Admit Guide to SoCo

SoCo is more than a class—it's an experience. Spend 3 weeks taking a single class just before your sophomore year begins, creating a rich intellectual community with your faculty and classmates.

•  We expect SoCo 2023 (for the Class of 2026) to be back to the usual format as described here.
• Classes May Include: travel classes; fieldwork or community engaged learning; intensive labwork or archival research; language immersion; hands-on projects and Bay Area field trips. You and 10-15 other rising sophomores live together in the dorms as a residential community.
• What Classes are Offered? Sophomore College offers 18-20 seminars from many majors each year. Check out our Photo Gallery and Instagram feed (#socoStanford) to get a glimpse into some of the classes.
• Is SoCo a Lot of Work? Students say that SoCo is “intensive, but worth it.” Expect 2 units—half of a regular course—squeezed into just three weeks. 
• Can I do SoCo and an Internship? Yes! (but not at the same time) SoCo happens the last three weeks of summer, after most opportunities have ended and before the school year starts.
• Does SoCo Cost Money? The all-inclusive fee covers tuition, room and board, books, and all class activities and travel. SoCo offers need-based assistance as well, making it free for many students.
• How do I Apply? Applications open March 1 in your frosh year and are due just after spring break. Apply to your top 3 classes. There will be info sessions and email reminders so you can't miss it.
• More Questions? Drop us an email at sophcollege@stanford.edu.     Follow VPUE on Instagram