The Stanford Unofficial Survival Guide
A field guide for every incoming Stanford student, undergrad and grad, from someone who just lived it. It started as notes for my own class at the GSB and grew into 21 chapters on everything from the housing lottery to the Dish at sunset, with nearly every place it mentions linked.
Download the guide PDF, 0.8 MBFree to read and to pass along to anyone it might help. Please keep it whole and credited.
What's inside
Part I · Before you arrive
Packing and shipping, getting to campus, housing and the lottery, health insurance and vaccinations, money and financial aid, phones, and a before-you-arrive checklist.
Part II · Settling in
The first 72 hours, campus side quests, move-in, dining, tech and student discounts, bikes and cars, wellbeing, partners and families, and international students.
Part III · The Stanford adventure
Classes people talk about, the institutes, the innovation ecosystem, traditions and the dance world, sports, day trips, and some lessons on community.
Appendices
Quick-reference numbers, the Stanford Dictionary of acronyms and terms, and further reading from other guides to Stanford.
Independent and unofficial. Not published, reviewed or endorsed by Stanford University. Stanford changes, so check anything that matters against a current official source.
Spot something wrong or out of date? Tell me on LinkedIn and it goes in the next edition.