Thinking about how to build a college list? Thinking about how to pick colleges to apply to? Thinking about how to pick the right college? In this series, you will get a first-hand perspective of our Matriculate students at their different campuses. Get a glimpse into Stanford University campus life!
Why did you decide to commit to Stanford? What factors drew you to this school?
For a long time, I was sure I wanted to stay on the East Coast and be near family so I had no intentions of going far during my college application process. I was pretty set on how to build my college list. Stanford was just a random school I applied to last minute. When my college results came out I was shocked. Do I stay or should I go? I debated between Stanford and an East Coast school for a long time, but what finally drew me to commit to Stanford was its huge Vietnamese student population on campus. As a Vietnamese woman, I’m very connected to my culture, wanting to attend a college with a strong Vietnamese community. Not only did Stanford have many Vietnamese students, but it also offered Vietnamese language classes with various active Vietnamese clubs such as the Vietnamese Student Association and MLH – Vietnamese fan-dancing. Stanford is also one of the few schools that offer my exact interests with their Stanford-specific major, Symbolic Systems, which allowed me to combine my interests in Computer Science and Linguistics. Plus it didn’t hurt that the school was also located in Silicon Valley! Finally, Stanford’s culture is much more relaxed than many top institutions, and I truly saw myself fitting into the college and its spaces. Ultimately, I made my decision to commit here because it was the school where I saw myself being the happiest.
Can you share more about your experiences with classes, class size, lectures, and professors? What about clubs and extracurriculars?
My biggest class right now is Calculus 1 which has around 70 people while my other classes range from 8-30 students. Most of my classes are smaller which makes class discussions and hands-on learning much easier. My professors are pretty chill and they make classes exciting and fun. For example, in my ESF class (a seminar-style writing class) the other day, my professor didn’t assign any readings so we just watched a Netflix documentary instead. In my Vietnamese class, grading is very relaxed and the professor will give you an A+ if you just go on his field trips which are usually very fun.
At Stanford, there are so many cool and exciting organizations, the hardest part is to figure out which ones you want! I’m in the Vietnamese Student Association, MLH (fan dancing), Lion Dance, Symbolic Systems Society, and I have a Community Service Work Study (basically I volunteer at a non-profit and Stanford pays me!). There are many opportunities to contribute to the clubs you’re interested in here. While some clubs have competitive internship applications, their general meetings are open to all. Stanford also has many panels and career fairs throughout the school year where you can network with industry-leading professionals and learn about any and every career field. Additionally, many pre-professional clubs have sessions that teach you how to network, interview, obtain internships, and give career advice so students feel supported throughout their intern/job application process! The Stanford student organizations on campus are very robust.
Tell us more about the dining hall and dorm situation! How is the food - are there enough options for those with dietary restrictions? What is the dorm and housing situation like?
I enjoy the Stanford dining options and dining food halls! They have Asian and Latino foods-themed dining halls with tacos, burritos, pho, udon, buttered chicken, and more! While it isn’t as good as the authentic versions, it’s nice to have a little taste of home while in college.
While I can’t speak fully on food options for those with dietary restrictions, various dining halls on campus try to cater to everyone. Additionally, meals always have a list next to them that notes any specific ingredients inside for students with dietary restrictions.
As for the dorm situation at Stanford, all freshmen have randomized roommates based on a form you fill out based on your preferences. My room is decently sized and there was a lot of storage under my bed, on the bookshelf, and in my wardrobe. Some freshman dorm rooms are bigger than others and lucky freshmen can get two room-doubles. The bathrooms are also nice and the showers have doors with locks instead of curtains (but some dorms differ). Some floors are co-ed and some are single-gender based on your preferences. I live on a co-ed floor with a co-ed bathroom and I’ve had no issues so far.
Share more about the social scene - how did you make friends? Do most people join Greek life or are there ways to make friends outside of Greek life? What is there to do for fun?
Many of my friends live in the same dorm as me. We all met during orientation and it’s super easy to hang out since everyone lives so close on campus. I’ve also made friends in my clubs and classes, so don’t be worried if you’re not vibing with the people in your dorm initially! Few I know are planning to rush and there are many ways you can make friends outside of Greek life. For fun, I usually go to club events/mixers, go to downtown Palo Alto, or play a racket sport/rock climb/swim at the gym. Stanford hosts a bunch of free events year-round such as Frosh Formal, the Big Game (Berkeley vs Stanford), ScavHunt, and dorm trips!
How did Matriculate help you get to college?
As a first-generation and low-income student, it was always hard for me to dream big. Watching these college acceptance reaction videos and reading about other students’ stats always put me down, I never believed that I could ever get where these students were. However, being in Matriculate gave me the confidence to try. My Advising Fellow helped me throughout the entire college application process, from reassuring me when I had massive doubts when picking colleges to apply to to revising my college essays to helping me prepare for interviews. I could not have gone through the process without her. Even after I had received all my decisions, my AF talked through my financial aid packages with me and reviewed the pros and cons of each college, ensuring that I had everything I needed to make my decision. She helped me pick the right college!
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Van Tran
As a former high school fellow, Van is now a passionate Matriculate Ambassador. Van was born in Vietnam but raised in California, Virginia, and currently resides in rural Maryland. She is presently a first-generation, low-income student at Stanford University. These experiences cemented her desire to open higher education pathways for low-income, rural students like herself. Van plans to major in Symbolic Systems (a Stanford-specific major intersecting linguistics and CS) with a minor in modern languages. She is also passionate about community service and dedicated to serving her communities during and after college.