I really wouldn't worry about the quality of the undergraduate education at Stanford. It's one of the best schools in the world for a reason and has turned out many highly successful graduates--some of whom have gone on to make major contributions across any field you can think of.

Stanford also has very strong graduate school programs as do many of the best schools so perhaps there is always the perception that undergraduate education is not as strongly supported. However, I would argue that is a fallacy. As I'm sure everyone can imagine, Stanford basically has just about unlimited resources and certainly can maintain excellence on many different fronts.

Stanford is a great school as I'm sure many other schools are.

Compared to the Ivies, Stanford is unique in that it is very successful at the highest levels of amateur athletics (within the last decade or so the basketball and football teams have been contenders for the Div I national championships, Stanford has won the Sears Cup for best college sports annually for years, every Summer Olympics alums and current students regularly win enough medals to be in the top 20 if it were a country).

As the genesis and epicenter of Silicon Valley and the tech/internet industry, Stanford is seen as much stronger in entrepreneurship/engineering.

Obviously being in CA, the weather is better, and more importantly, the culture of the school is a little more laid back. That isn't to say students aren't highly motivated but there is less of a cutthroat directly competitive culture that is more prevalent in the Ivies/Northeast generally.

No school is perfect and Stanford has it's faults. For instance, if you are absolutely set on your children going into Wall Street/investment banking then Stanford is a very good school to go to but certainly not as strong a network as perhaps Harvard or Penn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh? So Stanford might not be sufficiently focused on undergraduate education compared to what other school? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, Caltech? If your child can get in to Stanford she/he is a serious candidate for admission anywhere. On what planet are you on that you think your child might not be well educated at Stanford? Maybe you should insist they go instead to an intellectual powerhouse like Regent or BYU or Liberty?

The major difference between Stanford and the other elite schools is that there is a serious Division I athletic program, so there are a good number of future professional athletes mixed in with the future Silicon Valley nerds/future billionaires, lawyers, doctors, and academics. Because of the combination of serious jocks and misogynistic geeks and perfect California weather, the bro/frat quotient is super high compared to the other elite schools.

Was that comment really necessary? Sorry you got dumped by a great Stanford guy back in the '90s, but really....

Have you read the articles about the dysfunctional faculty, violations of workplace policies, etc., in connection with how the Stanford Business dean was having an affair with a professor at the same time he was trying to get her husband out of the university? And Stanford's provost (#2 administrator) apparently looked the other way. Various women employees also came forward to complain about the B-School Dean and to raise hostile work environment complaints at the Hoover Inst. Stanford's great in many ways, but seems to have a big blind spot in this area.

Anonymous wrote:Huh? So Stanford might not be sufficiently focused on undergraduate education compared to what other school? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, Caltech?

It's a legitimate question. I don't think Harvard is as focused on undergraduate education as Yale. That factor might not determine your choice, but it's worth knowing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh? So Stanford might not be sufficiently focused on undergraduate education compared to what other school? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, Caltech? If your child can get in to Stanford she/he is a serious candidate for admission anywhere. On what planet are you on that you think your child might not be well educated at Stanford? Maybe you should insist they go instead to an intellectual powerhouse like Regent or BYU or Liberty?

The major difference between Stanford and the other elite schools is that there is a serious Division I athletic program, so there are a good number of future professional athletes mixed in with the future Silicon Valley nerds/future billionaires, lawyers, doctors, and academics. Because of the combination of serious jocks and misogynistic geeks and perfect California weather, the bro/frat quotient is super high compared to the other elite schools.

Was that comment really necessary? Sorry you got dumped by a great Stanford guy back in the '90s, but really....

Where do you think the silicon valley culture that's absolutely toxic to women came from?

