Math Jams

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:01:36
Welcome to the Stanford Math Jam!

dreamonaerosmith 2012-10-09 19:01:57
Hello

AlanLiangTheAsian 2012-10-09 19:01:57
hi

sh4931 2012-10-09 19:01:57
Hi

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:01:58
Before we get started, I have a quick note about this classroom. This room is moderated, which means that all your comments come to the instructors. We may share your comments with the whole room if we so choose. Our team from Stanford will let you know when it's time to start asking questions.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:02:11
I'll start by introducing our special guests tonight, and then turn the room over to them.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:02:28
We have Professor Ravi Vakil (RaviVakil), who was the special guest speaker at the 2010 USAMO Awards Ceremony. Ravi Vakil is a Professor of Mathematics and the Robert K. Packard Fellow in Undergraduate Education at Stanford. He competed at the IMO three times (receiving two gold medals and a silver medal, including a perfect score), and was a four-time winner of the Putnam competition.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:02:51
I first learned about Ravi at the USAMO awards ceremony in 1989, when the person who won first place started his speech by thanking Ravi for graduating the previous year, thereby giving the rest of us a chance to win.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:03:07
Ravi received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1997, and taught at Princeton and MIT before moving to Stanford in 2001. He is an algebraic geometer, and his work involves many other parts of mathematics, including topology, string theory, applied mathematics, combinatorics, number theory, and more. He has earned a very long list of awards during his academic career.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:03:27
Lynnelle Ye (bookaholic) is a junior math major at Stanford. In high school, she placed 2nd in the Siemens Competition, and 4th in the Intel Science Talent Search, and won two gold medals at the China Girls Math Olympiad. She started taking graduate courses while a sophomore, and attended the two most prestigious undergraduate research programs over the last two summers.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:03:42
Philip Lotze (lotze) is an Assistant Director in the office of undergraduate admission at Stanford University. He is the office's liaison to the Math department and manages applications from the state of Florida and parts of LA County. Philip has worked in the field of counseling in the US and abroad.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:03:55
Joe Kralick (JKralick) is an Assistant Director of Admission at Stanford University. He primarily manages applications from San Diego County, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Joe also coordinates transfer student selection at Stanford and works with military veterans through the admission process.

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:04:15
I'll now turn the room over to Ravi! Thanks again to all the people joining us from Stanford tonight!

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:04:27
Welcome to the Stanford University math jam! Today, we hope to answer your questions about what it’s like to be a student at Stanford University, and about our math department. We're less able to answer specific questions about admission, but I may be able to give some general answers.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:04:45
In order for us to learn a little about you, when asking your questions, please ask questions using the following format: (First Name/School Grade/City, State or City, Country). For example, (Mary/11th Grade/Stanford, CA).

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:04:54
Before we start, here are some helpful links: Stanford University's Department of Mathematics Website: http://math.stanford.edu/ Undergraduate Admission Office: http://admission.stanford.edu/

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:05:02
Stanford is located in Northern California, south of San Francisco. Stanford’s student body of approximately 6,800 undergraduates and 8,000 graduate students is among the most diverse in the United States. Approximately half of Stanford undergraduates are students of color, and more than 14 percent of Stanford freshmen are the first in their families to attend college.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:05:09
Stanford has a strong commitment to undergraduate education, and we are a liberal arts college within a major research university. As a student you will benefit from small classes (more than 75% of Stanford classes have fewer than 20 students), a low faculty to student ratio (5 to 1), and an opportunity to take classes in a variety of different fields (over 60 academic departments).

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:05:16
As a mathematics major, you’re not only learning about math from this energetic department, but you’re able to engage in research opportunities and internships. The mathematics department offers courses in everything from traditional topics like differential geometry or linear algebra, in addition to unique classes such as “The Mathematics of the Rubik’s Cube.”

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:05:27
I will be answering questions about the math courses, research opportunities, and anything else that you want to know about the math department or the university at large. As a current undergraduate math major, Lynnelle will be focusing on answering questions about what it is like to take math classes, summer opportunities, and about student life as a math major, etc. Philip and Joe will be able to field questions dealing with admissions.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:05:36
Let’s begin!

AlanLiangTheAsian 2012-10-09 19:07:21
(alan/9th grade/chicago) what separates a student from others during admissions?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:07:23
@AlanLiang: what separates others? Many possible things --- standing out in some way is essential. (I'll defer to the admissions officers on this.)

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:08:36
(Brian/Berry Miller 7th Grade/Pearland, TX) Does Stanford cover every aspect of math? Is it easy to follow the courses?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:08:40
Yes, of all sorts. We have some experts in particular things of course. Is it easy? It varies --- it goes up to as hard as it can get.

golden_ratio 2012-10-09 19:08:49
Will there be a transcript of this?

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 19:08:50
Yes, it will be posted here later tonight: http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/mathjams.php?past=1

michellellelle 2012-10-09 19:09:52
(Michelle/11th/Jericho, NY) Have most applicants for Stanford qualified for at least the AIME?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:09:57
No, only 2700 people participated in the 2011 AIME, but Stanford had over 20,000 applicants that year.

AlanLiangTheAsian 2012-10-09 19:10:22
(alan/9th grade/chicago) Lynnelle, how do you get started in research competitions such as Siemens and Intel?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:10:25
In my case, I went to the Research Science Institute at MIT (http://www.cee.org/research-science-institute), a six-week summer program for rising seniors. A lot of people do things like approach professors at local colleges whose work they're interested in.

medianpi 2012-10-09 19:10:49
(Mady/9th grade/St.louis) What type of research opportunities are there?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:10:52
There are lots. Some happen one-on-one. We started a summer research program for students to work in groups. We have summer funding for individuals. We send many students (such as Lynnelle) to top research programs to spend a summer with others, and then they come back and write senior theses.

ssilwa 2012-10-09 19:11:19
(ssilwa/ NC) does a strong math/science competition background boost admission chances?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:11:21
Definitely. Standing out in some area can only help.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:11:35
Vamsi/8th/TN/Do you prefer people who have more math competitions or science competitions?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:11:37
Yes.

circle12345 2012-10-09 19:11:55
(Kevin/10th Grade/Fremont, CA) What is Stanford's policy on admitting high school juniors skipping their senior years of high school?

lenbob 2012-10-09 19:11:55
I have a question regarding the three or more years of same foreign language requirement for Stanford freshman admissions. Does foreign langauge studies in middle school counts towards this requirement?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:11:57
Kevin, we find that applicants are more competitive the more we're able to see of their high school record. There is no policy that prohibits such an application, however.

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:11:59
There is no required curriculum for applicants to Stanford- we ask that you take a rigorous course load. We only evaluate your transcript for grades 10-12.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:12:23
Vamsi/8th/TN/Does Stanford have any online courses like MIT does (EdX or OpenCourseWare)

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:12:25
Yes, Stanford is at the forefront of the current exploration of online education, in fact! To begin with, Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/) started here, and there are other programs too.

prasanna1712 2012-10-09 19:12:26
(prasanna/10th grade/Trinidad and Tobago) does Stanford offer any Euclidean Geometry

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:12:29
@prasanna1712: I'm discussing Euclidean geometry in my freshman class THINK37 (and experimental class that is part of the "Education as Self-Fashioning" course).

dreamonaerosmith 2012-10-09 19:13:20
(adam/8th/NY) If I was applying for a math major, would other academic achievements, such as debate skills or art awards, help my application?\

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:13:22
You don't apply for a particular major. You apply to be an undergraduate. College students here typically don't choose a major until sophomore year. Some know what major they want to do from birth; other decide only gradually over their college career.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:13:32
Vamsi/8th/Nashville, TN/Do you prefer ACT or SAT?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:13:35
We look at SAT and ACT w/ writing the same in our process

sh4931 2012-10-09 19:13:38
(Steven/ 8th/ Hamilton,Canada) What are the usual expectations of getting into Stanford? Any specific SAT scores?

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:13:40
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Is there any score on popular contests (like the AIME, AMC, MATHCOUNTS, USAMO, IMO) that can guarantee acceptance into Stanford?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:13:41
Steven, there are no minimums for SAT/ACT scores or a minimum gpa required for admission. We use a holistic review process that evaluates both quantitative and qualitative factors.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:13:41
Nothing guarantees acceptance.

Peanut Butter 2012-10-09 19:13:52
(shaheel/8th grade/Cincinnati OH)@bookaholic.....what project did you do for the INTEL ans Siemens competition?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:13:56
I worked on a game theory project, about a game in which you start with a graph and two players take turns eliminating either an edge or a vertex along with all edges connected to it; last player to move wins. See http://arxiv.org/abs/1101.2718 for the paper.

sh4931 2012-10-09 19:15:08
(Steven/ 8th/ Hamilton, Canada) If you had to say, what is the one thing Stanford stands out from all other universities

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:15:10
@sh4931: The main thing is that Stanford is good at everything --- from humanities to social sciences to sciences and mathematics to engineering to law to medicine to B-school etc. etc. If you compare Stanford to any other school in the graduate school rankings over all subjects, it is never close (because other schools tend to have weak spots).

dcheuk 2012-10-09 19:16:00
(PA) how competitive is transfer admissions?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:16:02
dcheuk, we do accept a small transfer class each year, but it is more competitive than our freshman admission process.

plushieteng 2012-10-09 19:16:17
(Anna, 12th, GA) The Stanford app discourages the attachment of research papers that we have written. How can we effectively incorporate these into our application?

mg13 2012-10-09 19:16:19
(Monal/9th grade/NJ) Do colleges look at your community service hours?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:16:19
Talk about it in one of your essays. That additionally allows you not only to show that you've done research, but also to explain what you learned from it and what skills you developed/demonstrated as a consequence.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 19:16:20
(Michelle/11th/Jericho, NY) Oh, have most accepted students for Stanford qualified for at least the AIME or beyond?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:16:21
Stanford looks at community service as well as other non-academic activities. When you're doing community service, however, you should try to focus less on the number of hours and instead focus on doing something you're passionate about. Plenty of students get in without doing community service- they stand out in other ways.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:16:22
@michellellelle: Definitely not! Not even the math majors. Many people are attracted into mathematics through math competitions. Many more are attracted in other ways (science fairs, math camps, math circles, a fantastic teacher, aops, etc.).

