By Samhita Holla
Known for its academic prestige and beautiful campus, Stanford is a dream school for many high school students. To get more insight on Stanford as a whole, I interviewed Lily Bourne, a second-year student at Stanford, about her thoughts on academics and campus life.
What is your major?
All students come in undecided, so technically I don’t have a major. But I am on the earth systems track.
What is the campus like?
The campus is beautiful! The dorms are extremely nice and the dining is also really good. We have 12 dining halls, and all of them offer a lot of variety. The dining is also culturally themed based on its respective culturally themed dorm. Another fun thing about Stanford is that it has pretty big biking and outdoorsy culture!
What is the most interesting class you have taken so far?
The most interesting class I have taken so far is the Other People’s Words: Folklore and Literature class. I learned a lot about folklore theory and what it means to share a story, as well as what constitutes something as folklore. We also talked about themes of community building and collective memory. And the final project was to collect folklore ourselves! So, I had the opportunity to talk to our Native American Studies professor and also learn about folklore about the plants around me. It was a super fun way to learn about the stories people tell!
What activities are you involved in on campus?
On campus, I write for The Daily (Stanford newspaper), and work for the Bill Lane Center for the American West as an event planning assistant. Also, I am in a Panhellenic sorority which means that I will be living in a sorority house next year. I am also a Hoover institute fellow which means that I work on the rural-urban divide, which I did this summer in Montana. The great thing about Stanford is that they have a ton of programs to take you to other places over breaks and during the summer, including service programs, fellowships, and internships. Some of these programs count as a class and will give you credit!
How easy is it to explore subjects outside of your intended major?
It is so easy! Stanford did a study on its own students and found that 50% of students switched their major from what they originally applied for. Since they know students are going to change their minds, they have created a system where you can take pretty much any class. I took a bunch of random classes just to figure out what interested me. There are also really specific classes that allow you to immerse yourself in different subjects you might not have learned about before!
What is your favorite tradition, event, or part of campus life?
The Big Game (Stanford vs Berkeley Football rivalry match). I love the Big Game because the whole campus is so alive and excited (and we won). A lot of Stanford alumni will also come so I can meet my family and friends. I can also see my closest friends dance, cheer, and perform in the band! It’s always fun to have a good night out!
Do you have anything else you would like to add?
There’s this stereotype that the only people who go to Stanford are private school kids who did a ton of stuff just to get into college. I definitely think that that is only part of the story, and you really get a chance to show who you are through the application process. If you get far enough, you can have an in-person interview with an alumnus, and because Stanford is a relatively small school, they really get to know who you are. You’re not just a number on a piece of paper. As long as you’re passionate about something, there’s a place for you! Anyone who feels intrigued by the possibility of Stanford, its flexibility, community, and small size should apply because you never know what’s going to happen until you try! Also, feel free to reach out to me because I’m always willing to talk about anything!