Stanford University - Academics

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

Most Stanford students are quite pleased with their academic experiences. Classes are interesting and intellectually stimulating. Professors are highly accessible, and truly make an effort to get to know undergraduates. Some students may feel that their introductory classes are too large, or poorly designed, but the overwhelming sentiment is that the education you get here truly is first-rate. It seems Stanford and its faculty are doing everything possible to make the academic experience top-notch. Some of the problems with Stanford’s academics have more to do with the students than the faculty. There are a lot of passionless pre-professionals at Stanford. There are the pre-meds who are still in high-school mode—packing in extracurriculars, and above all else maintaining high GPAs and studying for the MCATs. Many economic majors openly admit that they don’t even like their major, but hope to end up in investment-banking. In engineering, half of the students don’t even appear to like the classes—which are completely time-consuming and exhausting—but they put up with it because it’s their ticket to success. The most driven students in the country end up here, and they get what they want, eventually. However, there are many students who are passionate about their studies. But let’s face it, for the price you have to pay to go here, you are expecting a big payoff in the end. For many, the simple prospect of becoming an enlightened, educated individual just isn’t enough.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Most of the professors here are... Most of the professors here are pretty good. I mean, a lot have done amazing things, and they really know what they’re talking about. Of course, you get the occasional dud who’s just old and boring and such, but there are definitely quality teachers here. All the professors hold office hours, so if you make the effort, you can definitely get to know your professor. They’re almost always available, too. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Some are the most distinguished in... Some are the most distinguished in their field and are wonderful lecturers. Others could care less about undergraduates. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Everyone seems to be... Everyone seems to be extraordinarily organized and on top of things. Professors will bend over backwards to help you out. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

The professors here are excellent.... The professors here are excellent. The personal attention you receive from your professors—all of whom are among the best in their field—is unbelievable. 12345 Academics Report

Anonymous says:

Professors here are unlike any... Professors here are unlike any others I’ve ever seen. All those that I’ve had definitely expressed a genuine interest in their students. We have world-renowned names here, and most professors are at the top of their fields. 12345 Academics Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Many of Stanford’s Computer Science and Electrical Engineering classes are offered on television or through video, and are available on the Internet.

Stanford is on the quarter system. Students typically attend three quarters each year: autumn, winter, and spring. Courses are measured in units, where each unit roughly corresponds to three hours of work per week. It takes 180 units to graduate, and on average, students enroll in 15 units per quarter.

Every quarter during the week before finals (called Dead Week), students gather at midnight to partake in a tradition called the “Primal Scream.”

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