As we review applications, several ideas guide our holistic evaluation including the central hallmarks of academic excellence, intellectual vitality and personal context.

Academic Excellence

The primary criterion for admission to Stanford is academic excellence. We look for your preparation and potential to succeed. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well. The most important credential that enables us to evaluate your academic record is the high school transcript. Remember, however, that our evaluation of your application goes beyond any numerical formula. There is no minimum GPA or test score; nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript that will secure your admission to Stanford.

Intellectual Vitality

We want to see your commitment, dedication and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons; both in what you write about yourself and in what others write on your behalf. We want to see the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm that will allow you to spark a lively discussion in a freshman seminar and continue the conversation at a dinner table. We want to see the energy and depth of commitment you will bring to your endeavors, whether that means in a research lab, while being part of a community organization, during a performance or on an athletic field. We want to see the initiative with which you seek out opportunities that expand your perspective and that will allow you to participate in creating new knowledge.

Personal Context

Just as no two Stanford students are the same, no two Stanford applicants are identical. This means that as we review each application, we must pay careful attention to unique circumstances. We take into account family background, educational differences, employment and life experiences. By focusing on your achievements within context, we evaluate how you have excelled within your unique school environment and how you have taken advantage of what was available to you in your school and community.

It is important to know these variables are not listed in order of importance in our evaluation and selection process.  We review applications in an integrated format where no one portion can be considered without the other.

在我们进行申请者筛选时，有一些理念指导着我们的整体评估，大致包括这样三个关键特征：学术优异，智力活跃，生活背景。

学术优异

能否进入斯坦福的首要原则是要做到学术优异。我们期待你做好成功的准备，并且具有成功的潜力。我们希望你在高中能够一直挑战自己，并且做得很好。这样一来，最能够让我们评估你的学术成就的重要证件，就是你的高中成绩单。尽管如此，但是请记住，我们对你的评估绝不仅限于这些数字上的形式。关于成绩单，斯坦福没有GPA或者分数的最低限制，也没有任何具体的AP或者荣誉课程的数量要求，来保证你能够为我们录取。

智力活跃

我们希望在你的自述和他人的推荐信中，看到你在拓展知识视野过程中做出的承诺、投入和真正的兴趣。我们希望看到你身上的那种能够驱使自己在新生论坛上引发热烈讨论，并且在餐桌上继续这种谈话交流的好奇和热情。我们希望看到能够促使你不断尝试的心理能量和深度承诺，无论是在实验室，社团，还是在运动场上。我们希望看到你身上的那种积极性，那种能够使你寻找拓展视野的机会，投身知识创新的积极性。

个人背景

没有两个斯坦福的学生是相同的，同样，没有任何两个斯坦福的申请者是完全相同的。这意味着我们在选择申请者的时候，必须细心注意那些特别独特的细节。我们将家庭背景、教育差异、工作情况和生活经历都列入考虑范围之内。我们通过将你取得的成绩放入你独特的生活背景中，来评估你是怎样在自身的学校环境中脱颖而出，又是怎样利用学校和社区可用资源的。

了解这些在录取过程中很重要，但是未被列出的因素，无疑是很重要的。我们在录取筛选的过程中，是将这些因素看作一个整体来考虑的，也就是说，没有一个部分可以离开其他而独立地作为考虑因素而存在。