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:17:00
Sarah, there is no 'most important factor

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:17:30
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Do sports help? Does Stanford have a good sports team?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:17:32
Stanford has some excellent sports teams. Some students do get recruited to join the athletics programs at Stanford, but they are very competitive.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:17:33
@Goldyx: It can help of course but it is far far from necessary (even if math is mainly your thing --- keep in mind that undergraduates do *everything* under the sun.)p

ssilwa 2012-10-09 19:18:36
(ssilwa/NC) what is stanfords views on course load vs school opportunities. For example, if I take all the AP classes available at my school but some other student takes more at a higher level school, how are we compared?

Goldyx 2012-10-09 19:18:36
(Brian/12th/San Francisco) How much more of an edge does an application have with extracurriculars such as participation in the AMC, AIME, or Mandelbrot versus one without?

Umbrella 2012-10-09 19:18:39
I have finished my undergraduate studies and now I`m studying a master`s program.What do you suggest e to do to get the admission of Stanford?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:18:41
Graduate admission is decentralized at Stanford- you should apply directly to the department.

jemcat 2012-10-09 19:19:20
(Amelia/grade 9/Vancouver, CA) If, in their freshman year, someone were to decide they wanted to switch focus from one subject to another for some reason, would it have as large an effect due to the principle that you choose a major in sophomore year, rather than right away?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:19:22
Many people are undecided about their majors until the end of sophomore year. Although you might have less time than someone else who knows what his/her major will be at the beginning of freshman year, you'll still have enough time in sophomore year to decide on a major and do some in-depth study in that field.

SpectralS 2012-10-09 19:19:32
(12, MA) I'm interested in algebraic geometry, and I've read your notes on the subject. How much flexibility would I have to pursue this more in depth at Stanford? (Or should I not pursue it as much?)

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:19:34
@SpectralS: This is a pretty notoriously hard subject. But this is certainly one of the best places to pursue it! Lynnelle is doing a reading course in it with me (and some of our PhD students) right now.

aopsjohn 2012-10-09 19:19:49
Do you choose certain high schools over others when it comes down to admissions?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:19:51
aopsjohn, we look at applicants rather than high schools, so no, we don't have a preference. In our holistic review, it comes down to what you did with what you had available to you.

Vexbrain 2012-10-09 19:20:31
(Simon/8th/San Jose, CA) Is Stanford also a medical school?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:20:33
@Vexbrain: one of the top med schools there is. (But that is not an undergraduate program. Some of our students do research in the med school. And some med school faculty teach undergraduates for fun.)

circle12345 2012-10-09 19:21:24
(Kevin/10th/Fremont, CA) What things are looked for in application essays?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:21:26
Kevin, your essays should be personal and should compliment your application. Because we will be able to see your grades and test scores on the Common App, what else makes you stand out?

realmadrid08 2012-10-09 19:21:57
If we want to go to Stanford, any recommendations on what we should be working on?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:21:59
Pick something you care about. Stanford students are very passionate, even though their interests span a wide range of areas.

Rocket95 2012-10-09 19:22:07
(Alex/11/Bellevue, WA) what would you say is the best thing about stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:22:08
@Rocket95: It is hard to give any one thing about any one school. But one factor about Stanford really stood out when I moved here: it is a school with strength and links among all subjects, not just some. Students are broadly interested in many thing, even as they are focusing on one or two or three things.

thomasmeisel95 2012-10-09 19:22:14
(Tommy/12th Grade/St. Louis, MO) This is a question for Lynnelle, why did you choose Stanford for your undergraduate university?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:22:16
One reason is that I found the math department here to be particularly awesome, full of welcoming, helpful, and obviously brilliant faculty who were almost uniformly excellent teachers. The student life here also stands out--great weather, dorms, and food. Two things I realized after I came here: 1) I really like the quarter system, because it permits 1.5 times the amount of exploration you'd otherwise get to do, and 2) Stanford's uniquely powerful CS department benefits not only CS majors but really everyone in math and sciences, because of the connections that you get to learn about.

realmadrid08 2012-10-09 19:23:12
What does Stanford specialize in?

knowmath 2012-10-09 19:23:12
(Kevin/8th/CA) What departments of Stanford are the best?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:23:14
@realmadrid08, @knowmath: Individual researchers specialize. This university doesn't. You name it, it is here.

ssilwa 2012-10-09 19:23:43
Is it okay to not be so well rounded in one academic principle? (like math vs humanities?)

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:23:44
Being well-rounded is not a necessary condition to get into Stanford. I know a lot of people who specialize in math and computer science and aren't as inclined towards the humanities - there are also people who are the exact opposite - strongly inclined towards the humanities but not very confident in math and science. You don't need to be well-rounded to be at Stanford.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:23:55
Vamsi/8th/TN/Which major has the most undergrads?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:23:58
Computer science.

lenbob 2012-10-09 19:24:06
(Bob/9th/San Jose, CA): Question for Joe: to follow up my question on foreign language requiremnt, Stanford admission web site specifically says "three years' same foreign language", I just want to know if I took three years' same foreign language in grades 7, 8, and 9, would that meet the foreign langauge requirement for Stanford undergraduate admissions? Note: two of the years

snow17 2012-10-09 19:24:07
(Nick/11th/Augusta, GA) Does Stanford accept AP credits to place out of certain math courses?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:24:08
You're referring to recommended curriculum, Bob, and we only look at 10-12th grades on the transcript. You are still eligible for admission regardless of the high school curriculum you have chosen.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:24:10
I believe you can get credit for AB and BC Calculus. Beyond that, the math department is very flexible and does not enforce prerequisites--you take whatever classes you feel you're ready for. So there's no need to place out.

joshuas 2012-10-09 19:24:22
Ram/12/Mumbai, do international candidates get scholarship?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:24:24
joshuas, stanford does not offer academic merit scholarships, and our need-based financial aid program for international students is not need-blind but need-aware, so we are considering your need along with your application. This makes the competition a bit stiffer for int'l applicants with need.

lotze 2012-10-09 19:25:00
joshuas, as a follow-up, if you are admitted, stanford will meet your need.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:25:11
@ccw1435 (I've lost your question; I will post it as soon as I find it): This is a good question, and an important question. You are absolutely not hurt by not doing competitions. You can be helped, in that you may have had an excuse to see some new ideas that others haven't. Among the faculty in the department, there are quite a few that came into mathematics by the competition route. And quite a few who came in by very different routes! So don't feel nervous about this.

ccw1435 2012-10-09 19:25:20
(may have just accidentally sent only part of this through, that was an accident) How much does it hurt a student in math or a feild that uses math to not have worked with competitions in high school? For example, I did some math competitions and math circles in middle school, but haven't since. I'm enrolled in Linear Algebra online now and am doing fine, but I still worry that other st

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:25:25
Vamsi/8th/TN/Does Stanford have an Ultimate Frisbee team?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:25:28
Yes! We have athletic teams for many different sports. We even have a Quidditch team!

Umbrella 2012-10-09 19:26:08
Could I do research with one of the professors at Stanford only via Email?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:26:10
@Umbrella: Likely not --- we are actually very busy, and most of my time doing research with students is with Stanford students (graduate students and undergraduates).

AlanLiangTheAsian 2012-10-09 19:27:08
(Alan/9th/Chicago,IL) Is Stanford better than MIT

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:27:11
There's no one "best college". They're too diverse to be ranked like that. I chose Stanford over MIT, as did many of my friends here (unsurprisingly...), but it all depends on what you want from the experience.

Goldyx 2012-10-09 19:28:29
(Brian/12th/San Francisco) What would you say are the top three most important aspects of an application?

fragger55 2012-10-09 19:28:29
(Brian/10th/Santa Barbara, CA) What common characteristics to many admitted students share?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:28:33
Brian, students that are successful in our admission process all share an intellectual curiosity- they're excited about learning from our professors and each other. They all contribute uniquely to our freshman class of about 1,750

golden_ratio 2012-10-09 19:28:52
if I won some piano competition, does that stand me out? any music program offered in Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:28:54
There are music programs at Stanford if you want to continue playing piano while being a Stanford student - you can get lessons here and also participate in small music groups.

Jruc 2012-10-09 19:29:07
How is the Mathematical and computational science program at stanford? Does it differ greatly from an applied mathematics program elsewhere?

