes Scholars, elitism is rare at Stanford. With 59% coming from public schools, its student body reflects greater socio-economic diversity.
"People are a bit quircky, but everyone is generally happy and easy to get along with."
A current Stanford student
Diversity is also significant ethnically—22% Asian American, 16% Hispanic, 7% African American, and 10% multiracial. Stanford students are notably politically progressive.
Campus Life
Stanford is known as one of America's most bike-friendly campuses, boasting about 20 kilometers of bike lanes and 19,000 bicycle parking spaces.
Like many universities, Stanford mandates on-campus housing for freshmen. A remarkable 93% of students choose university housing throughout college, partly due to Silicon Valley's high housing costs. Upperclassmen gain priority in dorm lotteries.
"Junior year I lived in an old faculty mansion for 30 students that had a Thai chef."
A current Stanford student
Stanford's extracurricular and social activities are highly diverse, with frequent events and performances year-round.
Underage drinking exists but remains relatively controlled. Recent incidents have led the university to actively strengthen alcohol safety measures.
As you might know, in 2015, the Brock Turner case was discussed nationwide in the United States.
Approximately 19% of male students and 27% of female students join fraternities and sororities, although party culture isn’t solely reliant on Greek life. Stanford traditions like Full Moon on the Quad (FMOTQ)—where freshmen ceremonially kiss seniors—are campus highlights, along with the annual Viennese Ball.
Full Moon on the Quad (FMOTQ)
The 36th Stanford Vienese Ball
While nearby Palo Alto is a nice but expensive town, outdoor enthusiasts enjoy excellent trails for jogging and biking. Stanford’s athletic program consistently wins the Directors' Cup for overall sports excellence in the U.S., boasting teams that regularly clinch national titles. Non-athlete students can choose among 31 club sports and 20 intramural activities, utilizing excellent athletic facilities including tennis courts, gyms, stadiums, golf courses, and swimming pools.
Tiger Woods is also a Stanford alumni
Stanford’s students embody a positive, hopeful, distinctly Californian optimism—quite enviable from someone who attended university in the chilly Midwest.
"Stanford is hard to fit into a box, but there is a very innovative and individualistic personality that is also a collective culture on campus."
A current Stanford student
This student's remark captures the essence of American culture perfectly, making Stanford, in my opinion, one of the most fundamentally "American" universities in spirit.
Acceptance Rate: 4.4%
Top 10% of high school class: 96%
Top 25% of high school class: 100%
SAT Math Scores 25th percentile - 720
SAT Math Scores 75th percentile - 800
SAT English Scores 25th percentile - 700
SAT English Scores 75th percentile - 770
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