First-Year Applicants

Source: https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/forms.html Parent: https://approaching.stanford.edu/first-years/frequently-asked-questions

Transcript, School Report and Recommendations

We require an official high school transcript, a school report form and recommendation from your counselor and letters of recommendation from two academic teachers.

Transcript

An official transcript (grades 9–12) is required for all students.

For students pursuing an international curriculum (e.g., A-Level, national curriculum, or IB Diploma outside the US), academic results and predictions are required if available.

• All official transcripts and results must be sent directly from a school official or testing agency. We will not accept transcripts from applicants.
• Official transcripts are required for high school, college, university or online courses not reported on your current high school transcript.
• A final transcript, with the graduation date, is due by July 1 if you are admitted and choose to enroll.
• A high school diploma or the equivalent is required in order to begin classes at Stanford.

Midyear Transcript

The midyear transcript includes grades from your first semester/trimester of your final year of high school. It should be submitted directly by a school official.

The midyear transcript is due by February 15 for the following applicants: \

• Regular Decision applicants
• Applicants deferred in Restrictive Early Action
• Applicants offered admission in Restrictive Early Action

If you have already graduated from high school, you do not need to submit a midyear transcript.

Please note: We do not track receipt of the midyear transcript in your Stanford portal . To confirm that it has been sent, please check with your school official or monitor the Common Application/your school's system partner. \

School Report Form and Counselor Recommendation

• These documents must be submitted by your high school college counselor or another school administrator.
• In the Common Application, students invite a counselor to complete the School Report form and Counselor Recommendation form, which includes a recommendation letter.
• Note: the School Report form is a required form located in the application and submitted by your counselor. The School Report form tells us about your academic strengths in the context of the academic programs available in your school.
• Your high school may have a published school profile, but this profile on its own does not fulfill the School Report form requirement.

Letters of Recommendation

• Letters of recommendation from two academic teachers are required. We recommend requesting letters from grade 11 or 12 teachers in English, math, science, world language or history/social studies. You may request a letter from a grade 10 teacher if the coursework was advanced (e.g., Honors, AP, IB). Letters from classroom teachers are strongly preferred.
• If there is another person who knows you well and can provide new insights about you, you may have one additional recommender submit a letter on your behalf. Please invite this person as your “Other Recommender” in the Common Application. This is the fastest method for a letter to reach your file.

How to Submit Required Materials

• We prefer online submission through the Common Application (or your school’s system partner) whenever possible. This is the fastest method for materials to reach your file.
• If online submission is not possible, school personnel should send materials as an email attachment to credentials@stanford.edu. Ask your school to include your full legal name, date of birth, school, and type of material on all correspondence with the admission office.
• When ordering college transcripts, please use credentials@stanford.edu as the contact email. If using Parchment, please select the option that says Stanford University Undergraduate Admission - Transcripts/Documents.
• Visit our After Submitting Your Application page for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why do I need to submit the Courses & Grades section of the Common Application in addition to my counselor submitting my official transcript(s)?

Official transcripts come in a variety of formats. The Courses & Grades section can be a helpful supplemental resource in reviewing your official transcript(s). Please know that your application will not be penalized if you are ultimately unable to complete it.

Because of my high school’s curriculum and the way they report grades, it is difficult for the Courses & Grades section to match my transcript exactly. What should I do?

Please complete the Courses & Grades section to the best of your ability based on your transcript. You can explain any differences in the Additional Information section of the application. We will also receive your official transcript to confirm your courses and grades.

Updated on October 3, 2025 10:48 AM