Sophomore College: Overview

Sophomore College offers students the opportunity to study intensively with Stanford faculty and small groups of other Stanford sophomores before the beginning of Fall quarter. All courses engage students in the materials and methods of inquiry of a particular academic field. Students live on campus (with the other students in their course in September) before Fall quarter opens.

Overview

Each Sophomore College course enrolls 12 to 14 students, who receive two units of credit. In addition to faculty instructors, two upper-class Sophomore College Assistants in each class work with the faculty and serve as peer advisors to the participants. Some courses focus on developing speaking, writing and other presentation skills. A few courses meet off campus.

Courses meet daily for two hours over three weeks. Field trips, workshops, film screenings, laboratory sessions or other additional activities may also be scheduled in the afternoons, evenings and weekends. Advising workshops help reorient students as they begin their second year, with a focus on research, internship and fellowship opportunities, major declaration and overseas studies planning.

Participating students benefit from the following:

  • Intense academic exploration of a single topic with an eminent senior faculty member
  • Immersion and exploration of a field of interest
  • An opportunity to hone critical habits of mind
  • Training to become a more engaged and entrepreneurial learner
  • Collaborating and forming relationships with faculty and peers

Program Dates

September 1 to September 19, 2008

Arrival dates and locations may vary for off-campus seminars. Class presentations and field trips may extend through September 20, 2008. 

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Program Cost

The total fee is $1300. Through the generosity of Stanford friends however, all students automatically receive an $800 scholarship. Each student pays the remaining $500, which is included in the Autumn University bill. This fee covers tuition, room, board, books and class-required travel during the program.

Financial aid is available and financial need has no bearing on course applications. Students are responsible for travel to campus (or off-campus site for some off-campus seminars), phone, network activation fees, class project materials and other personal expenses.

For students on financial aid, the Financial Aid Office will replace the portion of expected earnings lost due to participation. This is done either with grants or loans, depending on the financial situation. If accepted to a class, students should contact the Financial Aid Office when they return to campus in the Fall. FAO will determine how loans or grants may be used to offset lost earnings. 

Application and Enrollment Policies and Procedures

  • The Sophomore College Application deadline is April 15, 2008, 5 p.m.

Eligibility

Eligible students will be sophomores in the Autumn quarter after the program. They will also meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Have been enrolled for no more than three academic quarters
  • In good academic standing
  • Will have completed at least 36 units of academic work by the end of Spring quarter freshman year
  • Must be enrolled and have an on-campus housing assignment for Autumn quarter of sophomore year

Application Process

Students may apply for up to three seminars. If they apply to more than one, they must rank their choices. Application status will be posted online in the Spring quarter preceding the program.

Selection Process

Faculty instructors select among the applicants. They seek to create a diverse group of participants to bring lively and productive exchanges during the program. The better the instructor can understand your motivations and approach, the more likely he or she will be to keep you in mind in constructing the final class list.

Selected students must accept or decline the offered spots before the end of Spring quarter. Students who commit to attend and then withdraw will be charged a $500 withdrawal assessment fee.

Waiting List

Students wait-listed for a course may opt to accept or decline the spot. Accepting does not commit them to participate; it merely indicates that they wish to be contacted should a space open up before the program begins.

Students may sign up for the open waiting list.  Over the summer, those on the list will be invited to apply for spots that become available for courses that do not have waiting lists.

Credit

Student participants receive two units of credit for academic work in the course in the Autumn quarter that follows the program.

Enrollment

Students will be automatically enrolled in their Sophomore College course with the enrollment registered in mid-November. This will not to affect the 20-unit limit for Fall quarter registration. No student action is required.

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Student Commitment

Students are expected to be fully committed to Sophomore College. This means attending all class sessions, class field trips and mandatory college-wide activities.

Sophomore College participants cannot work a full- or part-time job or travel outside of required class activities during the program. Because of conflicts with required training schedules, RA, HPAC, RCC, and OV roles all preclude participation, as do some other dorm staff positions. Participants may serve as Peer Mentors or CTL Subject Tutors in most cases, although a few classes have schedules that do not permit this.

Student conduct is guided by the Fundamental Standard and Honor Code. Admission may be revoked at any point if a student is found to be ineligible or in violation of the Fundamental Standard or Honor Code.

Staff Positions

Available Positions

Sophomore College Assistants (SCAs) have three roles: academic advisor, residence staff and teaching assistant. They will report to and collaborate with course faculty as well as Assistant Directors in the dorms.

Oral Communication Tutors (OCTs) help students with speaking issues. Some of these issues include giving formal or informal class presentations, participating in class discussions and communicating with peers and professors. OCTs also consult with individual students or groups of students and help organize workshops and other activities.

Resident Computer Coordinators (RCCs) educate residents on all aspects of computing at Stanford. They also consult with residents on computer-related problems and support in-room network connections of SoCo students.

Assistant Directors are graduate students and serve as quasi-resident fellows. They live in the Sophomore College dorms and supervise the SCAs in their role in the residences.

Job descriptions and expected compensation for Sophomore College 2008 will be posted Winter quarter 2008.

Eligibility

Students who will be juniors, seniors or co-terminal students in the Autumn following the program are eligible to be Sophomore College Assistants. Occasionally one SCA position for a course will be filled by a graduate student. OCTs and RCCs may be sophomores, juniors or seniors.

Application and Selection Procedures

The Sophomore College Job Application deadline is March 14, 2008, 5 p.m.

The Sophomore College Staff Commitment deadline is May 2, 2008, 5 p.m.

Students may apply to multiple courses and positions.  A reference and an unofficial transcript are required by March 14, 2008.

Faculty select among applicants for SCA positions.  Freshman and Sophomore Programs staff select OCTs and RCCs, and the Residence Dean selects Assistant Directors. If selected to more than one course or position, students may choose which to accept. 

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Further Resources

  • SoCo FAQs. Have a question? Read through the answers to the questions most frequently asked by students.
  • Courses and participating faculty. Browse the list of course offerings and faculty participants to see the many exciting opportunities available through Sophomore College.

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