Stanford is second only to Harvard in holding the record for the lowest rate of student acceptance in The States. This year over 30,000 applicants applied to live and learn in the educational idyll of Palo Alto. Sadly under 7% were accepted. If you’re a student considering running the Stanford admissions gauntlet, here’s 5 reasons to inspire your best.
1 – The Location.
Stanford is set to the east in the heart of California. Stanford’s sprawling campus is set within 8,000 acres, a throw from Silicon Valley and but a CalTrain from cultural hot spot, San Francisco. The universities proximity to Silicon Valley is not random. Stanford graduates are the Valley’s ultimate human resource. Stanford’s location is just one reason students are inspired to apply.
2 – The History.
Stanford was inspired by heart. Officially called ‘The Leland Stanford Jr. University’, the university owes its name to the memory of a teenager who never reached his 16th birthday. Stanford’s father, a railroad tycoon, dedicated the university to his son so that other teens could realize the dreams denied to his own.
3 – The Alumni.
Stanford’s very first student was Herbert Hoover. Hoover, of course, went onto become the 31st President of the United States. Later graduates would go on to found Fortune 500 companies. They include Dave Hewlett, William Packard and more recently, Google’s founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. This generation of Stanford students are leading the way in creating mobile phone Apps.
4 – The Diversity.
Stanford’s student pool is among the most ethnically diverse in The States. Stanford hosts students from all 50 States and 60 nations. Up to 15% of Stanford students are from the international community with strong representations from all ethnicity’s. In fact, more than 50% of Stanford undergraduates are from ethnic minorities.
5 – The Education.
Before you get swept away with the romance of attending, it’s important to remind yourself of the real reason you’re applying to Stanford – Education. Stanford, and it’s schools, are consistently ranked among the word’s finest. In 2011’s Times university rankings, for example, Stanford was ranked #1 for both humanities and social sciences. Stanford student’s are known for their creativity and innovation.
We hope this brief foray into Stanford has stoked your curiosity. But you probably didn’t need the encouragement. Stanford is an incredible university, if you’re not bright enough to apply, you probably wont get in anyway…
Just kidding.
