Application and Essays
You can apply to Stanford by submitting online either the Coalition Application or the Common Application.
Both applications include essay prompts for your personal essay. In addition to the personal essay, you also need to reply to the Stanford Questions, which you can access in either application once you add Stanford University to your list of colleges.
When you apply to Stanford, we encourage you to indicate potential majors and career interests in the application, but please know you are not bound by these selections in any way.
Stanford Questions
We ask applicants to choose one of the three topics below and write a short essay.
◆ Reflect on an idea or experience that makes you genuinely excited about learning in Stanford.
◆Write a note to your future roommate that reveals something about you or that will help your roommate know you belter.
◆Tell us about something that is meaningful to you, and why? How to Submit Required Materials
◆We suggest using Coalition or Common Application online forms whenever possible to Submit documents, which is the speediest method.
◆If online submission is not possible; school personnel may send materials as an email Attachment to personnel@ stanford.edu.
◆When ordering college transcripts, please use credentials@stanford.edu as the contact email.
◆If your checklist is not complete by the deadline, simply continue to check your Application Status Portal until we have received all items.