Stanford University Top Questions

Absolutely. Stanford is really caught up in the California aesthetic - everything has to be "chill." We work our asses off, but everyone has to pretend not to be stressed out.

A student discusses some stereotypes about the Stanford student body.

Another student talks about some Stanford stereotypes.

A Stanford student talks about some of the school's stereotypes.

A Stanford student talks about "the duck syndrome" and school stereotypes.

Yes almost everyones happy but if you aren't the Prozac type then it's not fun.

some...it is true, that Stanford is very liberal and there is a very strong Gay Community. Then again it is not always sunny, even though the possibility ov having great weather is very high. This and the vivid social live makes people on average happier, even though this is not a constant condition, because everybody has their bad days, especially under the stress of an elite school.

Yes! I've found the environment at Stanford to be extremely supportive. Everyone is friendly, you'll make your best friends here, and the atmosphere is one of cooperation rather than competition. That being said, most people are extremely ambitious, which makes them interesting to get to know and also a little quirky and crazy. Everyone's paddling hard, but if you can have a balanced life outside of classes and extracurriculars (i.e. social life, sleeping, exercise) it's a wonderful place to be.

It depends. If you want to be a nerd and study all the time, you can do that and feel like you're not the only one. If you want to party all the time, you can probably find your crowd too. Most Stanford students have the work hard, play hard mentality. Sunday through Wednesday nights are generally for working, Fridays and Saturdays (and some Thursdays) are for having fun.

Yes.

No. People at Stanford often talk about the "floating duck syndrome," where students appear to be calm and composed on the surface but are actually paddling frantically to stay afloat. In my experience, Stanford students face a lot of pressure from the amount of academic work and extracurriculars most people do, and the result is a very high stress level that is usually taboo to talk about.

Not at all.

1. I would say the 'duck' effect is true, but most seem to manage well. Everyone will always be busy here, no question about it, but those who want to have fun and relax do get that in. It depends on your major and your personality, but it's all a balance here. 2. Stanford girls (and guys to be honest) don't put much effort in how they dress at all. Athletes wear their team gear, and many other just throw an outfit together. I'd say there are a good share of attractive girls here. It seems that everyone is very fit, so that is nice. In the Spring, girls seem to get much more attractive. 3. The Stanford 500 is definitely true. If you are one of the people who leaves their rooms/dorms to go out, you will see these people and get to know them well.

Extremely cool educated people is a more accurate statement.

Those are.

Yes.

To some extent. The campus is beautiful, the weather is generally quite nice, and while the students can be laid back, they also work incredibly hard. Rather than fostering a cutthroat environment though, Stanford encourages collaboration, which I have really appreciated in my time at both Stanford University (undergrad) and the Graduate School of Business.

For any claims that Stanford is not diverse (ethnically, politically, socio-economically etc.) -- this is nonsense. I challenge you to find a more diverse campus of this stature anywhere in the world. While some self-segregation is an unfortunate reality, students from all ethnicities and backgrounds participate in extracurriculars, sports, research -- not to mention classes. You'd have to live under a rock to not be exposed to other points of view at Stanford. Full financial aid and need-blind admissions mean that Stanford is now economically more diverse as well. There are more hippies and farm boys there than anyone fitting that unfounded stereotype above. One of my best friends at Stanford is from Kenya. Another is from Turkey. My freshman roommate is from Inglewood -- one of the grittiest neighborhoods of Los Angeles -- not exactly Beverly Hills.

Although some Stanford students attend Harvard University, most attend Stanford University.

Partially. Stanford isn't nearly as snotty as most other big-league universities and campus is hardly conservative, but people do tend to be very mainstream in their taste and somewhat bland. There are a lot of nerds at Stanford, but there's also a lot of love for keggers and pot. Stanford women maybe aren't the hottest in the nation, but there are definitely lookers.