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:29:09
Vamsi/8th/TN/Does Stanford have a good theoretical/astrophysics department?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:29:11
@Jruc: good question. The name of it suggests some of the differences. It is a bit more aggressively interdisciplinary. Statistics requires a lot of math (real statistics, that is), so here there is no stats major; but there are many stats courses in MCS. There is heavy CS in MCS, but it is of the sort most useful in the mathematical sciences. Consider it a Stanford (interdiscliplinary) version of the applied mathematics major. (Our idea is that applied mathematics is *supposed to be* interdisciplinary. Many of the mathematicians in my department who work in applied mathematics work directly on real world problems.)

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:29:12
I know some brilliant physics undergrads here, including IPhO gold medalists, and I know that a lot of them do research here, including theoretical/astrophysics research. So I imagine the answer is yes.

Rocket95 2012-10-09 19:29:18
(Alex/11/Bellevue, WA) I'm sure you've gotten so many applications that no combination of activities makes someone stand out. How do you judge each person as an individual if you get so many applications?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:29:20
Alex, your application as a whole will clue us in to who you are as a person. Think less about the activities you've done (which many others will also do) and more about why you did them, what they meant to you, who you are as a result of your participation. Your essays are a great way to accomplish this.

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:29:46
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Is Stanford's electrical engineering geared towards contests or creativity, problem solving, and stuff like that?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:29:48
I have a friend who's an EE major who does a lot of hands-on work in labs as well as a fair amount of problem solving. There's not much in the way of contests stuff.

yeeleethegreat 2012-10-09 19:30:29
Does Stanford have a marching band?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:30:30
Yes! The One, The Only, The Truly Incomparable Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band! They're awesome and they're a lot of fun!

joshuas 2012-10-09 19:30:31
Ram/12/Mumbai, what is the maximum number of students you accept from a single country?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:30:33
@joshuas: There are no quotas. But we try not to accept more than 1750 from any one country. Because that's our number of freshmen.

p

thomasmeisel95 2012-10-09 19:30:44
(Tommy/12th Grade/St. Louis, MO) How heavily are the SAT Subject Tests weighed?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:30:46
SAT subject tests are recommended for admission at Stanford, but are not required. They just give us additional evidence of your academic proficiency, similar to AP or IB exams

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:31:05
Vamsi/8th/TN/Which APs does stanford accept.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:31:10
Take a look at http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/registrar/students/ap-charts

simranK 2012-10-09 19:31:31
How many extra curricular activities would be suitable for an entrace to Stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:31:32
@simranK You shouldn't do extracurriculars to pad your resume. That's not the kind of student I would want in my class! Do what is right for you. Make the most of your opportunities. Be yourself, not someone else.

ssilwa 2012-10-09 19:31:51
AP vs IB?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:31:54
ssilwa, viewed the same

Jruc 2012-10-09 19:32:01
How good and diverse is the food at Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:32:03
The food is quite good and diverse - we recently started getting dim sum on Sundays, which has been quite a hit!

aopsjohn 2012-10-09 19:32:31
Stanford is a bit far from where I live and it is very different where I live... Will it be easy to accomodate myself there?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:32:32
Yes. I'm from Maryland originally and, although Stanford is really far from home, Stanford really does feel like a home away from home.

circle12345 2012-10-09 19:32:34
(Kevin/10/Fremont) Are AP scores self reported on the common app?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:32:36
AP scores are self reported, but if you eventually matriculate at Stanford we will need the official score reports

Julisayuli 2012-10-09 19:32:50
Huijia/11th/Mexico How flexible is the math program at Stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:32:52
@Julisayuli: quite flexible. Math programs in general (in most schools) tend to be flexible, having the fewest number of required courses, but those courses tend to be hard. Here we are more flexible than most, as our students tend to combine mathematics with a variety of other things.

dalioby30 2012-10-09 19:32:58
What are some of the main ways that smart / high achieving kids fail once they get to Stanford? And what is the main advice you'd have for preventing (or recovering) from that failure?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:33:00
Interesting question! There are definitely new challenges here that can be hard to adapt to, such as the fact that you're suddenly surrounded by many more brilliant people, and the classes are much harder but also often more flexible, with the result that you're responsible for keeping yourself on schedule and not falling behind. Advice: accept that things are going to be harder now and that this is a good thing! Challenges are fun!

ccw1435 2012-10-09 19:34:06
How much do you think a student--in math or a field that uses math--is hurt by not having experience with math competitions? For example, I did some work in math competitions and math circles in middle school, and did fine, but haven't done any since. I'm currently in Linear Algebra, and am doing well in that too, but will other students have skills that I don't?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:34:08
I know plenty of excellent math majors without contest experience. If you're doing fine now, you have nothing to worry about.

Peanut Butter 2012-10-09 19:34:31
(shaheel/8th grade/Cincinnati OH) Did you have o do 2 different projects for the Siemens and INTEL?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:34:32
No, same project.

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:34:50
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Do you ever get time to make your own discoveries and/or solve tough problems no one has ever been able to solve (like David Hilbert's problems)?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:34:52
@DaChickenInc: Yes indeed --- this is why faculty are hired here. We are all researchers, who spend most of our time on research, but still are concerned with teaching the next generations. Few get to solve one of Hilbert's problems. (I just taught in my class today about one former colleague, Paul Cohen, who did just that --- and got a Fields Medal for his trouble).

GoldenRatioPhi 2012-10-09 19:35:17
My friend is interested in attending stanford.... and he asked me this question: Is there a homosexual program there?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:35:23
There is an LGBTQ presence on campus. There are a number of LGBTQ groups on campus.

handsomeboy 2012-10-09 19:35:52
What is the money fee for going to Stanford not including any scholarships?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:35:54
41,250 tuition, 12,721 room and board, about 1000 in fees (orientation, health services). financial aid is generous and more qualify than often think they do.

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 19:36:14
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) I love eating. Is the cafeteria good?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:36:15
We have nine dining halls on campus, as well as a number of other places where you can eat. You're bound to find something you like on campus!

simranK 2012-10-09 19:37:12
I am a homeschooler. Is it harder for homeschoolers to get in because we do not get "grades" in the sense of the word? One the whole, is it generally harder for homeschoolers to get in?

SkinnySanta 2012-10-09 19:37:15
How strict is the requirement for the 50H series, im currently studying multivariable using apostol and i want to know how placing out of that would work(assuming i get in and end up going)

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:37:15
Good question- homeschool applicants are certainly welcome to apply. To be successful in our process, homeschool students should submit as much supplemental material as possible (unlike traditional applicants) to give us an idea of their secondary school program. Testing requirements are the same and are often used to ensure that you're able to do the work at a place like Stanford. There is also a Home School Supplement to be included with the Common App

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:37:17
@SkinnySanta: Some students go right into our more advanced algebra and/or analysis courses. It makes sense for fewer students than you might think --- even if you think you've seen the material before, the 50H series is a baptism by fire.

realmadrid08 2012-10-09 19:37:39
Is the room and boarding good?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:37:40
The rooms at Stanford aren't too bad. You probably won't be able to pack your entire room and bring it to Stanford, but you'll feel comfortable. The food is also great.

Bonzogames 2012-10-09 19:38:08
Selin/8th/Baltimore How is the business program at stanford compared to other schools like harvard?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:38:11
@Bonzogames: http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings-2012

Rocket95 2012-10-09 19:38:14
(Alex/11/Bellevue,WA) What is the weather like?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:38:15
Amazing.

violin20 2012-10-09 19:38:53
How is the orchestra?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:39:00
The orchestra is great. It's competitive trying to get in, but the orchestra is really good and puts on a number of performances across the year that you won't want to miss.

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 19:39:24
do you like the well-rounded student or the specialized student?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:39:26
Some of the successful applicants at Stanford are well-rounded and some are what we like to call well-lopsided, or angular. Our job is to form a well-rounded freshman class

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:39:57
There's no "bureaucratic" requirement to take the 50H series. If you feel you're ready to skip them, just do it--I know a number of people who have. They are very good classes though, far deeper and wider-ranging than a typical multivariable course from most other organizations, so do look at the class material before deciding to skip.

ccw1435 2012-10-09 19:40:09
What is required for a math minor at Stanford, and can any of those requirements be fulfilled by college courses taken during high school?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:40:11
@ccw1435: Some can, but the really fun stuff you learn while you are here.

medianpi 2012-10-09 19:40:38
(Mady/9th/St.louis) If you jump grades, does that effect anything?

violin20 2012-10-09 19:40:38
Do you weigh SAT scores heavily?

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:40:39
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) What's a 50H series?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:40:40
@DaChicken It is our honors freshman math sequence.

lotze 2012-10-09 19:40:41
violin, we look at SAT scores as one factor among many. Our review is holistic.

Jruc 2012-10-09 19:40:48
How badly can it hurt an applicant if he has a bad grade on a subject ( Chinese Mandarin) that he took because he wanted to learn it but he found out he really sucked at it while doing so ? I have a C on this subject and while I've learned a lot on it I'm not really good at it. Say this applicant is also super smart at everything else and has nice accomplishments at other stuff.

