STANDOUT: Stanford Diversity Outreach for Doctoral Education

The STANDOUT program will not be offered in Fall 2009. We hope that STANDOUT will return in Fall 2010. If you are interested in future events like STANDOUT, and other information about applying to Stanford doctoral programs, sign up for the Stanford Doctoral Education Interest Database.

About STANDOUT

Stanford University has a commitment to increasing the diversity of our graduate student body as we educate and train the next generation of global leaders. STANDOUT aims to give prospective doctoral students who are currently engaged in research in life sciences, natural and earth sciences, social sciences, business, or engineering an opportunity to learn more about doctoral studies at Stanford. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to visit your targeted department, interact with faculty, meet with current graduate students and talk to your peers from across the country. Workshops will be held to help you make your graduate school decisions and prepare a competitive graduate school application. This program is a great way to find out firsthand what Stanford University has to offer you!

Participating Stanford organizations include the PhD Programs in Biosciences in the School of Medicine; the Natural Sciences, Sociology, and Psychology in the School of Humanities and Sciences; the School of Engineering; the School of Business; and the School of Earth Sciences.

Major support for STANDOUT comes from the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education (VPGE).

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Objectives

• Expose high-achieving students to educational opportunities at Stanford
• Increase the number of underrepresented minority graduate students at Stanford
• Provide opportunities for students not generally familiar with Stanford to experience the graduate study and research environment at the university
• Promote awareness of diversity among students, faculty, and staff
• Promote graduate study access to students coming from diverse social and educational backgrounds

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Invitation

Stanford invites high-achieving college juniors, seniors, recent graduates, master’s students or early career professionals who are underrepresented in their fields to apply to this one-day program, STANDOUT. This program is specifically designed for students interested in doctoral study in the life sciences, natural and earth sciences, education, social sciences, and engineering. STANDOUT offers:

• Opportunities for participants to interact with faculty and students and investigate graduate options at Stanford.
• Previews of summer research opportunities at Stanford in 2010.
• Workshops on applying for graduate school and investigating financial aid resources.

Stanford will provide for the travel, accommodations, and meal costs for all students participating in STANDOUT (details will be explained when students are accepted).

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Who Should Apply?

• High achieving juniors, seniors, master’s students, recent graduates or early career professionals who are interested in doctoral studies in the following fields. Sophomores interested in Biosciences, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences are also invited to apply. For information on specific programs offered in each field, click on program lists:
• Biosciences
• Natural Sciences (including math & stats)
• Psychology & Sociology
• Earth Sciences
• Business
• Education
• Engineering
• Strongest applicants will have an overall GPA of 3.5 or above, but we encourage those with a 3.0 or higher to apply.
• Eligible candidates are those who would bring diversity to graduate study at Stanford by reason of culture, class, race, ethnicity, gender, background, income, work and life experiences, skills, and interests.
• Applications are especially encouraged from students who are Black/African Americans, Latino/Chicano Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
• Participation will be limited to space available.
• In addition to applicant's academic records, applicant's interests, experiences and essays will be carefully evaluated. Please take care to thoughtfully consider your written statements.

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Applying

Questions? Email us at: graddiversity@stanford.edu

The application should include:

• Application form including contact and educational information, and area(s) of research interests.
• Three separate essays to highlight your potential contribution to diversity in your field, your research experience and your academic and career goals.
• Transcripts from all universities attended (unofficial copies will be accepted)
• Resume/CV
• One letter of recommendation from a research advisor. For School of Education participants, a letter may also be from a current supervisor or colleague who can attest to the applicant’s promise for doctoral studies and/or research.
• All supporting documents including the essays, transcript, and letters of recommendation must be uploaded to the application in an electronic format (Word, JPG or PDF).

Selection and Notification:

• Applications will be reviewed by the school that the student intends to visit.
• Students will be notified of their acceptance by phone/email.
• Selected students must confirm their intention to attend STANDOUT by the date indicated in their invitation.
• Confirmed students will receive travel agency information to book their flight and must do so by the date specified.
• All hotel reservations for confirmed students will be made by Stanford.
• Travel (up to a maximum amount), hotel and meal expenses will be covered by STANDOUT.

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Contact Us

Department	Contact	Email Address	Phone
Biosciences	Tenea Nelson	tenea@stanford.edu	650-723-6274
Business	Susan Gutierrez	gutierr@stanford.edu	650-725-9157
Earth Sciences	Roni Holeton	roni@stanford.edu	650-721-3383
Education	Rania Sanford	rhegazi@stanford.edu	650-723-4066
Natural Sciences Psychology & Sociology	Ayodele Thomas	ayodele.thomas@stanford.edu	650-724-3712
Engineering	Noe Lozano	noe@stanford.edu	650-725-1575
General Questions		graddiversity@stanford.edu

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of attending STANDOUT?
Attending STANDOUT will not only allow you to learn about the graduate programs at Stanford, but will also help you develop a more competitive graduate school application and learn more about life as a graduate student.

If I am an MS/MA student considering a Ph.D., or have alreadycompleted a degree may I apply?
Yes.

If I am only interested in pursuing an MS/MA, MBA, or MD only,may I apply?
No. This program is designed for those who are interested in pursuing doctoral degrees (Ph.D.) and is not intended for students who plan to pursue a MS/MA, MBA, or MD only.

Is STANDOUT fully funded?
Yes, if you are selected to attend airfare (up to max amount), transportation, hotel, and on-campus meals are included. Outside of personal spending, students should not have to incur any out-of-pocket expenses.

Is applying to STANDOUT the same as applying to Stanford?
No, applying to STANDOUT is for a one-day campus visit. It is not anofficial graduate admission application.

If I am accepted to attend STANDOUT, will my chances of graduate admission be improved?
STANDOUT is separate from the graduate admissions process. We hope that by attending STANDOUT, you will learn more about the graduate admissions process and, as a result, become a more competitive applicant. However, attending STANDOUT does not guarantee that you will be accepted into a Stanford graduate program.

If I am not accepted to attend STANDOUT, does this mean I will not be admitted to Stanford for graduate school?
No, there is no connection between STANDOUT and the admission selection process. Department admissions committees will not know if a student applied to STANDOUT.

 

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