Sophomore College
a woman student and her father move her stuff out of the dorm. She is laughing.

Living and Eating On Campus

You do not need to apply for housing during the SoCo program dates; SoCo sets up your program housing and submits your name to Housing to move into your autumn housing early, and costs are included in the program fee.

Arriving at SoCo

Arrival for 2024: Monday 2 September (Labor Day), between noon-4pm.

Expect an email a few days before arrival with information on the specific check-in location. Please note: it is not possible to move into SoCo housing early as the rooms are occupied by other conferences or being cleaned right up to our check-in time. Classes will gather to eat dinner together and then attend the SoCo Welcome after dinner.

Packing for SoCo

Pack Light! For SoCo, you need to bring bedding/towels, clothes, and required class supplies. That's it.

If you are in an on-campus SoCo class, you will need to move everything you bring with you to your autumn housing in the middle of the program during Get Your Move On. If you choose to bring your lamp, etc, you'll need to tote that across campus! You can have packages arrive or go to storage after you move into autumn quarter housing.

If you are in a travel SoCo, only take on the road what you can carry. Your flights expect carry-on luggage only. Your class will share a storage pod to leave bedding and other unneeded items--it won't have room for your entire campus setup.

SoCo Campus Housing

SoCo location is TBD--check back closer to summer! Students are assigned a roommate (usually a classmate) and live in doubles. Room and roommate assignments are provided upon arrival at check-in. Students in the same class are kept together on the same floor or around the same stairwell, whenever possible. Sophomore College Assistants (SCAs) will live near their students and are assigned singles. 

You will have access to laundry and a computer cluster as usual, although many houses put lounge amenities away for the summer. You must have your Student ID Card to access your residence and receive meals at your designated dining hall. If you have lost your ID card, you must get a new one at the Stanford Card Office prior to checking in with SoCo.  

Housing Accommodations

If you indicate a housing OAE accommodation, please also send your housing accommodation letter to sophcollege@stanford.edu. SoCo will make every attempt to address accommodation requests confirmed by OAE. We will ask you to report any other particular requirements in the post-confirmation questionnaire, as well. See SoCo Accommodation Requests for more details. 

Move Into Sophomore Housing Early

You will move into your autumn housing assignment on the second Friday of the program, during the Get Your Move On Event. You will be responsible for moving all your stuff--so, pack light!

SoCo Campus Dining

SoCo students will have an assigned dining hall; it will be the only Stanford dining hall where SoCo covers student meals through to the start of fall dining contracts. Students are responsible for their own meals once dorm dining contracts begin. Please note that some fall housing, including some fraternity/sorority houses and row houses, may not begin dining service until the first day of autumn quarter.

If your seminar includes travel, check with your seminar for more information about off-campus dining; as with any travel, dining options are often restricted and accommodations that are possible by Stanford Dining may not be available. If you have specific dining requirements, plan for yourself as you would for any other travel event.

Cars and Bikes

  • You can bring a vehicle to campus, but it must have a permit from Parking and Transportation Services. If you have purchased a year-long permit for a different area of campus, ask PT&S to provide a courtesy permit for parking in the right area for the time you are in program housing, when you arrive on campus. 
  • Bikes must be parked and locked in the racks provided by your dorm. For safety reasons, do not park in corridors, entry halls, common areas or on the sidewalks. If your bike is found in the hallways, fire and safety hazard codes necessitate their immediate removal without warning.

SoCo Community Standards

  • As a participant in Sophomore College you will conduct yourself as a representative of Stanford, and will be respectful to other persons and property while on-campus and traveling. 
  • SCAs will establish community norms with classes, including expected times to begin the day, living in program housing and sharing space with others, preparing for travel, and rules of travel. Dorm restroom usage rules may be different from the academic year. All Stanford policies around COVID-safe behavior will be in effect. 
  • Sophomore College is a SUBSTANCE-FREE program. Alcohol use or drug use (or purchase for others) can result in immediate dismissal from the program and dorm housing; students will be responsible for any subsequent expenses. See Stanford's Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy. 
  • While in SoCo program housing you must comply with all University policies governing occupancy, including those set forth on R&DE Student Housing’s website. There is no lofting in the summer, no exceptions. Students are not allowed overnight visitors during the program.

Living Safely at Stanford

September is a period of transition, with many groups of people moving in and moving out in preparation for autumn quarter. During this transitional period dorm houses are especially vulnerable to safety breaches. Take the following steps to keep yourself and your dormmates safe:

  • Get to know your neighbors and be aware of your surroundings. Non-SoCo participants will be in the dorms, as RAs are in training, and student-athletes and international students arrive to campus early.
  • Report any suspicious persons in the dorm to your SCA or Housing Front Desk.
  • Take care to prevent strangers from entering the dorm as you enter and exit the building. (Any maintenance staff working in the dorms are required to wear and display appropriate staff ID badges.)
  • Don’t lend your room key or ID to others.
  • Always lock your door and windows when not in your room. Think of your room as an apartment, not a bedroom. Lock it or Lose it!
  • Review R&DE Emergency Guidelines

Resources and Emergency Contacts

  • Police, Fire, Ambulance: 911 (campus phones: 9-911). You can dial 911 from a cellphone. If on-campus your emergency call will be routed faster if you dial the local Emergency Dispatch Center (Stanford/Palo Alto: (650) 321-4433)
  • Stanford Police (Non-emergency): 650-329-2413
  • Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 24-hour on-call service, resources 650-723-3785
  • Stanford Confidential Sexual Assault Counselors: 650-725-9955
  • YWCA Sexual Assault Center: (800) 572-2782
  • Vaden: 650-498-2336
  • Maintenance emergencies: Call 650-725-1602