Applications are now open!
Residential space is limited. The deadline for Early Decision is December 13.
STEP-BY-STEP
Application Process
This guide gives you an overview of the materials you'll need to apply and secure your spot if admitted, but we also have detailed instructions within the application itself.
High School and Gap Year
Want to get a head start on your application materials? We take you through the entire application process right here.
Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Wondering what you'll need to submit? We walk you through the application process here.
When do I submit?
Looking for application deadlines? We've got all the dates you need to have your application ready to go.
High School and Gap Year
You can work on your application at your own pace. Any information you've entered will be saved, provided you've clicked the "Continue" button at the bottom of the page. If you need to exit the application, simply close your browser. You'll be able to edit your application information until you submit it for review.
Create an account by registering on the application page. We'll send you a verification email to confirm your email address. After you've successfully verified your account, use the red “Start a New Application” button to begin your application.
We look forward to learning about you through your application to Stanford Summer Session. Our application will encourage you to spend time reflecting on who you are and what is meaningful to you. At Stanford Summer Session, we practice holistic admission. Each piece in your application is part of an integrated and comprehensive whole.
Academic Excellence:
Your transcript, school report, and letter of recommendation tell us about your school and your academic achievement. The primary criterion for admission to Stanford Stanford Summer Session is academic excellence. We look for your preparation and potential to succeed in a university setting. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well. The most important credential for evaluating your academic record is your high school transcript. Please know that our evaluation goes beyond any numerical formula. There is no minimum GPA nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to have your application reviewed or be admitted.
Intellectual Curiosity:
In your essay and letter of recommendation we learn about your ideas and interests, and what is meaningful to you. We want to see your commitment, dedication and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons, both in what you write about yourself and in the courses that you’ve taken.
Context:
And in the additional information section, we seek to learn about any individual circumstances or anything that wasn’t included in other parts of the application that you want to share with us. As we review each application, we pay careful attention to unique circumstances, whether described in the essay or in the optional additional information section. We take into account your school and the curriculum that is available. By focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how you have excelled in your school environment and how you have taken advantage of what is available to you in your school and community.
Enter your parent/guardian contact information. The listed parents/guardians will receive an email notifying them that you started an application. Stanford Summer Session can’t disclose your information to anyone not listed on your application.
Submit your high school transcripts. Transcripts should include your full name and the name of your school. They must include your most recently completed semester grades. Previous Summer Session students should also submit their grades from the summer. Transcripts do not need to be official.
If you’re an international student, please explain the grading scale and take note that transcripts must be in English.
SAT and/or ACT test scores are optional and are not required for admission. If you do choose to submit scores, the Summer Session admissions team will review them, and standardized testing can be a way for some students to highlight academic preparedness. There are no minimum test scores required to be admitted to Stanford Summer Session, and there is no score that guarantees admission.
Stanford Summer Session accepts PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT 1, and ACT scores from October 2022 and beyond. PSAT 8/9, SAT 2, and Pre-ACT scores and scores from before October 2022 are not accepted.
Applicants whose native language is not English must submit iBT TOEFL, IELTS: Academic, Cambridge Exam, Duolingo, TOEIC, or PTEA scores. Scores with the applicant's name must be uploaded within the application. Please see the International Students page for details on the language waiver.
We require one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor. Any teacher is fine — it doesn't have to be for a specific subject. You’ll submit the name and email address for your recommender and we will contact them with the form to complete. The letter of recommendation helps us get to know more about who you are in the classroom and as a member of a school community.
*Gap year students do not need to submit a letter of recommendation.
It can be hard to get to know a student through an online application. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you, apart from courses and grades?
Write a short paragraph that tells us more about you, and gives us a sense of your writing.
Respond to ONE of the following questions in 250-300 words.
- What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Pick one person- a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual– to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
To help the Admissions Committee get to know you better, you can submit a list of up to four activities that you participate in. It can include clubs, part-time jobs or internships, sports, volunteering, taking care of younger siblings or family, or any other activities that you devote time to outside of your classes and homework. The Activities List is entirely optional and not submitting one will not negatively impact your application.
