Stanford University

I chose Stanford over Wharton and other Ivies, and I'm so glad I did. The students here genuinely seem happy, even during a dry weekend—the sunshine just lifts your mood. At Stanford, there's no pressure to decide your path immediately; you can explore everything from econ to STEM. The culture is collaborative, not competitive, and people really care about the world. Plus, the campus is stunning and the co-term option is a huge bonus. I found my people here.

I did a program at Stanford a few years ago and absolutely loved it. I was lucky to commute from my family's place, which made it much cheaper. The coursework was excellent, and I made natural connections with professors that benefited me enormously. One professor even connected me with another at my home university, leading to three years of research together. Now I'm pursuing a PhD, and I owe a lot of that momentum to Stanford. It's definitely what you make of it, but if you fully commit, it can be amazing.

I was devastated when my placement test put me into 1A despite five years of high school Spanish. But it turned out my previous teachers never taught me to speak. That course was perfect—I finally learned to speak and review the basics. A professor there taught me Spanish but also stressed cultural education and advocacy. I ended up fluent, studied abroad, and later taught English in Spain. Trust the placement process; it really works.

I moved from Florida for my Master's at Stanford and already had housing assigned. The penalty for not accepting is only $100, so it's worth applying even if unsure. They won't match you with an opposite gender roommate, and you can meet them before deciding. Great process.

As a transfer student at Stanford, I've found the social life vibrant with tons of on- and off-campus activities. The location is amazing—Caltrain gets you to SF in under 30 minutes, and SFO offers cheap flights. Academically, Stanford has strong connections across California, including with Berkeley, opening up local and international opportunities. If you put in the focus, the results follow.

Stanford completely changed me. The campus and the people are unforgettable. You'll make lifelong friends in your freshman dorm, but it's humbling to go from being the smartest in high school to just another brilliant mind. Looking back decades later, those 4 years feel like a golden, brief moment that shaped everything. It's no wonder alums keep coming back for reunions.

I chose Stanford thinking the financial aid would be super generous, but it didn't quite work out that way. They say they meet 100% of need and offer free tuition under $150k, but my family's situation put us above that threshold, and the expected contribution jumped a lot. It's frustrating because the average net cost looks similar to other top schools, but the individual package can vary wildly. I'd recommend comparing offers from multiple schools before committing.

Even though coterms make turnover about 5 years, I've seen students involved in bigoted incidents still around. Their behavior hasn't changed—they still like posts calling for the eradication of transgenderism. Any other club would have been banned, but the Republican club gets kid gloves because some people think bigotry is 'political diversity'. I don't want my tuition funding that, and students should know they can opt out.