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:40:51
We look at the transcript in a holistic fashion and while a C is certainly not impressive, it is just a small part of our comprehensive review. This is one of the reasons that Stanford does not have a minimum gpa requirement.

motionpix 2012-10-09 19:42:10
where is stanford again?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:42:12
@motionpix: One of the rules is that if you don't know where it is, you can't get in.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:42:46
But actually, Stanford is in the most amazing place in the world.

knowmath 2012-10-09 19:43:09
(Kevin/8/Palo alto, CA) How is the engineering department compared to oter good schools?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:43:12
Our CS department is unique in many ways, since it is basically the center of the Silicon Valley. Of course, there's no one "best for everybody", but we're definitely at the top.

nidhi01 2012-10-09 19:43:16
what is the acceptance rate in terms of how many people get accepted to how many people apply?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:43:18
nidhi, we accepted 6.6% last year. 36,632 applied, 2427 accepted

ssilwa 2012-10-09 19:43:53
From which state do you take the most applicants?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:43:55
Stanford's undergraduate population is generally reflective of our applicant pool. About 36% of our undergrads come from California, with Texas and New York in 2nd and 3rd.

snow17 2012-10-09 19:43:57
(Nick/11th/Augusta, GA) Are there any a cappella groups at Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:43:59
Yes, there are 10 a cappella groups on campus!

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:44:28
@snow17: To follow up on darkdieuguerre's response: There is a ton of music here (and a world-class venue is being built right now in the middle of campus). A capella groups are listed here (with much more): http://music.stanford.edu/Ensembles/index.html

Iggy Iguana 2012-10-09 19:44:36
would you say the campus is peaceful or busy

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:44:39
Both, actually. It looks really busy, but it's not like people are stressed out. People are generally very happy at Stanford.

shixian105 2012-10-09 19:45:04
How much sleep do you typically get?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:45:05
It depends on the night, but most students get a decent amount of sleep. I average 7 hours of sleep a night personally.

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 19:45:13
Would being a MOPper help much in the application?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:45:14
@zero.destroyer: Admissions is well aware of MOP!

Rocket95 2012-10-09 19:45:55
(Alex/11/Bellevue,WA) What is the best way to get around the huge Stanford campus?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:45:57
@Rocket95: Most would say bike. Some might say skateboard, or something else with wheels. (Campus is huge.)

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:46:10
It is possible to get around on foot, though. I've been doing it for 2 years running and it's not that bad.

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 19:46:14
Would it be somewhat safe to assume that Stanford can consider your circumstances and look past some bad grade, etc.?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:46:16
zero, we do consider particular circumstances, especially if they are clarified for us. Ultimately, something else would need to be rather compelling....it's a large applicant pool.

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 19:46:31
Is race accounted for in the application?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:46:38
Yes, Stanford has a strong commitment to admitting and enrolling a student body that is both highly qualified and diverse:
•We recognize the special circumstances of students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups.
•We value the unique educational contexts and life experiences of students from low-income families and nontraditional backgrounds, regardless of race.
•We believe a dynamic range of perspectives and experiences influences learning both in and out of the classroom.
•We are committed to making Stanford as strong a university as possible, and this entails enrolling the most promising students from all backgrounds.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:46:39
Vamsi/8th/TN/Is there a bus/transit system

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:46:43
Yes! We have the Marguerite shuttle.

realmadrid08 2012-10-09 19:46:56
Is the life for a student at Stanford hectic? Or is there time for other activities?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:46:58
It's often pretty hectic, but there are endless opportunities to do extracurricular stuff and socialize as well. Certainly you will lead a very full life, but if you're careful it can easily also be a balanced one.

Horse_Lover09 2012-10-09 19:47:56
(Ingerid/12th grade/Norway) Are there any Rubik's cubing clubs?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:47:57
Yes! We have some world-class speedcubers at Stanford.

prasanna1712 2012-10-09 19:48:13
does going to IMO (perhaps getting a medal) help in admissions?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:48:15
@prasanna1712: It can only help --- admissions here is well aware of the IMO, and we have a lot of IMO alumni here. (But to repeat something I said earlier --- many of our top students come into mathematics by other routes.)

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 19:49:08
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Have any students at Stanford invented a better way to get around the huge Stanford campus (i.e. teleportation)? Don't worry if the development of a teleportation device is secret; it's safe with me.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:49:09
@DaChicken I saw a solar powered car going around campus. No joke. (Such things aren't even surprising here.)

handsomeboy 2012-10-09 19:49:37
Are students safe on campus? Have there ever been cases of missing students or cars running over students? Is there a decent amount of security on campus?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:49:39
I'm under the impression that this is a very safe campus indeed--large, pedestrian- and biker-friendly, very nice in general.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:50:08
Vamsi/8th/TN/How is Stanford's Latin (as a language) program

Chae2002 2012-10-09 19:50:08
How fast are the rubix cubers because there are people at my church who can do it at 44 sec

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:50:16
I know someone who can do it in 10 seconds.

nidhi01 2012-10-09 19:50:27
I really want to become a pediatrician. Are there any programs that help me reach my goal at Stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:50:29
@nidhi01: Many of our undergraduates (like at other schools) go to medical school thereafter. The most common major for them is Human Biology (an interdisciplinary major, and again unlike what is offered elsewhere), but many study other things.

engarde 2012-10-09 19:50:55
how's the weather?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:50:57
Awesome. I wear almost the same clothes year-round. It's cool and a bit rainy in the winter and that's about it.

snow17 2012-10-09 19:50:58
(Nick/11/Augusta,GA) Which would you say is stronger on an application: Participation in a Governor's Honors Program or taking a summer college math course at Stanford?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:51:01
Nick- it's different for every applicant. There are so many variables that without reviewing your entire application, there's no way to tell. You should do what YOU want to do and not what you think will look best on a college app

joshuas 2012-10-09 19:51:12
will we have time to pursue other fields of study

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:51:14
You'll have a lot of time to pursue other interests here.

golden_ratio 2012-10-09 19:52:02
u said in the beginning, only 14% were from the family that fisrt have student in Stanford. does that mean u consider their parents or grand parents backgrand a lot?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:52:03
@golden_ratio: I think parents, but likely in this case I think it would be grandparents for most. I'm pretty sure that we have way more such students than any of our peers. In fact, on various diversity measures we are ahead of our peers too --- we tend to attract a more diverse student body.

IsabelleK 2012-10-09 19:52:30
would Stanford be a good place to learn advanced math and science and more advance stuff?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:52:32
Yes! Stanford would be an amazing place to advance your knowledge in math and science.

Goldyx 2012-10-09 19:52:45
Do admissions officers enjoy a small amounts of dry humor in application essays while still staying serious?

Julisayuli 2012-10-09 19:52:46
What are the most popular extracurriculars (at Stanford)?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:52:47
goldyx, we want to know who you are. if you're funny and you think it's important ofr us to know that, great. if not, don't start trying to be on an app.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:52:49
Popular is probably hard to define...our math club mailing list has a few hundred people on it. I've been told that we're one of the "more active" student groups. But pretty much anything you'd like to do, you'll be able to find other people who are very excited about it.

engarde 2012-10-09 19:52:52
I run a software startup (www.nimblenot.es), would that help in admissions?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:52:53
@engarde: Definitely. Standing out by following your passion and doing something interesting is always a good thing. (It needn't be starting a company. But many of our undergraduates have done that.)

knowmath 2012-10-09 19:53:17
How many roomates do you have?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:53:18
@knowmath: Three housemates. My wife, my 1-year-old son, and my 6-year-old son.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:53:25
In your freshman year, you'll most likely have 1 roommate. A few have 2 or 3, a very select few don't get roommates. After that, you'll usually only have 1 roommate, if any.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:53:47
I'm in a single and have been since last year. My freshman year I had 1 roommate.

Anamfija 2012-10-09 19:54:04
(Slava/12th grade/Missouri) Is there a list somewhere of all of the activities/clubs on campus?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:54:05
@Anamfija: Here is a partial list: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/student/organizations/index.html

viker 2012-10-09 19:54:24
CAN YOU CHOOSE your roomate

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:54:26
Not in your freshman year. In future years, yes.

Bonzogames 2012-10-09 19:54:48
Selin/8th/Baltimore Are the roommates generally nice? Can we change roommates if need be?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:54:49
People at Stanford on the whole are very nice. Getting your roommate changed is a very rare event and only happens in very special circumstances.

Rocket95 2012-10-09 19:54:54
(Alex/11/Bellevue,WA) What opportunities does Stanford offer its students over the summer?

lotze 2012-10-09 19:54:56
rocket, see summer.stanford.edu

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 19:55:43
Would it be easy to grab ahold of some sort of research topic and collaborate with some mentor, even if you're going to be just an undergrad?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:55:46
Well, lots of undergrads do it. "Easy" might not be the right word since research is always lots of work, but yes, if you want to work with faculty you'll have lots of opportunities to do so.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 19:55:59
Vamsi/8th/TN/So is Stanford a Legacy school (gives preferance to people whose parents went to Stanford)?

JKralick 2012-10-09 19:56:01
An applicant is considered a legacy if at least one parent or stepparent received an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from Stanford. Stanford ties will be noted as we make fine distinctions among our many talented applicants. The legacy connection is one of many aspects of an application we consider while we focus on demonstrated academic excellence, intellectual vitality and personal qualities, as well as the applicant’s school, geographic and cultural context. While legacy status may be considered a “plus factor” in the admission review, it is never enough to admit a student who is not otherwise compelling in our pool.

sindennisz 2012-10-09 19:56:10
Dennis/10th/M

How are the libraries/other working environments at Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:56:11
There are a number of different working environment at Stanford, from study rooms in libraries to seminar rooms in dorms. You'll definitely find a place that works for you. Personally, I end up working with some of my friends in someone's room a lot.

fragger55 2012-10-09 19:56:26
Ravi, what is your favorite branch of math?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:56:27
@fragger55: I like them all (I'm interested in mathematics generally, and science more generally, and the world more generally still). I've had lots of fun in pure mathematics, and in algebraic geometry (and nearby subjects) more specifically.

