<p>OP, what do you mean by “intellectual challenge?” </p>
<p>I think Stanford students can be pretty intellectual, but often there’s just a ton of s*** getting in the way. If your daughter wants, she can be very intellectually involved, as many students are. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that lifestyle, it’s not really frowned upon or anything, it’s more that a lot of us find rewarding activities outside of traditionally academic pursuits. </p>
<p>I know some guys who ski every weekend winter quarter. I know others who basically live in the Stanford Daily building. Some friends of mine code for hours on a startup, others spend 15 plus hours a week in the performing arts. And some people spend their days in the lab. </p>
<p>Also, maybe Stanford doesn’t give off that much of an “intellectual” vibe because being intellectual has connotations of being superior, and Stanford students are humble to a fault (especially the ones who have every reason not to be, like Andrew Luck). You won’t know who down your hall has a 4.0.</p>