Stanford University Reviews

"One of the best departments in Computer Science(CS) with groups that are leaders in most of the CS research areas and close connections with the industry."

"The Stanford Documentary MFA Program is one of the best film production programs in the country. The program is small, only 8 students per year, with brilliant, dedicated full-time faculty who are both excellent teachers and prolific and talented filmmakers."

"The network and career opportunities are excellent. Professors are engaged and knowledgeable. The affordability is not great, but the number of companies that actively recruit on campus probably makes up for that in the long run."

"The PhD program in computer science at Stanford University is the best."

"Pros: - Quality academic and social experience, as would be expected from a top-tier graduate program - Attracts talent and unmatched "energy" from being the major university that resides in the heart of silicon valley Cons: - Probably not as diverse as nearly UC Berkeley - In a fairly expensive area with high living costs"

"I'm doing the program remotely through the center for professional development and it's a great experience. The classes I have taken so far bring in the remote students completely. It doesn't feel as if you are a second-hand student who is just piggybacking on the material."

"Classes are big, but getting to work with other intelligent, motivated students makes up for it. The school is very focused on helping grads find a job after graduation, and being in Silicon Valley is a huge advantage."

"Mixed feelings on the grading system. The top third of students in a given class get an "H" while the rest are most likely to get a "P". The pro is that this takes away the cut-throat competitive atmosphere seen at other law schools, and for the most part employers don't care about what your grades are since you are coming from Stanford. On the other hand it can be demotivating that you work hard and understand the material, but come off with a P, which is what student's who do the bare minimum get as well."

"The pros of my graduate program are that I am able to advance my undergraduate studies of psychology to the more broad, widely impacted study of sociology. Stanford provides the staff and support to do research in areas that I please, as well as the flexibility to do so. I am currently studying abroad in Madrid, Spain to further my sociological studies, in hopes of gaining a better world view that I can later apply to the workforce. The first and foremost con is that the program costs $53,000 per year. The Bay Area is also extremely expensive to live in, which makes the pressure to find a job and remain in the area that much stronger. While Stanford has a great financial aid program for undergraduates, it rarely gives financial aid to graduate students. With the proper financial support, I can focus on my studies and their applicability to helping people, and less on how I am going to pay for student loans."

"The first year in Stanford's Economics PhD program seems to be more stressful than in most of the comparable schools, however the department is very clear that they don't want any of their students leaving the program before the end."

"What is most impressive about Silicon Valley and Stanford is the truly interdisciplinary and stimulating intellectual and natural environment, unlike any place I have ever lived or studied. Naturally, you pay a premium for living in such an enriched environment. For students of meager means, transportation, rent, and the cost of living can be a little steep. However, Stanford's academic disciplines (regrettably not its professional programs) typically compensate students well enough to survive without having to go into debt."

"Is an amazing program. The only issue is the night life of Palo alto, is pretty quite and boring, but for doing a phd is a good incentive."

"It's a really wonderful program. The work is obviously challenging. But it should be!"

"I can only think of pros in this case. The grad program in computational mathematics is great not only because of the content of the courses but also because of the range of topics to choose from based on your career interests and also because of the great support network from alumni and pros."

"I was in the M.A. journalism program in 2008-2009. While there was a (depressing) focus on the deteriorating state of the traditional journalism industry and the rise of digital communication, there was not nearly enough practical training. While I knew that digital skills were important, there was not a single class in the program that taught HTML, CSS or any even basic coding skills. Nor were there any classes on Adobe products like InDesign (for layouts) or Fireworks/Illustrator for graphics. Our digital skills class did teach us photo slideshows and video editing, which were good skills; however, that was the breadth of the digital skills and those skills are a lot less applicable to available jobs than the skills I listed that I wish I had learned from the program.I was probably not a great fit for the program to begin with. However, I do judge a journalism program in 2009 for not preparing me well as it could have for digital communication. I will say that you can gain a lot of those skills from electives--which I did out of my own interest in computer science--but they are not required or even particularly encouraged.My undergraduate degree in Communications and my graduate degree electives were what provided me with actual skills that would help my career (mostly Computer Science and design skills). However, I cannot discount the value of just having an M.A. from Stanford as far as job prospects go. So while it probably did technically help my career, I would not recommend getting this degree."

"Stanford Law is a great school with a lot of fantastic professors and students. The only downside might be its quiet location."

"Accessible faculty, interdisciplinary program, extensive opportunities to craft own curriculum"

"PROS Incredible learning environment - campus, faculty, student resources. Feels like a family. Safe place to learn and try new things. CONS Bay Area is really expensive. Entrepreneurship resources aren't as meaningful if you don't want to join a start up"

"Incredible location. Deep and broad network"

"Political Science Phd Great program, great professors, beautiful campus. World class in all subfields. The graduate program is small enough that each student gets a lot of attention. Definitely recommended for those interested in a Poli Sci Phd."