Venkatraman 1

Rohan Venkatraman
Ms. Mann
English II
9 November, 2017

Stanford

The University of Stanford was established in 1885 by the governor of California, Leland
Stanford. Stanford built the university as a memorial to his son who died of typhoid. In 1991, the
school officially opened in Stanford, California.
Stanford is a private college open for boys and girls. Currently, 16,000 people are
enrolled in the university, but of those only 7,000 are undergraduates. Since it is a private
university, the tuition costs for in and out of state are the same, currently at about $45,000 but
including all the housing fees the total rises to nearly $62,000. Within the college, there are
multiple facilities including a recreational center, auditorium, library, and hospital. There is also
a church located on campus as a memorial to the former governors son.
Academic standards are very high, in 2016 the average GPA that was accepted was at
least a 4.0. As far as SAT scores go, the average is about 1520 while the ACT score average is
only 31. Surprisingly Stanford does not accept dual credits earned from community colleges to
count towards college credit hours, but they will accept AP credits received in high school
(Collegesimply). For early admissions, the applicant can either be admitted, declined, or deferred
meaning that they are put into the pool with the regular admissions. But they have a strict policy
where if an applicant decided to apply early, the applicant could not apply for any other colleges
early admission programs only regular decision.
Some of the popular majors at the university include Computer and Information Sciences
and Support Services, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Biological and Biomedical Research,
Social Sciences, and Engineering (US News). They also offer many degrees: BA, BS, MD, PhD,
MA, MFA, all of which have a minimum of four-year requirement. Other opportunities located
at Stanford include an honors program, double majors, and study abroad options all over the
world.
Around the campus there many recreational sites such as art galleries, and many
performances in the theatre and auditoriums. And some beautiful experiences include the
Outdoor Sculpture Walk, Tree Walk, Spring Plant Walk, and the Hike to the Dish. Also, there
are parks around the school where people can relax. There is also a strip mall which is within
driving/Ubering distance of the campus which allows for the students to go to different eateries
or clothing stores.
For the people who struggle to pay for college, Stanford may offer a scholarship to those
who are athletically gifted. Otherwise, aid may be provided by the government, or in some cases,
Stanford itself will give aid to the students who have excelled in their academics. But if neither is
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received nothing should be stressed upon, as 85% of people who took student loans were able to
graduate debt-free because of the great job offers straight out of college.
Personally, I am interested in Computer Science, and at Stanford they are tied for the top
program in the field. They also have very high success rates after college, with a survey
revealing that 75+ percent of people who graduated received a job within four months.
Like many colleges, Stanford has a large variety of different clubs, to be more specific
625. But they only have four intramural sports; those are mens and womens indoor and outdoor
volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and eGaming. Apart from academics, the heart of the school lies in
their sports. With 36 varsity sports, Stanford is ranked #1 in the country for overall college
athletics (NCSA Sports). Also, volunteer opportunities at the local hospital are offered which can
be very helpful for those who are pursuing a career in the medical field.
The housing policy is unlike many other colleges; freshman do not get the opportunity to
pick their roommate as the school wants them to meet new people also they do not find out
anything about their roommate until their first face-to-face conversation. Students are guaranteed
housing for their first four years, but some sophomores and upperclassmen may decide to live off
campus if they want. Many students often need cash for food and other necessities, so luckily for
them, there are multiple ATMs on campus. Finally, Stanford does not allow for marijuana to be
used recreationally on campus even though it is legalized in California.
On-campus students have the option between the eight dining areas located in two main
locations within the campus. Freshmen are required to buy the Cardinal Select meal plan
which consists of 14 meals per week plus meal plan dollars or extra food money. Sophomores
and upperclassmen have the option between multiple meal plans, a 10, 14, or 19 meals per week
from dining halls with additional food money varying in amounts depending on the plan. But all
meal plans at the school cost about $6,000.
Overall Stanford is a great school for academics and athletics, but it has its downsides in
other areas like housing and recreational activities around campus.
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Works Cited

Stanford University. Stanford University, www.stanford.edu/.

Stanford University. NCSA College Power Rankings 2016 | NCAA Division 1,

www.ncsasports.org/college-power-rankings/2016/division-1.

Stanford University | Stanford | Academic Life | US News Best Colleges. U.S. News &

World Report, U.S. News & World Report, www.usnews.com/best-colleges/stanford-

1305/academics.