Goldyx 2012-10-09 19:57:00
Is there anything Stanford doesn't have? Haha.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:57:01
@Goldyx: snow

dantx5 2012-10-09 19:57:19
(Daniel/9th Grade/TX) what are the fraternities/sororities like?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:57:21
It really depends on which one you're looking at. Take a look at http://osa.stanford.edu/greek/

snow17 2012-10-09 19:57:47
(Nick/11/Augusta, GA) What is the highest level math class offered at Stanford?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:57:50
I'm going to go with "arbitrarily high", since there are graduate topics courses about material at the cutting edge of research, and you can do independent study with a mentor in whatever subject you want to learn more about.

snow17 2012-10-09 19:57:52
Do many students get internships? If so, which are the most popular?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:57:54
Software engineering internships at tech companies are some of the most popular internships.

Bonzogames 2012-10-09 19:58:48
Selin/8th/Baltimore Does Stanford offer summer programs for students in high school or going into high school?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 19:58:50
@Bonzogames: Lots. We've recently combined them under the rubric of "Stanford PreCollegiate Studies" (of which I'm on the board). There's an online high school (accredited), for example, but much more. More info here: http://spcs.stanford.edu/

simranK 2012-10-09 19:59:02
(Simran/7th grade/Wisconsin)Is the campus large and hard to get around? is it hilly?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:59:04
It is large, but not particularly hilly, and definitely not so large as to be inconvenient to travel around, especially with a bike.

aboojiga 2012-10-09 19:59:36
Matthew/12th/CA Among the students (especially in math majors) is the environment more collaborative/competitive? How so?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:59:37
Very collaborative. It's not very competitive at all - people aren't fighting to be #1 in the class.

yugrey 2012-10-09 19:59:42
Not as hilly as San Francisco?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 19:59:44
Far less hilly.

viker 2012-10-09 19:59:45
How many months off do you have for summer

bookaholic 2012-10-09 19:59:47
Three and a bit.

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 20:00:29
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) I don't think it would be surprising if your students MADE it snow at Stanford. Have you asked them yet?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:00:31
We've thought about making it snow on campus. It would cause havoc for all the bikers though.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:00:48
@aboojiga: following up on darkdieugeurre: Mathematics is a very collaborative subject, even if it isn't always taught that way. It's necessary to the subject: the material is hard and dense, and best figured out in conversation. So people are often encouraged to work together on problem sets, but are asked to write up their solutions separately.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:00:50
@aboojiga: following up on darkdieugeurre: Mathematics is a very collaborative subject, even if it isn't always taught that way. It's necessary to the subject: the material is hard and dense, and best figured out in conversation. So people are often encouraged to work together on problem sets, but are asked to write up their solutions separately.

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:01:47
(Dennis/10th/MD) What type of schedule does Stanford run on? (Semester, Quarter, etc.)

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:01:48
@sindennisz: quarter

vonneumann13 2012-10-09 20:01:57
Is the student body intellectual? I mean, I've heard that many students are focused on the end-product and getting a job after college more than they are on the actual college experience and education.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:01:59
I honestly have never met a classmate who thought that way. As far as I can tell, everyone here is serious, passionate, and excited about their education.

sinnoel 2012-10-09 20:02:17
(Leon/ 11/ Blaine, MN) Does Stanford consider grades or class rank more?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:02:19
sinnoel, we look at your grades as an academic indicator of you as an individual, and the rank is helpful in determining the extent to which you've set yourself apart. One informs the other, rather than outweighs the other.

brandinatorranger 2012-10-09 20:02:58
(Brandon/8th/Henderson) What GPA do you have to get in order to get into Stanford?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:03:00
Stanford does not have a minimum gpa required for admission, though academic excellence is the cornerstone of the evaluation process.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:03:02
Is the environment (surrounding area/city) lively/exciting at Stanford? I live in NYC, so I kind of feel like I would feel extremely "city-sick" anywhere else..

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:03:06
@michellellelle: I very much noticed upon moving here that it is Silicon Valley. (Sand Hill Road, the biggest concentration of venture capital in the world, is one border of campus.) It's not like anywhere else in the world. The attitude is "work hard play hard". People are outside a lot of the time. I love it here.

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 20:03:14
How much time do you have outside of class to pursue opportunities?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:03:17
Depends on how much time you want to make for them. The classes will take work, but you will get to do lots of other things if you want.

joshuas 2012-10-09 20:03:53
Are making to MOP level(in other countries) helpful?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:03:54
Doing well is helpful. Don't think in terms of hard and fast rules --- just follow your passions and do interesting things (interesting to you).

simranK 2012-10-09 20:03:59
(Simran/7th/Wisconsin) This may sound extremly unexperienced, but appoxamitely how many exams/major tests are there per quarter?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:04:00
There's usually a final per class, and probably 1 or 2 midterms per class. 5 exams a quarter is not surprising.

viker 2012-10-09 20:05:41
How many classes can you take?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:05:42
It depends on the classes, since there is a unit limit of 20 units per quarter and different departments have different counts of units for their classes. Usually, the maximum is 4 or 5, but for the math department you could take 6 math classes if you wanted (though I would strongly recommend against taking that many math classes).

Ragnarok7 2012-10-09 20:05:43
What is the male/female ratio in the math and science departments?

vonneumann13 2012-10-09 20:05:44
Okay - I was just wondering about that after reading the New Yorker article about Stanford: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/04/30/120430fa_fact_auletta

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:05:45
High, probably about the same as anywhere else. But not ridiculously so--there are certainly females pursuing all areas of math and science.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:05:46
@vonneumann13: That was an interesting article, and many things in it rang true. A number didn't (e.g. a business school class was used as evidence of what undergards did; the behavior of a few CS profs was seen as somehow representative of people in other departments). But a lot of the sense of it was true: this is an outwards looking university. (And to be clear, this is not in conflict with the liberal arts --- the humanities here are extremely strong.)

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:06:45
(Dennis/10th/MD) How do students form their schedules? Is it partially "set" by the administrators, or is it all in the hands of the students?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:06:46
@sindennisz: Students decide what to take. There are some guidelines ensuring people are broad creative thinkers. (I was on the committee that recommended what these should be.) Majors have requirements. And students (being grownups) figure out how best to navigate these.

AndyZ 2012-10-09 20:06:55
Are there quotas on the amount of Asians allowed at Stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:06:56
No!

ssilwa 2012-10-09 20:06:59
Are there classes that all freshmen have to take?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:07:00
Yes. There is a writing requirement that all freshmen have to satisfy. There is also a new program called Thinking Matters that all freshmen and incoming students will have to satisfy. Ravi is actually teaching a Thinking Matters class.

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 20:07:24
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) What's the Stanford mascot?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:07:26
Unofficially, the Stanford Tree.

subham1729 2012-10-09 20:07:50
How much marks is considered to be good in exam there ?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:07:52
It really depends on the class. Some classes are so hard that getting a 50% on an exam is considered a good grade, whereas on other exams the expectation is that many people get close to perfect scores.

jli10 2012-10-09 20:08:07
(Jonathan/12/GA) Hi, I was thinking about applying to Stanford for EA; however its early acceptance rate for the class of 2016 (12.8%) is markedly lower than that of other top-tier schools (for instance, Harvard was 18.2% and Princeton was 21.1%). What do you think accounts for this?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:08:09
Early programs are markedly different at each institution. You should do as much research as possible on each program before committing to one. At Stanford, the evaluative process is the same in Restrictive Early Action as it is in Regular Decision- students that get in REA would have also gotten in RD

ssilwa 2012-10-09 20:08:10
What is the minimum and the maximum amount of classes that you can take during a semester?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:08:13
Undergrads take between 12 and 20 units; can petition for 21 or 22. Serious classes are usually 3-5 units and some just-for-fun ones may be 1 or 2 units.

Ragnarok7 2012-10-09 20:08:35
Is it very difficult to get into the good classes (maybe with famous professors)? Are there a lot of students on waiting lists for most classes?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:08:37
Not usually. Most classes do not have enrollment limits.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:09:16
@jli10 We can only admit so many students, so unfortunately many great people are not admitted. I'm very happy with the students here (e.g. the freshmen in my THINK37 class are outstanding), but I'm well aware that many talented people aren't able to be admitted.

grandmasteraaaa 2012-10-09 20:09:18
Do we have to list ethnicity on our application?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:09:20
No, you're welcome to leave the question blank

Suhas 2012-10-09 20:10:17
Does studying at EPGY/ Stanford High School give an edge to students to gain admissions

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:10:18
@Suhas: No. There are many other great highly selective high schools and programs.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:10:23
What majors are best to pursue at Stanford

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:10:24
All of them! Every major available at Stanford is worth studying. You should pick something that you're passionate about, though.

zero.destroyer 2012-10-09 20:10:55
There's been alot of wondering about what Stanford likes. What about "What sort of things don't you like in an application?"

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:10:56
We don't like when students tell us what they think we want to hear. It comes off as inauthentic and those students are ultimately not successful in our process.

