Stanford Summer Session: What Is It?
Stanford summer session is one of the most prolific summer pre-college programs in the country. It offers students the opportunity to take classes at Stanford University, which is ranked as one of the most competitive universities in the country, topping many Ivy League Schools. In fact, it is often referred to as the Ivy League of the West.
But of course, such a prestigious program has a very difficult barrier to entry: the acceptance rate. The acceptance rates at Stanford Summer Session tend to be 15% or lower, and many times, a lot of those seats are reserved for local students or students of lower incomes.
However, it is still very worth applying because of the amazing opportunities offered.
Why Should I Apply?
Well as I’ve mentioned earlier, Stanford summer session is perhaps the most prestigious summer pre-college program in the country. Now you might be asking: what is a pre-college program?
That’s a great question. Pre-college programs work like a normal college quarter: You take college courses just like a regular university student would. It’s a great chance to experience living in college dorms, taking college classes, and getting to know the university you will be applying to later.
If you are interested in applying to Stanford, as I’m sure most of us are, I would highly recommend applying to their pre-college program.
What Are The Benefits?
One of the most obvious benefits is that you’ll learn a lot. Compared to community college courses, which often have less developed curriculum and less experienced professors, Stanford professors are the crème de la crème, and have been teaching for decades. These professors will be able to teach, and connect, much better than most community college professors will. Of course, there are always some exceptions, but for the most part, you won’t get a better education anywhere else. After all, there’s a reason people pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a Stanford education, and why it’s one of the most competitive schools anywhere.
Another great benefit is demonstrated interest. Private schools have a system known as demonstrated interest, where they track your attendance at their events. Later, when you apply to that school, they have a record of your attendance and see just how interested you have been in that school over time.
Therefore, applying to Stanford summer session is a great way to show Stanford that you’re serious about them, and when you’re writing your college essays, you can talk about the amazing experiences you’ve had at the summer session and why you want to go to Stanford as a result of that.
Is Summer Session Really That Important?
This is kind of a hard question to answer. If you don’t get in, it isn’t the end of the world. But if you do get in, it’s not like you’re guaranteed admission to Stanford either.
So don’t apply thinking this is your one-way ticket to an acceptance at Stanford. But this is a great way to experience learning at one of the best universities in the world, and it is an extremely prestigious program that will give you a world-class education you are unlikely to find anywhere else.
By that standard, I’d say the answer is maybe. It really depends on what you’re trying to take away from the program. If you’re applying to be able to learn a lot over the summer and take some really cool classes, then I’d say 100% apply and it’ll be a great learning opportunity. If you’re applying to learn more about Stanford culture and experience living on a college campus and living the college life, then I’d say it’s a really cool opportunity and I wish you the best.
But if you’re applying just to say that you got into Stanford’s pre-college program and show how that sets you apart from everyone else, I’d strongly encourage reconsidering your motivations.
Time To Get Started!
I hope this blog has shown you what you wanted to know about Stanford University’s amazing summer session.
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.
