Stanford University Top Questions

Typical stereotypes upon entry: elitism (privilege), humanitarian detachment, intelligence, drive, motivation.

That they're rich, preppy, and very very smart

Stereotypes: Stanford students are overcommitted, but don't let on about it. We call it the floating duck syndrome, where on the surface everything seems cool, but underneath people are scrambling to stay afloat. Stanford students don't have great social skills, and are awkward conversationalists. Stanford students don't date--they either hook up or are "married", meaning they are in a very serious relationship where they spend every waking moment together. Stanford students are overly ambitious and think they can solve all the problems in the world, and think their Stanford degree will get them there.

I came to Stanford from abroad and perhaps this was the reason I had had no particular traits I could have assigned to Stanford students. However, Stanford, as a university, has always been rated highly by all of my previous professors/colleauges/friends from Europe.

Everyone is super smart and the sky is always blue and sunny.

1.) We're ducks, smooth sailing on the surface but paddling frantically underneath to stay afloat. 2.) No dating at Stanford. You either hook up at parties or meet in your freshman dorm and are basically married. 3.) "99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the college girls in CA are hot, the other 1{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} go to Stanford"

The two most common stereotypes are that Stanford students study all the time (in secret even) and that they don't date. Also, there is a California culture stereotype, in which the people are laid back, hippie types or surfer dudes.

They fill out heaps of surveys

Students are intelligent, but probably spoiled. They work too hard. They’re all computer wizzes and engineers.