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:11:02
(Dennis/10th/MD) I heard that in some colleges, students can simply walk into a lecture that they are not enrolled in and listen (if time permits). They would just not be allowed to take exams. Is this the case with Stanford or is there something similar?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:11:03
@sindennisz: Definitely: people are welcome (space permitting), and people often do. There is just too much cool stuff to go to.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:11:19
There's a quantum mechanics class that half the math department visits, or so I hear.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:12:04
Is it possible to double major in Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:12:05
Yes!

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:12:27
@michellelle: follow up to ddg again: this is very common! (It goes with the interdisciplinary nature of the place.)

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:12:30
Are sports considered for acceptance into Stanford?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:12:32
Prospective student-athletes who are being recruited by the athletics department should communicate with the coach about specific timelines and questions they might have. Athlete applications are often on an accelerated timeline because of NCAA letter of intent deadlines.

Julisayuli 2012-10-09 20:12:46
Is it more recommended to study a double major or a major and minor if the careers are not very related (e.g., math and music)?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:12:47
Do what fits you best. If you care a lot for both fields of study, major in both of them. For me, I really like computer science and am somewhat interested in economics, so I'm pursuing a computer science major along with an economics minor.

solveit 2012-10-09 20:12:51
What are some of the most popular interdisciplinary topics?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:12:53
The biggest interdisciplinary major is Human Biology. But there are many many of them.

jeffchen 2012-10-09 20:13:26
what sportts are there?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:13:27
Visit www.gostanford.com for a comprehensive list

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:13:40
@Suhas:

aunch 2012-10-09 20:13:55
are there any restrictions on the two majors if you want to double major?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:13:55
None really, although a class can only count for one major if the two majors share some common classes.

lotze 2012-10-09 20:13:58
solveit, check out 'symbolic systems' as well.

Anamfija 2012-10-09 20:14:03
(Slava/12th grade/Missouri) Is there any grade inflation?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:14:06
Relative to what? You definitely have to work hard and understand the material (which can be a very difficult task indeed) to do well. There's no cap on the percentage of students who can get As or anything like that, which I think is a good and fair thing, since one should be graded on what one understands and not on what other people understand...

Suhas 2012-10-09 20:14:22
What is a Thinking Matters class???

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:14:23
@Suhas: Thinking Matters is the new freshman selection of courses intended to bring the freshman class together in their (hoped for quest) for a liberal education: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/thinkingmatters

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:14:39
What is your favorite thing to see on an application ?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:14:42
Something that we haven't seen before

Anamfija 2012-10-09 20:15:18
(Slava/12th grade/Missouri) What is the "strangest" major that you have heard of at Stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:15:19
@Anamfija: You can pick: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/academic/programs/degree_options.html

brandinatorranger 2012-10-09 20:15:32
(Brandon/8th/Henderson) What type of requirements for community service or other requirements are needed to enter Stanford?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:15:33
Brandon, no requirements as far as activities go. Do what you find meaningful.

nikgran 2012-10-09 20:16:24
if you want to math major, is stanford the best choice out there?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:16:27
There's no single "best for everybody", but Stanford is certainly one of the best. You can't go wrong with it. And the math department here was a huge factor in my decision to attend.

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:16:29
(Dennis/10th/MD) How is the music program at Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:16:30
Quite good, or so I hear. I know a number of musicians who are extremely talented.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:16:46
@jeffchen: http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/technology/electrical-engineering

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 20:16:54
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) What do people like most about Stanford?

Suhas 2012-10-09 20:16:54
What year of high school would you recommend us to do the SAT/ACT. Does repeating SAT/ACT to score higher reflect poorly on the application

Omniscient 2012-10-09 20:17:03
Do you have classes that someone seeking a career as a computer information and systems manager would benefit from taking

jeffchen 2012-10-09 20:17:36
which is better for double E harvard or stanffored

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:17:37
@jeffchen: http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2012/subject-rankings/technology/electrical-engineering http://www.usnews.com/education/worlds-best-universities-rankings/best-universities-electrical-engineering

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 20:17:41
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) What is the major that you find most interesting?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:17:42
Computer science, but that's because I'm doing it. Generally, students will major in whatever they find interesting, and that varies from person to person.

sinnoel 2012-10-09 20:17:59
(Leon/ 12/ MN) How will it affect me if i'm taking the most rigorous course load in my school but not quite highest ranked because my school doesn't weigh harder classes?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:18:01
We look at many measures of quantitative success, and you performing well in the most rigorous curriculum is certainly compelling.

Vexbrain 2012-10-09 20:18:35
Is it required for you to board at Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:18:36
Not necessarily, though it's highly recommended.

vonneumann13 2012-10-09 20:19:01
So let's say a hypothetical perspective student gets into, I don't know, Harvard, Yale, MIT, Caltech, UChicago, and Stanford. Why should (s)he choose Stanford?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:19:03
Depends on who the student is. Way too many factors there...I talked earlier about why I chose Stanford, so that's one line of reasoning from one person.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:19:23
Coursera looks quite interesting..(I think you linked it way up where) just wondering, though, would it go anywhere on college applications if a course had been successfully completed?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:19:24
There was an Additional Information section where I filled in information that didn't really fit anywhere else on the application, like math contest results and piano contest results.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:19:57
@michellellelle: Definitely mention it if you have completed courses on coursera.

nessrox26 2012-10-09 20:20:43
How is research weighed in the application process?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:20:45
We like to see intellectual engagement of any kind- research is just one way to show your academic curiosity.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 20:20:58
Vamsi/8th/Nashville,TN/When visiting Stanford, can you walk into a class?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:20:58
@nessrox26: What he said!

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:21:00
Yes, please do!

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:21:11
@vonneumann: I chose Stanford over other top colleges because Stanford was the only college where I could see myself studying for 4 years and enjoying my time. It really depends on the student though - I would recommend picking a college that fits you best as opposed to a college that just looks good on paper.

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:21:46
(Dennis/10th/MD) As students or professors, what attracted you to come to learn or work at Stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:21:47
The people and the culture of the university.

aunch 2012-10-09 20:22:24
how does stanfords admission process work? I heard that some colleges start with everyone being "accepted" and then crossing people off the list while others start with everyone "denied" and then move students into the "accepted" pile

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:22:26
@aunch: I hear they have a big dartboard and a lot of blindfolds. But I should defer to the actual admissions officers on this.

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 20:23:10
Vamsi/8th/Nashville,TN/If you're in middle school, can you still visit?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:23:11
Of course!

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:23:28
Stanford has lots of visitors every day, ranging from the very young to the very old.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:23:34
Ive seen people use humor in applications. What are your thoughts?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:23:36
At least one of my essays was definitely a bit silly. If you have a good idea you're excited about, go for it.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:23:37
(corrected) What is coursera?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:23:38
@forthegreatergood: https://www.coursera.org/

nidhi01 2012-10-09 20:24:45
do you have to have a certain grade to participate in extracurricular activities?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:24:47
Not as far as I'm aware...

motionpix 2012-10-09 20:24:49
why would old people visit Stanford?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:24:50
Alumni visit Stanford all the time.

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 20:25:00
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) To get around, should I have a bike, or a motorcycle at Stanford?

grandmasteraaaa 2012-10-09 20:25:03
Can you post this just so i can proudly stare at my name?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:25:03
A bike. Don't get a motorcycle.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:25:04
Okay?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:25:11
@motionpix: there is no accounting for what old people do.

nessrox26 2012-10-09 20:25:32
Does the year an AP is taken count towards anything?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:25:32
@aunch: we use a committee evaluation process at Stanford- no lists involved.

lotze 2012-10-09 20:25:34
nessrox, advanced coursework is always nice to see. we do keep in mind that some schools have specific policies on when their students can take advanced classes.

Ragnarok7 2012-10-09 20:26:00
Do most grad students get tuition waivers?

bigbrain10 2012-10-09 20:26:00
Vamsi/8th/Nashville,TN/Expounding on michellellelle, for the application do you have to do Stanford courses for credit/legitimacy?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:26:01
@bigbrain10: Definitely not. But it does depend on where you take it. Not all calculus courses are the same, for example. To say the least.

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 20:26:30
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Are there any required courses?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:26:32
There are requirements, but not many, and there's a huge amount of flexibility in the classes you take to satisfy them.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:26:49
@Ragnarok: I can only speak for the mathematics department, but it will give you a good idea of how things work in general. Students never pay out of pocket for the Ph.D program here. Students get some funding through grading and teaching, and have plenty of time for developing their research programme.

fragger55 2012-10-09 20:27:03
Is there parking space for all the students, or for only some?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:27:04
There is very limited parking space on campus. Driving on campus is also very difficult - biking is easier and far more convenient.

Suhas 2012-10-09 20:27:14
@motionpix: we visited Stanford with my family and the campus is BEAUTIFUL!!!!

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:27:16
And better for the environment!

littledeer 2012-10-09 20:28:16
Are there any summer programs that kids can go to?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:28:18
@littledeer: this is a good starting point: http://spcs.stanford.edu/

knowmath 2012-10-09 20:28:28
how much time is there to get between classes?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:28:29
10 minutes is the smallest gap between classes, usually. With a bike though, you can get from anywhere to anywhere very quickly, so it's not usually a concern.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:28:39
Even in terms of walking, 10 minutes is usually enough.

grandmasteraaaa 2012-10-09 20:28:53
Do people living in CA have an advantage

lotze 2012-10-09 20:28:55
grandmaster, not at all. we like to see applications from all over. most of our students are not from CA in fact.

