A place at Stanford for nerdier or more introverted students?

Colleges & Universities Stanford University
1

<p>I am a high school senior currently trying to decide between Stanford and MIT. I know there have been a thousand threads comparing Stanford and MIT in the past – I’ve read through most of them – but I still don’t feel like I have a very good sense of the similarities and differences between the students at the two schools. It’s a given that there are a wider range of personalities and interests at Stanford, but are there still a significant number of students who are interested in things like reading science fiction/fantasy, building robots, and talking about random scientific concepts in their free time? If you’re not the most extroverted person in the world, how easy is it to make friends and meet other people like you?</p>

<p>To give you a little more information about me, I am planning to major in some kind of engineering or computer science, but also have an interest in creative writing (I write novels in my spare time). I love the weather, campus, academics, and overall friendliness of the student body at Stanford, but I also love the hacks, “nerd culture”, and creativity that I see at MIT (with students painting their dorm rooms, etc.). Any insights would be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Stanford is well-rounded. That is what you need as a undergraduate student, and you will learn advanced topics in your graduate studies. . You never know what you are going to do in the future. </p>

<p>

If this is done in high school, the students would be suspended, but if it is done at MIT, we call it “creativity”? If I do it at my home, people would call me an idiot. Guess those things would not happen at HYPS, but it does not mean those at HYPS are not creative.</p>

3

<p>FroSoCo…</p>

4

<p>dragonkid, there are plenty of kids at Stanford who (1) are majoring in engineering/CS; (2) are interested in lots of other things as well; and (2) have somewhat reserved temperaments. You would find these students in your classes, and through many extracurricular activities and clubs that appeal to this type of student. The campus culture is amazingly diverse and embraces all kinds of people.</p>

5

<p>Based on what I saw at Admit Weekend, most definitely. If it helps, I fit into most of those criteria – and I met many other people at Admit Weekend much like myself.</p>

6

<p>Where did you end up? MIT or Stanford?</p>