If you wish to provide additional information about your transcript, special circumstances, or qualifications not included in the application, you will be given a space to do so. Successful applicants have used this space to explain an inconsistency in their grades, a gap in their schooling, or other circumstances that helped us evaluate their application in context.
Once you’re finished, you’ll be brought to a “Review” page. This will tell you if any information within your application is missing or entered incorrectly so you can make updates.
Once ready, click the "Finalize Application and Pay" button, where you will be directed to a page to pay the nonrefundable application fee.
Space in the high school program is limited; last year we reached a waitlist during the Regular Decision round. If you receive an offer of admission from Summer Session, we recommend that you submit the required documentation as early as possible in order to secure your spot and avoid being waitlisted.
In addition to accepting the offer, you will need to provide the following to secure your spot in the program:
- Acknowledgement that you may waive Cardinal Care coverage
- Medical information and proof of insurance
- Signed Assumption of Risk form
- Emergency contact information (and Local Contact if you will be a commuter)
- A completed Student Profile (for roommate matching, if you plan to live on campus)
- Acknowledgement of access to OAE services
- Non-refundable Program Fee payment
International students will also need to provide:
- Copy of passport valid through the November following Summer Session
Undergraduate and Graduate Students
You can work on your application at your own pace. Any information you've entered will be saved, provided you've clicked the "Continue" button at the bottom of the page. If you need to exit the application, simply close your browser. You'll be able to edit your application information until you submit it for review.
We look forward to learning about you through your application to Stanford. The primary criterion for admission to Stanford Summer Session is academic excellence. We seek evidence of your preparation and potential to succeed in your academic record. Your college transcript should reflect that you have taken a rigorous curriculum. There are no required courses for admission to Stanford Summer Session, but if you have attended college for more than one year, we expect that you have begun to focus on a potential major area of study. In addition to academic excellence, we want to see intellectual curiosity. We want to see your commitment, dedication and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons through the courses that you’ve taken. We want to see the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm for learning that will allow you to spark lively discussions both in and out of the classroom.
As we review each application, we also pay careful attention to unique circumstances, which can be described in the optional additional information section. We take into account your school and the curriculum that is available. By focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how you have excelled in your school environment and how you have taken advantage of what is available to you in your school and community.
Create an account by registering on the application page. We'll send you a verification email to confirm your email address. After you've successfully verified your account, use the red “Start a New Application” button to begin your application.
Submit your transcripts.
As part of the admissions process, please enter information and share your transcripts from post-secondary institutions you are attending or have attended in the past — whether or not you received a degree from the school. Start with your current or most recent school, and work backward from there.
Your transcript(s) should show your full name and the name of the college or university. If you are currently attending college or university, your transcript should include the most recently completed academic term. Transcripts do not need to be official.
If you’re an international student, please explain the grading scale and note that transcripts must be in English.
Applicants whose native language is not English must submit iBT TOEFL, IELTS: Academic, Cambridge Exam, Duolingo, TOEIC, or PTEA scores. Scores with the applicant's name must be uploaded within the application. Please see the International Students page for details on the language waiver.
If you wish to provide additional information about your transcript, special circumstances, or qualifications not included in the application, you will be given a space to do so. Successful applicants have used this space to explain an inconsistency in their grades, a gap in their schooling, or other circumstances that helped us evaluate their application in context.
Once you’re finished, you’ll be brought to a “Review” page. This will tell you if any information within your application is missing or entered incorrectly so you can make updates.
Once ready, click the "Finalize Application and Pay" button, where you will be directed to a page to pay the nonrefundable application fee.
If you receive an offer of admission from Summer Session, we recommend that you submit the required documentation as early as possible.
In addition to accepting the offer, you will need to provide the following to secure your spot in the program:
- Acknowledgement that you may waive Cardinal Care coverage
- Emergency contact information
- Acknowledgement of access to OAE services
- Non-refundable Program Fee payment
International students requiring a Stanford issued I-20 will also need to provide
- Copy of passport valid through the November following Summer Session