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 20:29:04
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) How far away are the dorms from the campus?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:29:05
Very close, mostly.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:29:11
Most dorms are actually on campus.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:29:13
@mathllove2: they are on campus.

grandmasteraaaa 2012-10-09 20:29:27
What can you do with a math major?

InDe_eD 2012-10-09 20:29:27
would you rather have someone well-rounded, or someone especially talented in one field?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:29:28
@InDe_e

Yes.

viker 2012-10-09 20:29:35
Do you have to live on Campus??

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:29:36
You don't have to, but you really should.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:29:44
Freshman year, you're required to live on campus.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:29:47
(Indeed's name becomes funny when typed!)

InDe_eD 2012-10-09 20:30:22
how do the dorm and rooms compare to prep schools (exeter)?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:30:23
@Indeed: I hope you won't decide to go to college based on dorms! (The dorms here are great, as is the weather, but neither are good reasons to choose a college...)

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:30:30
Would you consider someone taking college courses in sophomore year of high school (going to nearby college for math classes)?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:30:32
Any advanced courses are looked upon favorably, whether at a college, AP, IB, honors, etc.

Ragnarok7 2012-10-09 20:31:26
The credentials of some of the Stanford reps here are rather mind-blowing. Is everyone at Stanford like that?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:31:28
Everyone here is impressive in some way or other, but it's a very diverse group. One thing I learned from coming to Stanford is just how many people there are out there who are amazing and accomplished in ways I couldn't even have imagined during high school. Don't worry about other people's credentials...do what works for you!

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:31:29
Does Stanford not have an undergraduate business department?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:31:30
@michellellelle: No, we have no business major, and that's on purpose. Our students do rather well in business (to say the least --- it is no coincidence that silicon valley grew up here rather than elsewhere). How could this be without having a business major? That's a question we discussed in class this morning...

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:31:39
Since Stanford doesn't have undergraduate business majors, what would someone pursuing finance in the future major in for undergrad?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:31:48
rohangu, see earlier answers

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:32:16
@michellelle: mathematics! (Or, depending on your interests, MCS, or CS or some sort of engineering, although some do philosophy, or ....)

ssilwa 2012-10-09 20:32:32
How much money does Ravi make in a year?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:32:33
@ssilwa: Not enough, but I am taking donations.

nivle 2012-10-09 20:32:54
What is IB...?

engarde 2012-10-09 20:32:54
Professors are paid far less than they should be...

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:32:56
international baccalaureate- another advanced curriculum offered at some US and intl secondary schools

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:33:01
@engarde: hear hear!

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:33:12
(Dennis/10th/MD) How much "cross-major" interaction is there among students? (By "cross-major", I mean like math majors talking with biology majors, or like math majors talking with Latin majors, etc.)

jc123 2012-10-09 20:33:13
How would someone wanting to major in bio do at stanford?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:33:14
@jc123: They would major in bio.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:33:14
Lots! You can meet any number of very different people here.

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:33:18
A fair amount. Some of my closest friends at Stanford are math majors, though I'm a computer science major. I'm also an undergraduate TA for an introductory CS class which contains a lot of non-computer science majors. Campus is definitely not partitioned by major.

ssilwa 2012-10-09 20:33:43
how do you become a professor?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:33:44
By being awesome like Ravi.

vonneumann13 2012-10-09 20:34:35
How's the classics department?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:34:37
@vonneumann13: (as is common with many of my answers: #1) http://www.stanford.edu/dept/classics/cgi-bin/web/news/stanford-classics-tops-national-research-council-rankings

jiujianxian 2012-10-09 20:34:47
Are Toefl exam required for International students who are studying at an American High School

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:34:49
The TOEFL, although not required, is strongly recommended for our students who are not native speakers of English. It is very useful in helping us determine our applicants’ English proficiency; however, you may feel this proficiency will be clear in other aspects of your application.

viker 2012-10-09 20:35:09
Is stanford an IVy leauge college?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:35:11
viker, stanford is not in the Ivy League, we're in the PAC-12

heyy_sarah 2012-10-09 20:35:19
Does going to programs during the summer like the Stanford one or RSI help you with the admission?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:35:20
@heyy_sarah: going to top summer programs can help show who you are. it is not required.

Tuxianeer 2012-10-09 20:35:33
Why is someone's name in italics

rohangu 2012-10-09 20:35:33
Are the sports programs at Stanford good? Are they competitive?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:35:34
Very good, and very competitive. We've won 114 NCAA championships.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:35:34
@Tuxianeer: because they are extra-cool.

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 20:35:54
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) Would I go to MIT or Stanford for Technology?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:35:56
What kind of technology? As I said earlier, our CS department is unique and very powerful, being in the middle of Silicon Valley. It all depends on the student though.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:36:53
What makes you want to reject someone that applies?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:36:55
we're admission officers, not rejection officers. I don't think any of my colleagues enjoy having to disappoint students.

jli10 2012-10-09 20:37:53
(Jonathan/12/GA) Although Stanford EPGY is not very prestigious summer program, do you still recommend mentioning it in an application? In fact, it was through EPGY that I had the great opportunity to hear Mr. Vakil give his "Mathematics of Doodling" lecture.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:37:55
I don't see why you wouldn't mention it. Especially if you found it interesting and exciting and you feel like you learned something from it. That's an important thing to show!

ssilwa 2012-10-09 20:38:05
Stanford should do a math summer camp

lotze 2012-10-09 20:38:08
http://math.stanford.edu/sumac/

JohnPeanuts 2012-10-09 20:40:05
If you could, what is the one thing about Stanford that you would change?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:40:07
I would make Ricker, the best dining hall on campus, open on Fridays and Saturdays...

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:40:17
Agreed! Ricker is awesome!

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:40:30
And it's a travesty that it has to be closed on Fridays and Saturdays...

jli10 2012-10-09 20:40:32
(Jonathan/12/GA) For teacher evaluations, do you prefer one math/science teacher and one language arts/social studies teacher?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:40:38
It's up to you! Use your 2 required letters of recommendation to show us how you perform in an academic setting. Consider your relationships with teachers and choose recommenders that will be good advocates for your candidacy. We have no preference for subjects as long as the letters are from one of 5 core academic classes: math, science, social science, foreign language, and english

Horse_Lover09 2012-10-09 20:40:40
(Ingerid/12th grade/Norway) Getting in is highly competitive for international applicants applying for financial aid. Is this also true (to the same degree) for international applicants not applying for financial aid? If not, is there a big difference between applying for financial aid but not getting anything notable, and not applying for financial aid?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:40:42
Ingerid, if you need financial aid, we recommend you apply for it. You are correct in noting that it makes it harder to get in for int'l students who need the aid.

mathIlove2 2012-10-09 20:41:25
(Yifu/6th Grade/St. Louis, MO) My dream is to go into GOOGLE to work. Would I go to MIT or Stanford? (Assuming that I am awesome.)

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:41:26
Either one. I was an intern at Google over the summer and I knew lots of people who were at both Stanford and MIT. You should pick Stanford though.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:41:34
Does Silicon Valley have fun places to hang out at during free time or weekends (assuming there is any free time for someone attending Stanford..)? because I had pretty much decided on university in NYC based on the city life, but after this math jam.. not so much; I'm starting to doubt myself :__:

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:41:35
@michellellelle: Yes, there are. A couple of caveats. The Bay Area is like an inside-out city --- the "downtown" is San Francisco, where many of the interesting cultural things are happening. Excellent restaurants are spread out (many in San Francisco, many in Silicon Valley). I think it takes some time to get used to a new place, to find out how to enjoy it on its own terms. But I think it's worth moving (I don't mean here, I mean just in general) in order to learn how to enjoy different places in different ways. For example, when I moved here, I only gradually got used to the fact that the inside/outside divide was partially erased, which changed how I enjoyed living. (Of course, New York is obviously a most excellent place to live...)

Hislop 2012-10-09 20:42:06
would i go to hit or stanford for Gastroenterology?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:42:07
@Hislop. I don't know what hit is. But in any case I would most recommend going to see a doctor.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:42:27
I am taking math courses at a local college (i finished my school ones). Can i use one of my professors as a teacher evaluation?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:42:28
Definitely.

Omniscient 2012-10-09 20:42:44
Do you offer any courses that a person seeking a career as a Computer and Information Systems Manager would benefit from taking?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:42:46
Sounds like you should check out our CS department?

engarde 2012-10-09 20:43:35
I've been taking EPGY courses since freshman year (multivar calc) - are they worth much to universities for admissions? My school doesn't offer anything else for me to take.

lotze 2012-10-09 20:43:37
engarde, we like to see advanced courses

suparnoghoshal100 2012-10-09 20:43:45
sir do u have any idea about the stanford math competition

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:43:46
The Stanford Math Tournament is an annual math contest that we hold for students in early February. You can find out more information about it here: http://sumo.stanford.edu/smt/

Hislop 2012-10-09 20:44:03
i meant MIT

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:44:04
@Hislop: MIT doesn't have a medical school, so that might not be a good bet. But in any case, med school is not something you do as an undergraduate. A medical degree (in the US) is a graduate degree.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:44:15
If someone is rejected from Stanford ED, would he or she be allowed to allow again during RD?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:44:17
If you apply to Stanford Early Action and are not offered admission, you must wait a full calendar year before reapplying. A small number of students are deferred from Early Action to Regular Decision, but the majority of students will receive a final decision from Early Action on December 15th

sindennisz 2012-10-09 20:44:22
I have to leave now. Thank you hosting this "math" jam about Stanford. I certainly learned a lot. Thank you again!