Signed,
A Computer Scientist that went to Stanford

I didn't find it misogynistic in the least. I felt embraced in my department and was mentored by one faculty member (unfortunately long retired), got to do research as an undergrad and was offered a TA-ship as a senior, but it was in one of the somewhat smaller engineering departments 25 years ago. EE/CS was and still is so huge that presumably only the few absolute superstars get any attention.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh? So Stanford might not be sufficiently focused on undergraduate education compared to what other school? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, Caltech? If your child can get in to Stanford she/he is a serious candidate for admission anywhere. On what planet are you on that you think your child might not be well educated at Stanford? Maybe you should insist they go instead to an intellectual powerhouse like Regent or BYU or Liberty?

The major difference between Stanford and the other elite schools is that there is a serious Division I athletic program, so there are a good number of future professional athletes mixed in with the future Silicon Valley nerds/future billionaires, lawyers, doctors, and academics. Because of the combination of serious jocks and misogynistic geeks and perfect California weather, the bro/frat quotient is super high compared to the other elite schools.

Was that comment really necessary? Sorry you got dumped by a great Stanford guy back in the '90s, but really....

Where do you think the silicon valley culture that's absolutely toxic to women came from?

Signed,
A Computer Scientist that went to Stanford

Anonymous wrote:That's also what I've heard. Stanford is much easier than Princeton or Yale undergrad.

Especially if you are applying from the east coast. Remember they want geographical diversity.

That's also what I've heard. Stanford is much easier than Princeton or Yale undergrad.

It is more balanced because it is the best school that still has Division I sports. Friend is getting his Masters in Engineering at Stanford. Said it is so much easier than his undergrad -- Princeton.

I've always felt Yale and Princeton are focused more on undergraduate education than Harvard. Not sure about Stanford, but the kids I know who go there are quite happy.

I'm pretty sure Stanford doesn't have a super active Greek life?

Anonymous wrote:Huh? So Stanford might not be sufficiently focused on undergraduate education compared to what other school? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, Caltech? If your child can get in to Stanford she/he is a serious candidate for admission anywhere. On what planet are you on that you think your child might not be well educated at Stanford? Maybe you should insist they go instead to an intellectual powerhouse like Regent or BYU or Liberty?

The major difference between Stanford and the other elite schools is that there is a serious Division I athletic program, so there are a good number of future professional athletes mixed in with the future Silicon Valley nerds/future billionaires, lawyers, doctors, and academics. Because of the combination of serious jocks and misogynistic geeks and perfect California weather, the bro/frat quotient is super high compared to the other elite schools.

Was that comment really necessary? Sorry you got dumped by a great Stanford guy back in the '90s, but really....

Huh? So Stanford might not be sufficiently focused on undergraduate education compared to what other school? Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, MIT, Caltech? If your child can get in to Stanford she/he is a serious candidate for admission anywhere. On what planet are you on that you think your child might not be well educated at Stanford? Maybe you should insist they go instead to an intellectual powerhouse like Regent or BYU or Liberty?

The major difference between Stanford and the other elite schools is that there is a serious Division I athletic program, so there are a good number of future professional athletes mixed in with the future Silicon Valley nerds/future billionaires, lawyers, doctors, and academics. Because of the combination of serious jocks and misogynistic geeks and perfect California weather, the bro/frat quotient is super high compared to the other elite schools.

DS attends Stanford on a football scholarship. He absolutely loves the school. He feels challenged by the classes, he says the faculty are highly engaged and very accessible, and he's surrounded by other very intelligent kids. He said there have been some lab courses where grad students are present but he's never felt like a second class citizen because he's an undergraduate. One thing that I would point out is there seems to be less opportunity for research as an undergrad probably due to the size and the level of competition for limited opportunities. DD attended a SLAC and the opportunities for undergrad participation with faculty in research were there for the asking. DS social life seems enviable... its built around football but he's having a wonderful experience. We do not live in the DMV (used to). DS high school left him woefully unprepared for Stanford but they do offer academic support which helped him immensely his Freshman year and by Sophomore year it was smooth sailing.

I know Stanford is the toughest school to get into, but I'd like some insights about the undergraduate education there. I've heard vastly different reports. Is the school sufficiently focused on undergraduate education? What is the social life like?