Undergraduate Admission

Discover Stanford

Experience the freedom to be the person you want to be, freedom to dive deep into academic discovery, and freedom to pursue your passions. Faculty and staff will spark and support your inquiry, and your peers will challenge you in a dynamic learning environment where listening and respectful discourse are paramount. Stanford will provide you the opportunity of a lifetime.

It isn’t just about the courses or the grades. It’s about the human being behind all of it. The cornerstones of resilience—learning, seeking advice, getting perspective and finding community—offer a way for young people to grow as they embark on the next major step in their lives.

– Richard H. Shaw, Dean of Undergraduate Admission

Dean Shaw

Application Deadlines


OCT15

Restrictive Early Action Application with Arts Portfolio

NOV1

Restrictive Early Action Standard Application

DEC5

Regular Decision with Arts Portfolio

JAN5

Regular Decision Standard Application

MAR15

Transfer Application with or without Arts Portfolio

Students walking to the Quad with Memorial Church in the distance

A Stanford Education is Possible.

Stanford offers comprehensive, need-based financial aid that makes it possible for all admitted undergraduate students to attend — and we do not expect students to borrow to meet their need. Learn how the program works, then use the net price calculator to get an award estimate based on your family’s financial situation.

Learn more about financial aid at Stanford

News & Announcements

Stanford students named Rhodes Scholars

Kate Bradley, Sid Dhawan, and Pranav Gurusankar will pursue graduate degrees at the University of Oxford in England, studying energy systems, clinical neurosciences, and applied digital health.

Read more in the Stanford Report

Meet six from the Class of 2027

This fall, Stanford welcomed more than 1,700 first-year students from around the nation and the globe, among them a poet, an activist, a language lover, an aspiring doctor, an academic Olympian, and a basketball star with her sights set on turning pro. They shared their paths, passions, and what they hope to accomplish on the Farm.

Read more in the Stanford Report

Stanford and the Supreme Court ruling

Read a message from Stanford’s president following the Supreme Court’s ruling on race-conscious admissions.
See details

“We will adjust to this new environment, in a manner that conforms with the law and that also preserves our commitment to an educational and research environment whose excellence is fostered by diversity in all forms.”

Read President’s Message

Testing policy for Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 applicants

For the 2022–23 and 2023–24 admission cycles, Stanford will not require ACT or SAT scores for first-year or transfer applicants.
See details

We recognize the ongoing challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited access to admission testing worldwide, and as a result, our test optional policy will extend to applicants applying for Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 entry terms.

Stanford is committed to a holistic review of all candidates. We consider the vast array of information provided in and with each student’s application, whether that information includes test scores or not. Students may continue to self-report test scores in their application if they would like. Applications without test scores will not be at a disadvantage.

The NCAA Eligibility Center has announced a standardized testing policy for students who intend to play NCAA Division I or II sports starting in the 2022–23 academic year. “Students who initially enroll full time during the 2021–22 or 2022–23 academic years and intend to play NCAA Division I or II athletics will not be required to take a standardized test to meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements.” Please check the NCAA eligibility website for updates to NCAA requirements for future academic years.

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