Stanford University
Data sourced from Institutional Website · Last verified 2026-27 cycle. This provenance applies to the record as a whole — figures marked with a star are sourced separately, as noted at the bottom of the page.
Preparation
This is helpful preparation, not a formal admission requirement.
Admissions
How admission works here
- Where you apply
- The Common App. Common App requirements grid
- Test scores
- SAT or ACT scores are required. Stanford admission
- Essays
- Personal essay; Short essays: 3 required (100-250 words each); Short questions: 5 required (3-50 words each). School admissions page
- Recommendations
- 2 teacher recommendations, a counselor recommendation, a mid-year report. Common App requirements grid
- Portfolio
- Portfolios go through the school's own system. Common App requirements grid
- Application fee
- $100. The Common App fee waiver is accepted. Common App requirements grid
- Deadlines
- Restrictive Early Action November 1 (Applicants submitting the optional arts portfolio have an earlier Common Application deadline: October 15), Regular Decision January 5 (Applicants submitting the optional arts portfolio have an earlier Common Application deadline: December 5). Stanford admission
Overall is College Scorecard's verified figure and won't necessarily sit between the separately-reported In-State/Out-of-State rates shown here, which are what My Fit uses to classify your chances.
Applying
Applying through the Common App
- Application fee
- $100
- Common App fee waiver
- Accepted
- Common App personal essay
- Required
- Self-reported courses and grades
- Required
- Portfolios collected through
- The school's own system
- Recommendations
- 2 teacher recommendations, counselor recommendation, mid-year report
Source: Common App requirements grid, updated 2026-09-18. Anything not listed here wasn't stated in the grid, which is not the same as not required.
Personal essay
Written for the Common App, which publishes its own prompts.
See the Common App essay promptsShort essays
100-250 words each3 required.
- 1“The Stanford community is deeply curious and driven to learn in and out of the classroom. Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning.”
- 2“Virtually all of Stanford's undergraduates live on campus. Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate—and us—get to know you better.”
- 3“Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests, and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University.”
Short questions
3-50 words each5 required.
- 1“What is the most significant challenge that society faces today?”
- 2“How did you spend your last two summers?”
- 3“What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed?”
- 4“Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family.”
- 5“List five things that are important to you.”
Prompts are quoted from the school's own page, read 2026-09-19. Schools change their prompts and word limits every year, so check the school's site for the current list before you start writing.
Check the current prompts on the school's siteAcademics
Flagship Programs
Career & Major Pathways
Cost
This is the full yearly cost before any financial aid. What your family would actually pay is in the Financial Aid section. Cost figures are approximate, so confirm current numbers on the college's website.
Financial Aid
What families actually paid, by household income
Average for students who received federal aid. Your own figure depends on your family's finances and the aid this school offers you.
- Under $30,000
- -$2,536
- $30,001 – $48,000
- -$193
- $48,001 – $75,000
- $3,212
- $75,001 – $110,000
- $11,092
- Over $110,000
- $53,882
A negative figure means the average aid package was larger than the school's full cost of attendance — those families were paid the difference rather than billed.
College Scorecard (latest.cost.net_price.private.by_income_level.*), 2024
Every school is required to publish a net price calculator. It asks about your family's finances and returns an estimate for you specifically, which is worth more than any average on this page. Your school counselor and the college's financial aid office can also help.
Scholarships and merit aid
Stanford offers no merit aid at all; its generous need-based program is the only lever, so families above the aid-eligibility threshold should plan for close to full price.
Campus
Campus Fit
*College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) · 2024
†Stanford admission · 2026-27 · accessed Sep 20, 2026
‡Stanford admission · 2026-27 · accessed Sep 22, 2026