High School Students FAQ

How do I get admission information?
Stanford does all undergraduate admissions at the university level. This means that students are admitted to Stanford University and once enrolled, are free to major in anything they want. Students are not admitted to the School of Engineering or the Computer Science Department in particular. For more information about anything admissions related, please check out the Admission Department's website, or contact them directly.

What classes do I need to have taken in High School in order to major in Computer Science?
None. The CS major is a comprehensive program that assumes no prior knowledge of Computer Science. While we certainly encourage you to explore academic interests while in High School and to participate in activities that you find exciting, many of our CS majors came toStanford thinking they were going to major in English and end up doing just as well in the program. Again, you should note that all undergraduate admissions to Stanford are done at the university level, so being particularly prepared in the field of Computer Science will be unlikely to affect your chances of admission.

How can I find out more about the program?
We strongly encourage you to browse the web. Almost all the information about the program can be found on the websites for the CS Undergraduate Major, the CS Department, the School of Engineering, or Stanford University. You might also be particularly interested in the Thinking About CS? site that we've put together for Stanford students who are considering majoring in CS. This site gives a lot of advice about our program and what being a CS major means. Finally, if you have questions that have not been addressed on the website, feel free to email our Course Advisor . The Course Advisor is a master's student who was also a CS undergraduate at Stanford and is available to answer questions regarding the program, classes, etc.

We're coming to campus - can we meet with a Professor, take a tour, etc?
Our professors do not meet with prospective students. However, you can meet with our Program Administrator, Claire Stager, and the CS Course Advisor for an information session. These sessions usually last about 45 minutes to an hour and include an overview of the department and lots of time for questions. Parents are welcome to attend, but they do not have to. In order to schedule one of these sessions, email the Course Advisor. You can also arrange things such as campus tours, admissions information sessions, etc. through the Stanford Undergraduate Admissions office.