First-Year Applicants

Thank you for taking the time to submit an application to Stanford!

Once we receive your application, you will be sent an acknowledgment email with instructions on how to log in to your Stanford portal to check the status of your application. This message will be sent to the same email address that you used to submit your application.

The Stanford portal is where you can update your application and check to see if we have received required materials such as your transcript and letters of recommendation. This is also where you will log in to view your admission decision letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

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I never received my acknowledgment email from Stanford. What should I do?

Check your Junk/Spam/Promotions folders for an email with the subject line "Your Stanford Application." If you still cannot locate the email, it’s possible that your acknowledgment email bounced, and we may only have one email address for you. Please email credentials@stanford.edu with an alternative email address, your Common Application ID number and the email address you used to apply, so that we can resend your acknowledgment email. We recommend using a non-school email address that you check frequently.

What if my checklist is not complete by the deadline?

Materials may take a week to process after we have received your submitted application, even if your materials were sent before your application was submitted. If your checklist is not complete by the deadline, simply continue to check your Stanford portal regularly until we have received all items. Once we process all materials, we will contact you if you are still missing a required material.

I submitted my application on the deadline, but the timestamp says the day after the deadline. Is my application late?

No; due to variation in time zones, your submission timestamp may show a date and time after the deadline. No need to worry. As long as you have received a Stanford acknowledgment email, we have your application.

I submitted my application, but my payment is still processing. Is my application late?

No; there may be a delay for payments to post to your account (especially for international applicants). As long as you submit your application by the deadline and have the transaction receipt, your application will be received. We will accept the payment when it is posted, and there is no need to worry if the posting is after the deadline. As long as you have received a Stanford acknowledgment email, we have your application.

My teacher (or counselor) is unable to submit letters and/or materials for my application by the deadline. What should I do?

As a standard practice, we offer a grace period after the application deadline during which teachers and counselors may submit application materials. Please remind your teacher or counselor to submit the materials as soon as possible. Continue to check your Stanford portal until we have received all items.

My recommender/school personnel is unable to submit a letter of recommendation and/or materials online. Is there another way to send the document(s) to you?

We only accept required documents, such as transcripts and letters of recommendation, sent from school personnel and recommenders.

We strongly prefer online submission through the Common Application. If your recommender is unable to submit a letter or other required documents online, then they may send the document as an email attachment to credentials@stanford.edu. Please ensure that your full legal name, school name and date of birth are included on the required documents and in the email message.

If you need to have a letter of recommendation emailed to us, please have your recommender also indicate the type of recommendation (e.g., counselor, teacher, optional) in the email.

The teacher/counselor I had asked to write my letter of recommendation no longer works at my school and my school uses Naviance. How do I ensure the letter makes it to my application?

Your recommender can send their letter as an attachment to credentials@stanford.edu. They should include your full legal name, high school, date of birth and the type of recommendation letter (counselor, teacher, optional) in the email.

If you already listed the teacher or counselor as the Other Recommender in the Common Application, that is completely fine, and we will receive the letter (there's no need to have it re-sent). Please just email credentials@stanford.edu with the name of the recommender and a request for us to update the letter from an optional recommendation to a teacher evaluation or counselor recommendation.

Application Updates

How can I update my application to add new information like a recently received award?

We do not accept uploaded documents. If you would like to add new information to your application, you may do so by logging in to your Stanford portal and describing your updates in the textbox provided. This form may be submitted multiple times.

May I submit supplementary materials like resumes, writing samples, research papers, articles, computer programs or any other special work I have done?

We do not accept or process supplementary materials. If, however, you would like to provide more detail about your academic program, activities, honors or background, please log in to your Stanford portal and use the "Update Application" link.

What should I do if I need to request a change to my name or date of birth?

Email credentials@stanford.edu to request a change to your name or date of birth. In addition to the requested correction, please include your Common Application ID, full name, high school and date of birth as submitted in your application. Please note that if you are contacting us about a change to your legal name, you will need to provide verification.

I have moved since I submitted my application. How do I update my address?

Log in to your Stanford portal and use the "Edit Addresses" feature. Any change you make there will be reflected in your application record. Please note that every applicant must have a permanent address.

I noticed a mistake in my Social Security number or forgot to report it. How do I update it?

Do not send your Social Security number in an email or form. Please call 650-723-2091 to request an update to your Social Security number.

Decision Plan Change

I originally submitted my application for Regular Decision and would now like to be considered as a Restrictive Early Action applicant. How do I request this change?

  1. Request a change in plan on or before November 1 through the Decision Plan Change form in your Stanford portal .
  2. Request a plan change to Regular Decision for any early applications you may have submitted elsewhere.

I originally submitted my application for Restrictive Early Action and would now like to be considered as a Regular Decision applicant. How do I request this change?

Request a change in plan on or before December 1 through the Decision Plan Change form in your Stanford portal .

Please note: We cannot honor a change request after December 1 and will evaluate your application under our Restrictive Early Action plan.

Withdraw

How do I withdraw my application to Stanford?

To withdraw your application to Stanford, please log in to your Stanford portal and submit the Withdraw Application form.

Updated on July 29, 2024 11:59 AM

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