Signing Up for Stanford Summer Sessions
When applying to summer programs, students tend to gravitate towards the most prestigious institutions first and foremost, because they believe it will be a great help to future admissions. While that may be true, it is still key to analyze and see if the program will be both educational and fun.
One of the most popular summer programs is the one that happens at Stanford, no doubt held up by the prestige of the school. Year after year, it sees countless applications from students looking to enter Politics, Engineering, and Biology, the strengths of the school. In this blog, we will organize the available programs, as well as many different details for applying to Stanford summer school.
What are the Programs at Stanford Summer School?
Stanford has a unique program that they call Stanford Summer Sessions. It effectively acts as a “fourth semester” where students who are both enrolled and not enrolled in Stanford can take classes there to receive Stanford credit. It is open to four student types: High School, Undergraduate, Graduate, or Gap Year, along with another category available for current Stanford students.
Students can earn credit from Stanford in this program, and take a large variety of classes. The full list can be found here. Currently, 139 courses are available for all 4 different types of students.
Topics
Stanford Summer Sessions involve a wide variety of topics, with on average 2~3 courses in each of them. However, each course has a different tuition and a specific population requirement. We suggest you to check the course list out yourself for more details.
Workload
The summer school condenses normal, 10-week workloads into a slightly more intensive 8-week semester. They estimate that for each credit, the average student needs approximately 3 hours of work per week outside of class. However, it varies depending on the specific courses selected.
Schedule
Most summer courses are 8 weeks, although some may vary. When enrolling, students need to keep in mind the times for the final exams, since it may be harder to enroll for two courses that have overlapping final exam times.
Grading
Students can specify if they wish to be graded based on a letter grade, or just a “Credit/No Credit” option.
Academic Support
Stanford provides a robust academic support system, in order to grant students the best environment. Advising is available in spring, which can help you with your goals and progress. Tutors also offer by-appointment and drop-in sessions which teach students about subjects from specific academic things like programming in R to planning for your future like college research. Peers are also assigned as Ambassadors to help you with their own experiences.
However, it varies for current Stanford students, as there are ways to satisfy Stanford’s requirements for credits. It is best to check both with faculty and on this site.
The Process to Apply to Stanford Summer School
The requirements for the application and the eligibility vary between different types of programs. We will go over each of them individually.
Stanford Summer School for High School
At a Glance
Dates: June 22 – August 18, 2024
Costs:
Requirements:
Transcripts
Two short essays
Proof of English proficiency (if necessary)
Eligibility
Be a current sophomore, junior, or senior (10~12th grade)
Be at least 16 years of age before the start, and no more than 19 by the end
Will not be enrolling at Stanford as a first-year
Stanford Summer School for Gap Years
At a Glance
Dates: June 22 – August 18, 2024
Costs:
Requirements:
Transcripts
Short personal statement
Proof of English proficiency (if necessary)
Eligibility
Be a current sophomore, junior, or senior (10~12th grade)
Be at least 16 years of age before the start, and no more than 19 by the end
Will not be enrolling at Stanford as a first-year
Stanford Summer School for Undergraduates
At a Glance
Dates: June 22 – August 18, 2024
Costs:
Requirements:
Transcripts
Two short essays
Proof of English proficiency (if necessary)
Eligibility
Be at least 18 years of age
Have graduated from high/secondary school or equivalent
Be a current university student
Stanford Summer School for Graduates
At a Glance
Dates: June 22 – August 18, 2024
Costs:
Requirements:
Transcripts
Proof of English proficiency (if necessary)
Eligibility
Be at least 18 years of age
Have graduated or completed requirements from University or Post-Secondary Education
Stanford Summer School for Current Students
At a Glance
Dates:
Instruction Begins June 22, 2024
End-Quarter Examinations August 16–17, 2024
Eligibility
Be currently enrolled at Stanford
Student Life In Stanford Summer School
Stanford has a vibrant summer life as well. We will outline some of the highlights, and go over residential and commuter options.
Have you attended Stanford’s Summer Sessions? Be sure to comment below your experiences and a 1~10 rating!
Beyond the Classroom
Events, Sports, Discussions, and Outreach can bring you outside the classroom and into the campus - or even into the city of San Jose - to experience a vast amount of fun activities during your weekends.
Here are their plans for the 2024 Summer.
More can be found here.
Resident or Commuter?
One of the most important decisions to make is the location of residence. Being located in the center of San Jose’s downtown, it is hard to find a place to live for commuting, but it is also expensive to reside on campus. We will outline both options and leave the decision to you.
Residing on Campus
During your stay, you can experience college undergraduate life by living in their residence halls, complete with a lounge, common area, laundry facility, and computer lab. You will likely also have a roommate, or may be placed on Co-ed floors.
Their dining options also vary, taking into account a vast amount of eating restrictions, and providing many options. Dining Commons provide a great location to eat with your friends and classmates, helping you get acquainted quickly.
However, residential programs are only open to students taking at least 8 units (that’s around 2~3 programs).
If you wish to reside on campus, APPLY EARLY. Spaces are limited and they can fill up fast.
Commuting to Class
If you wish to commute, that’s okay - you can still access the same facilities as a residential student, and connect with a larger Bay Area network of students. Staff will also help you support your needs.
What are Some Other Things about Stanford Summer School I Need to Keep in Mind?
There are many other details that can be found on their website that need to be kept in mind. We have condensed the most important parts (FAQs) and placed them here:
Financial Aid
Two types of grants are available:
Need-Based Aid
30 grants are available only to California Resident US CItizen Commuters enrolled in at least 3 programs, but students must keep in mind that they will need to pay a minimum of $721. Deadlines are in February.
Merit-Based Aid
40 are available for students with a 3.5 GPA or higher, who also submit a short essay. It is also only available for students in the residential program who have at least one year of undergraduate study. The deadline is on January 16.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, we have shown you all of the information relating to Stanford Summer School. It will be key to use this information to decide if this program is for you or not. But either way, we wish you good luck on your venture this summer!
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
