How to get into Stanford
What 331 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 1,893 Stanford results that students posted for the 2016 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Stanford? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Stanford admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
4.00
Middle half 3.96 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,560
Middle half 1,530 to 1,580
Median ACT
35
Middle half 34 to 36
Median weighted GPA
4.60
Middle half 4.48 to 4.76
Results posted: 331 admitted, 1,484 rejected, 78 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Stanford acceptance rate; the official rate is in Stanford’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 4.00 | 3.97 |
| SAT | 1,560 | 1,540 |
| ACT | 35 | 35 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Stanford admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service63%
- Research52%
- Athletics42%
- STEM club/competition41%
- Tutoring/Teaching37%
- Internship34%
- Summer program32%
- Music31%
Held a leadership role
89%
Founded something
47%
National or intl. award
79%
Did research
52%
Early vs. regular decision at Stanford
- Early (328 results)27%
- Regular (680 results)18%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of Stanford admits
- Computer Science16%
- Engineering12%
- Political Science8%
- Economics8%
- Biology7%
- Math7%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 17% first-generation, 18% low income, 22% underrepresented minority, 11% legacy, 3% recruited athlete and 9% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 61% chose Stanford.
Three recent Stanford admits
2026 cycle · RD · Biology
Microbiology researcher who discovered a new virus, with debate captaincy and political canvassing experience.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Business
Teen entrepreneur who built a STEM business and app and mentors middle schoolers.
GPA 3.97 UW · SAT 1570 · Original post
2026 cycle · REA · Engineering
EE/CS student blending a defense-company internship, ML projects, robotics teaching, and national ML recognition.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1500 · Original post
Essays that worked for Stanford
Stanford Roommate Essay: Shelves
“Everybody has peculiarities that most people don’t know about. For example, I have a habit of pinching ear lobes. I also pour milk into my cereal, only to drain it out after soaking the cereal for a bit.”
Published by CollegeEssayGuy
Stanford Roommate Essay: Versions of Me
“Hi roomie! Ever wonder how many versions of yourself exist in people’s minds?”
Published by CollegeEssayGuy
“Five years ago I took up a job in construction from a couple of neighbors who needed help doing a demolition job on an old house.”
Published by CollegeEssayGuy
“In 2015, Northville, the place I consider to be my hometown, was named the snobbiest city in Michigan. I prefer to describe Northville as reckless.”
Published by The New York Times
How the Stanford admissions office reads a file
- What should you write your college essay about?
- What to give teachers writing your recommendation letter
- How a Stanford reader presents your application in committee
- What happens in a Stanford admissions committee?
- What does a Stanford admissions committee ask about you?
- How to do an independent study in high school
Where else Stanford admits got in
Stanford admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Stanford?
- Among 331 applicants who posted a Stanford admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 4.00 and the middle half reported 3.96 to 4.00 (266 reported a GPA). Stanford sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Stanford?
- Among 331 applicants who posted a Stanford admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,560 and the middle half scored 1,530 to 1,580 (239 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
- Does applying early help at Stanford?
- In these posts, 27% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (89 of 328), against 18% in regular decision (120 of 680). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do Stanford admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (63%), research (52%), athletics (42%), stem club/competition (41%). 89% held at least one leadership role and 79% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Stanford acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Stanford in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Stanford?
A Specialist who got into a school like Stanford can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Stanford. All colleges