Stanford University inspires action and innovation. As one of the most prestigious and selective universities in the United States — often with the lowest acceptance rate of any school — they have a well-earned reputation for gathering together the best of the best on the California campus. The student body is split nearly evenly between undergraduate and graduate students, with fewer than 18,000 total enrolled and 7,554 undergraduates fall 2024. The campus is massive at over 8,000 acres (more than 1 acre per undergrad), and is packed with labs, resources, and opportunities. Stanford has delayed releasing their acceptance data in recent years, ostensibly because the rate of acceptance is so low that they don’t want to discourage applicants. The most recently published acceptance rate, for the Class of 2028, was .
Standardized test scores for first-year applicants to Stanford, and you can pick whether to submit an ACT or an SAT score. There are not set minimum test scores that you must hit or surpass for consideration by Stanford, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t functional minimums. Students who achieve admission to Stanford have near perfect, or even perfect, ACT or SAT scores, and they do allow . They do not require the writing/essay section, but they do ask you to report that score if you took the test with the writing/essay section included.
Stanford also offers first-year applicants two pathways to admission: Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision. Restrictive Early Action is non-binding, but it is limiting in different ways than Early Decision. While you are not required to attend if accepted ED, you are not able to apply to other schools early (). If Stanford is undoubtedly your first choice, you probably want to pick REA, but if you are taking a higher level of courses in your senior year than you’ve tackled before, have grades trending upwards, or have a big project that won’t be realized until after the REA deadline, rushing for REA may actually hurt your application. Having those additional grades and a project outcome could make a huge difference, but only if you apply Regular Decision.
In this post, we’ll be digging into another piece of your Stanford strategy — the supplementals. A solid third of all applicants to Stanford have the grades and scores to stand out. They could excel at Stanford, but that doesn’t mean that they will get in. The difference maker for accepted students, ultimately, are the stories that they tell.
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You are impressive. That’s sort of assumed if you are striving for Stanford. And yet, as we’ve said, impressive isn’t enough. There isn’t any single ‘recipe’ for getting in, actually. As upsetting as that can be for students and families who want a set-in-stone path towards success, gaining admission to Stanford is much more nuanced and personal than any preset plan could account for.
The supplements are your place to share the personal side of you that makes your application unique. Perhaps most importantly, too, the supplements are your place to be likable. Doing all of the things that you do exceptionally well doesn’t work towards an acceptance if you come off as someone who isn’t fun to be around. The Stanford supplements let you spotlight your successes through the lens of who you are as a person — quirks, hobbies, silliness, and all.
Now, let’s dig in.
QUICK ANSWERS
We ask applicants to answer several short questions (limit 50 words each) and to write a short essay on each of the three topics below.
The Stanford quick answer questions only allow for responses up to 50 words — or about three sentences. This doesn’t mean that you can rush through them, though. Short answer supplements require as much consideration and care as long ones.
What is the most significant challenge that society faces today? (50 words)
Obviously, there are so many things that you could put here, but the key is to make it something you truly care about. If you feel like it is the most significant challenge, you are probably address it — or learning more about it — in some way. Ground your response in the volunteering, paid work, or educational experiences you’ve pursued.
How did you spend your last two summers? (50 words)
Don’t try to tell them everything you did week by week. It won’t fit, and it won’t improve your application. Don’t focus on one summer and leave out the other — they want a bit of both. So, pick one key thing from each summer. Both should relate to either a) your prospective major or b) service to your local community. Do not focus on travel or ‘just for fun’ things. There’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying yourself, but there is no need for it here.
What historical moment or event do you wish you could have witnessed? (50 words)
Don’t overthink this one, but do workshop it. By that we mean that it doesn’t need to be related to your major or connected to a passion, though it might be simply because that would make sense. What really matters is how you write about it. In 50 words, you are going to write a very concise yet vivid scene that drops the reader into the moment. Make them feel like they, and you, are truly there.
Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities, a job you hold, or responsibilities you have for your family. (50 words)
This supplement is great, but we like it best for a job, responsibility, or long-term volunteering role, as opposed to a team or club. Similar to the history prompt, drop the reader into a moment before contextualizing it (albeit briefly) with what and why.
List five things that are important to you. (50 words)
This is a place to really be yourself. Don’t spend time trying to engineer your answers to be impressive or astonishing. Don’t try to say things that they have never heard before. Truly, be you. This is a great place to show that you, yes you, are human. Underneath your astonishing scores, grades, and accomplishments, you are awesomely you. Show that.
SHORT ESSAY QUESTIONS
These supplements are much longer, with a maximum of 250 words. Each of the three is important, and it’s critical that you don’t repeat yourself. Do not tell any stories here that appear anywhere else. This should all be new information to the application readers that add depth, nuance, and an element of surprise to your application.
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. (250 words)
A strong answer to this question isn’t all about Stanford — it’s about you. We’ve had students successfully write about everything from how moons get their names to poetic structures. There is no single subject, then, that cracks a code with the supplement. What matters is that your response is true to you, and that it is written in a way makes the reader excited, too. They should leave this supplement curious to learn more. They should also want to have a conversation with you, and be able to envision you on campus in excited conversation with peers.
So, start by writing into your passion. Be excited and enthusiastic and totally yourself. Then, focus your work on the filter of a single idea (a concept or formula, for example) or experience. Finally, fine tune. If you can work in a mention of something at Stanford that will help you explore the core idea central to the supplement further, you get bonus points.
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. (250 words)
There are a few schools that have supplements formatted as letters, and we love them, but we also recognize that they tend to throw students through a loop. Stanford’s is the original letter to a roommate supplement. Students get nervous about their response seeming fake or contrived, or like they will come off weird. The most likely way to sound weird, though, is by obsessing over not sounding weird. So, write a letter that is real to you that shares one or two things that you are excited to bring to a residential living environment.
Do not write about long nights studying, but do write about a popcorn trick that has fueled exam prep. Don’t write about being messy or obsessively neat, but do write about how you like to fold a fitted sheet. Don’t write about how you like to play music super loud, but do write about sharing music you love with new friends.
Please describe what aspects of your life experiences, interests and character would help you make a distinctive contribution as an undergraduate to Stanford University. (250 words)
The phrase “distinctive contribution” is interesting. They don’t want students who coast to a degree. Rather, they are looking to accept strong community members who will be positive additions. This framing is our guide when we tell our students not to jump to using this prompt to write about hardship.
The phrase “aspect of your life experiences,” can prompt students to write about difficulties here, and sometimes that makes sense. Often, though, it isn’t the right call.
Instead of writing about hardship, write about community. Instead of writing about challenge, write about strength. Sometimes that means writing about hardship or challenge, too, but the point is to decenter that aspect of your story and re-center the pieces that have you rising above. Challenge can be the frame, but coming together should be the core.
INTERVIEW
Stanford also invites students to request an interview with an alumni volunteer. These are based on availability, and limited by geography. Always request one, but don’t worry if you don’t get one. Simply asking for an interview serves to underline your interest and enthusiasm for Stanford.
If you do get an interview, be sure to prepare in advance. Interviews are not weighed formally in the application review process, but we joke that they are social tests. If you can’t have a smooth and relaxed conversation, that’s a problem. Given the stakes, it’s worth some practice with a parent or friend.
Getting into Stanford is hard, and the application is appropriately difficult. They don’t make applying easy, but they also give you amazing opportunities to shine. Seize them.
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