School

Stanford Summer Session

This summer, start something great.

From the moment you step onto the Stanford campus, you’ll experience a standard of educational excellence like no other. For more than 130 years, Stanford has set the bar for excellence and entrepreneurial innovation, and Stanford Summer Session students contribute to that legacy. Dynamic, diverse classes with dedicated instructors. World-class libraries. State-of-the-art fitness facilities. A breadth of recreational activities on campus and in the culturally rich San Francisco Bay Area. A sense of discovery in our inclusive learning community, studying alongside matriculated Stanford students and peers from more than 30 countries, earning college credit and an official Stanford transcript.

Stanford Summer Session is designed to enrich your curiosity, creativity, and knowledge, with:

Program Dates

8 Week Program

Saturday, June 20 – Sunday, August 16, 2020

9 Week Program

Saturday, June 20 – Saturday, August 22, 2019

Application Deadlines

Apply early for the best chance to enroll in your preferred courses, or if you are interested in applying for on-campus summer housing.  

Program Requirements

Admission is a selective process, and applications are reviewed in accordance to the Application Deadlines listed in the Admissions section. To be eligible to apply, students must:

In addition to submitting an online Summer Session application, students must upload an unofficial transcript for all colleges or universities attended, and compose a short personal statement in response to a specific question. 

English Language Proficiency

It is a stated requirement of the Stanford sponsored I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status) that students studying in the U.S. must be fluent in spoken and written English. All courses are taught in English. Students should feel comfortable enough in the language to communicate with their roommates and classmates while studying at Stanford. Language proficiency will be verified in one of three ways:

If you are a native English speaker

Native English speakers are exempt from providing English Language Proficiency exam scores. Native speakers typically learn English as children, speak the language at home, and it is usually the native language in your country of origin. Native speaker exemption requests will be reviewed as part of the application process. The Stanford Summer Session office reserves the right to request additional information and/or require language proficiency exam scores.

If you attend a school where English is the primary language of instruction

Students who have completed a year or more of full-time coursework at an institution where English is the primary language of instruction can qualify for an English language waiver. The year of coursework must be completed by December 31, 2019. Courses must be academic in nature and not courses teaching English as a second language. English language waiver requests will be reviewed as part of the application process. The Stanford Summer Session office reserves the right to request additional information and/or require language proficiency exam scores.

If you attend an international school where English is not the primary language of instruction:

Stanford Summer Session requires the submission of qualifyingEnglish Language Proficiency exam scores as part of the application process. Exam scores are valid for two years and must be valid as of the application deadline for each program. 

The following score minimums are a strict program requirement. Exam scores below the minimum will not satisfy the English language proficiency requirement. 

Internet-Based Test of English as a Foreign Language

International English Language Testing System: Academic (IELTS: Academic)

Cambridge Assessment English