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:44:23
You're welcome!

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:44:49
Note that the Stanford Math Tournament is written and run entirely by undergrads, including me and darkdieuguerre. We're very proud of it!

suparnoghoshal100 2012-10-09 20:45:06
can international students take part in it

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:45:07
Yes! Last year we had students from China come participate.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:45:46
Is the math tournament for high school students?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:45:48
Yes, and some middle-school students also.

jc123 2012-10-09 20:45:53
would stanford be a good place for econ?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:45:54
@jc123: Definitely. Note here that the economics department is serious --- to do economics properly, you need a mathematical background, so they require good preparation before you start taking (serious) classes.

jiujianxian 2012-10-09 20:46:38
If I took all accelerated English courses and do well in them, an I have a high Sat score, are those enough to show English proficiency? I really want to use the amount of time needed to prepare for TOEFL to do things that can improve and interest me

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:46:40
It's your call. If you are being schooled in English and your standardized testing (SAT or ACT) show solid scores in English, you can likely show english proficiency

Katnissandpita 2012-10-09 20:47:06
Are there any majors that are really hard to get in for at Stanford, like pre-med?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:47:07
@Katnissandpita: you first get into undergrad, and then you choose your major. Some majors are more demanding in terms of coursework. If you like the classes (and do well), you get in. There is no separate admissions process.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:47:21
You don't get in for a particular major. Exploration is highly encouraged here--many (most?) students don't choose a major until sophomore year, and it's easy to switch anytime.

michellellelle 2012-10-09 20:47:46
(follow-up to my previous question) What happens if someone is rejected from Stanford ED, but later finds out that he or she won -- place in Intel? Would that person be allowed to fax over the "great news" for reconsideration?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:47:49
All decision at Stanford are final, so unfortunately not. I'm sure that student would have excellent options elsewhere

grandmasteraaaa 2012-10-09 20:48:12
Do advanced math courses taken at a community college (past Calc BC) count as AP courses?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:48:13
@grandmasteraaa: What do you mean? It would count as AP. But some courses can be counted to get prerequisites at Stanford out of the way.

SpectralS 2012-10-09 20:49:17
I don't know if this is appropriate to ask, as it's more about math than stanford, but I don't know any other places to ask questions: What are normal schemes intuitively? There are nice theorems about them, but it's unclear to me what the integrally closed means geometrically...

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:49:18
"Normality" is a surprisingly ungeometric concept. "Unibranch" is a good first approximation. But it somehow it is more algebraic than geometric, yet still central to geometry.

engarde 2012-10-09 20:49:51
As for financial aid, my total family income is about $60,000, and, I will have maybe $40,000 in assets by the time I apply. I plugged this stuff into the Harvard and MIT calculators, and I got about $6000 I have to pay. Does this mean that I don't have to pay the rest of the tuition, ever? And, what kind of a price tag would Stanford give me?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:49:54
Check it out: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/finaid/undergrad/how/calculator/

vonneumann13 2012-10-09 20:49:58
Does Stanford have an equivalent of Harvard's Math-55?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:50:00
@vonneumann13: The 50h series is a very rough approximation, but the style is different --- the material is consistent over time, and it has a consistent point of view.

Hislop 2012-10-09 20:50:43
ricker....?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:50:44
@Hislop: Are you referring to Ricker Dining Hall? http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/cgi-bin/drupal/dining/node/79

abalasky 2012-10-09 20:51:11
Will AP classes taken at your high school be counted at stanford, or only from more highly accredited high schools?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:51:13
abalasky, our registrar determines what credit is earned in AP courses. Andi t's not determined by the high school you're coming to us from.

viker 2012-10-09 20:51:31
How many hours of homework do you get when you attend Stanford

pcpathuri 2012-10-09 20:51:33
I am an eighth grader in San Diego I teach clubs at my school and a workshop at UCSD, I am the president of my robotics club, if i continue this trend do you think i would be admitted into Stanford for undergrad??? Oh and the club i teach is computer programming

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:51:34
Depends on your classes. The mode is perhaps 10-15 hours per week per class; most people take around 4 classes.

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:51:35
It's impossible to offer chances of admission without seeing an entire application. Components such as essays and letters of recommendation can be equally important to everything you list here

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:51:36
It depends on your workload. I personally have about 15 hours of homework a week, but that'll get more intense as the quarter goes on.

engarde 2012-10-09 20:52:21
so much seemingly geometric stuff is nongeometric, its amazing

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:52:22
@engarde: True! But I just try to make the nongeometric a part of my geometric intuition (e.g. much of number theory).

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:52:56
What are essay topics usually on?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:52:58
With over 36,000 applications- everything!

suparnoghoshal100 2012-10-09 20:53:40
sir how to approach the smt as an international student

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:53:43
Contact us (our email is on the SMT website) with details and we'll see if we can make it work.

CountdownKing 2012-10-09 20:54:49
What are the options in terms of political groups?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:54:51
I imagine there must be active groups all across the spectrum.

vonneumann13 2012-10-09 20:54:57
In what way is the style different? Does it go through material at the same rate?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:54:59
@vonneumann13: it actually goes through different material. Math55 varies with the professor, and people are free to try all sorts of things. (Gaitsgory taught it in a way that I think left a lasting beneficial impression on the students. Some others were less successful.) Our 50h series covers a more advanced version of typical freshman calculus, but done far more theoretically. It is hard going, but those who finish it end up with a huge advantage over others in all later mathematical courses.

forthegreatergood 2012-10-09 20:55:10
(from prev. question) Is there a prompt for the essay? or is it on anything?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:55:12
we ask a variety of essay questions. 5 actually. topics range and there is lots of room for creativity and personal expression.

engarde 2012-10-09 20:55:21
smt?

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:55:23
@engarde: Stanford Math Tournament

suparnoghoshal100 2012-10-09 20:55:30
do one fist have to qualify for the smt

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:55:32
No, it's open to everyone.

Ragnarok7 2012-10-09 20:55:47
Do you start considering applications as soon as they come in or do you wait until the submission deadline to look at any of them?

JKralick 2012-10-09 20:55:49
We don't have rolling admission, so we evaluate applications during designated cycles (either Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision)

mathsd 2012-10-09 20:56:12
Is $Latex$ useful in math couses?

darkdieuguerre 2012-10-09 20:56:13
It's useful both inside and outside of math classes. I write up solutions to all my problem sets in it.

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:56:23
As do I

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:56:33
We're getting ready to wind things down on this end; we'll answer a last couple of questions, and then I'll say a few concluding words!

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:56:53
@mathsd: me too. It's nice to know.

kenneth102099 2012-10-09 20:57:09
If an older sibling completed his degree at Stanford, would his younger sibling count as legacy?

lotze 2012-10-09 20:57:13
kenneth, Stanford considers legacy to be when a parent or step-parent has a degree from Stanford. This differs from other schools.

humzaiqbal 2012-10-09 20:57:41
If we have a product that we have made (such as a game in C++), can we send that in with out application

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:57:42
@humzaiqbal: if it is a large vehicle, no, please don't send that in. But in general, if you have made something interesting, let us know about it. (One of my THINK37 students had invented a great card game teaching about the elements.)

ccw1435 2012-10-09 20:57:43
Not sure how well any of you might know the answer to this, but how do online courses ( say from JHU CTY or Stanford EPGY) compare to actual stanford courses? Is a student enrolled in these courses getting about the same education as they would in comparable Stanford courses? Do students often retake such courses once they're actually at a college?

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:57:45
Stanford courses are definitely much harder and more advanced. Retaking is probably rare though, since Stanford courses are aimed at undergrads, not high school students.

SuperMathBoy 2012-10-09 20:58:28
Do we have to fly to stanford to participate in SMT?

vlchen888 2012-10-09 20:58:28
what level is the smt? in comparison the amc's and such

bookaholic 2012-10-09 20:58:29
There are SMT questions across the AMC/AIME spectrum of difficulty. Yes, you have to come to Stanford.

RaviVakil 2012-10-09 20:59:11
Thank you for your excellent questions and I'm sorry that we were unable to answer all of them. For those of you who did not get your questions answered, please feel free to contact our admission office, http://www.stanford.edu/admission/. Thank you for joining us today!
Thank you, and goodbye!

Tuxianeer 2012-10-09 20:59:38
thanks

turkeybob777 2012-10-09 20:59:38
Bye, thank you!

Ragnarok7 2012-10-09 20:59:38
Thank you so much!

heyy_sarah 2012-10-09 20:59:46
Thanks so much for being so helpful!

Horse_Lover09 2012-10-09 20:59:46
Thank you!

SuperMathBoy 2012-10-09 20:59:46
Thanks for answering our questions!

DaChickenInc 2012-10-09 20:59:46
(Brian/7th Grade/Pearland, TX, U.S.A.) Thank you!

suparnoghoshal100 2012-10-09 20:59:46
thank u

solveit 2012-10-09 20:59:46
Thank you for your time and answers!

mathsd 2012-10-09 20:59:46
Thank you!

rrusczyk 2012-10-09 20:59:47
Thanks again to all our guests for spending time with us tonight to tell us all about Stanford! I think this Math Jam broke a record for most questions answered!

Stanford University Math Jam

Facilitator: Ravi Vakil