Living on Campus

A team of residential staff live in each residence hall with the participants to provide 24/7 support, guidance, and supervision. The residential staff develop rich living and learning environments that complement the program’s academic curriculum. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies believes valuable growth experiences occur outside of the classroom and plans a variety of activities and experiences throughout the program to support that learning.

COVID-19 Policy

Participants’ health and well-being is Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies’ top priority. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will be following all Stanford University COVID-19 related policies and procedures. All policies are subject to change before and during the program; continue to monitor this website and email communications for important updates. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will notify a participant’s parent/legal guardian and Designated Adult if the participant tests positive to discuss next steps. Participants will be required to take a rapid antigen test if they become symptomatic during the program.

In the event of any emergency, or if the participant tests positive for COVID-19, the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) are the participant's primary emergency contact(s).

Housing and Roommate Assignments

Your Home for the Summer

To protect the privacy of all participants, room and roommate assignments are not shared until arrival day check-in. Due to the brief duration of the program, roommate requests and room changes are not permitted.

Room Information

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies programs use residences that Stanford undergraduates live in during the regular academic year. Residence hall size varies based on program size, although each residence hall has space to accommodate participants and staff.

Shared Bedrooms

Most bedrooms are shared, typically with two to three participants to a room; however, some larger rooms may accommodate up to four participants.

Room Furniture

Rooms come furnished with one Twin XL mattress per participant, and most have desks, dressers, and closets and sufficient space for personal items.

Gendered Room Assignments

Rooms are assigned by gender, and rooms for males and females are typically separated. All-gender housing is available. Participants or their parents/legal guardians are encouraged to contact spcs-residential@stanford.edu to learn more information about gender inclusive housing.

Common Social Spaces

Each residence hall includes a shared common space used for house meetings, study sessions, leisure, entertainment, and hanging out.

Accommodation Request Process

Participants with a disability who may need an accommodation must initiate the request by submitting the SPCS Courtesy Accommodation request form. SPCS staff will evaluate the request, recommend reasonable accommodations, and communicate results with participants, families, instructional teams, and staff as needed.

Participants are responsible for:

Working with course instructors to discuss the implementation of the accommodations.
Adherence to the same academic, technical, performative and behavioral standards expected of all participants.

Stanford is committed to ensuring equal access to its educational programs for students with disabilities as specified under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008.

Residence Hall Logistics

Cleanliness

University custodial staff will clean the residences on a regular basis. Common spaces will be cleaned most weekdays, and bedroom linens and trash cans will be exchanged once a week. In addition, participants will work together to keep the common spaces clean and organized throughout the session’s entirety.

Room Fixtures

Each room will have the same furniture used during the regular academic year by Stanford undergraduates.

Room Maintenance and Staff Access to Rooms

Requests for room maintenance should be directed to residential staff. Residential staff strive to notify participants in advance of room entries related to housekeeping and maintenance, but in some cases, notifications may not be able to be provided. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies reserves the right to enter participant rooms at any time for health, safety, welfare, or law enforcement purposes.

Laundry

Participants will have access to a washer and dryer in their residences and are expected to do their own laundry during the course of the program. Laundry is free and does not require coins or cards to operate. Residential staff will provide information about laundry early in the program and will keep the laundry room stocked with necessary supplies.

Environmental Awareness

Participants are expected to be good stewards of resources during their time in Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies and are encouraged to abide by these guidelines:

Conserve water by not leaving faucets running or taking excessively long showers.
Utilize the reusable water bottles provided to you on arrival day throughout the program.
Conserve energy by turning off lights and other electrical devices when not in use.
Conserve paper by only printing documents as necessary.
Recycle and compost in the appropriately marked containers.

Fees

Participants are responsible for keeping keys in their possession at all times. Participants will be issued a brass room key, a building access fob, a dining hall access card, and a library access card. Participants should immediately notify Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies residential staff if a bedroom or residence key has been lost. The residential staff will ensure a new key is issued as soon as possible.The following fees will be assessed if a participant loses any of these items during the program:

Room Key and Fob: Approximately $200.00 (exact cost depends on if one or both were lost)
Dining Access Card: $15.00
Library Access Card: $25.00

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will email payment instructions to the parent or legal guardian of any participant who loses a key at the end of the program.

Dining

Meals are eaten in campus dining facilities managed by Stanford Dining, a dedicated team of food professionals that prides itself on providing high quality, delicious, and healthy cuisine. The dining hall used by Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, Wilbur Dining, offers a variety of fresh and nutritious meal selections.

Dietary Needs and Restrictions

In an effort to provide the best experience for all participants, Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies strives to ensure that any and all dietary needs are accommodated to the greatest extent possible. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies and Stanford University are accustomed to hosting participants from around the world with varied dietary restrictions.

Diverse Diets

All dining halls offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, halal, and kosher options.

Clear Ingredient Labels

Special dietary foods and allergens will be clearly labeled to the greatest extent possible in the dining hall.

At the dining hall, participants collect their forks and knives before sitting down.

Food Preparation Details Always Available

Information about food preparation and ingredients is available in the dining hall upon request. Stanford Dining has registered dietitians on staff, who are actively involved in menu planning and evaluation and are also available for consultation. If you would like to consult with the dietitian prior to arrival, contact spcs-residential@stanford.edu.

Stanford Dining facilities offer world-class food and a wide range of seating options for participants.

Commitment to Sustainability

Stanford Dining strives to only include ingredients that are local, organic, humane, fair-trade, and sustainable, providing a healthy, world-class dining experience while limiting waste and reducing harm to ecosystems.

Further Concerns?

Stanford Dining is more than happy to work with families and Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies to accommodate dietary needs. General information can be found here, with further information available upon request. For more information, email Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies.

Email Us

Communication and Mailing

During the summer, parents and legal guardians can be in touch with Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff and participants in a variety of ways.

Contacting Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies

Email

Most communication from Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will come via email. To prevent important emails from getting caught in spam filters, add our email address to your “safe sender” list.

Email Us: spcs-residential@stanford.edu

Phone

For urgent concerns about your participant, contact the staff duty phone at (650) 475-6427. This phone is available 24/7 from 12:00pm on June 22, 2025 until 11:00am on August 1, 2025. This number should only be used in an emergency situation.

First Few Days

Summer programs allow participants to experience personal growth; however, some participants may have difficulty being away from home. Our engaging and attentive residential staff will be there to help participants adjust to the program and mature as individuals.

Adjusting to the Program

Some participants may feel homesick at the start of the program or require a few days to adjust to course expectations and new surroundings and routines. To ease the transition to campus, participants are encouraged to set a regular check-in time with families and friends back home for support and connection. Since this is a great opportunity for participants to advocate for themselves in a collegiate environment, we encourage participants to speak directly with staff about any concerns that arise during this transition.

A Supportive Environment

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff are attentive to the needs of the participants at the start of the program. There will be many icebreakers and activities in the first several days to help everyone get to know one another and become familiar with Stanford’s campus.

Contacting Participants

By Phone

Participants may call home from their own personal cell phones during times that do not interfere with program courses or activities. The program does not provide a phone for participants to receive calls.

By Mail

Letters and packages can be sent to participants during their time on Stanford campus. Do not send mail close to the program's end date. To mail a package, you will need the name of your participant's program:

[Participant Name] - SPCS/[Program]
365 Lasuen Street
West Lobby - Basement
Stanford, CA 94305

Important Notes

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies is not responsible for misplaced mail. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will not ship or mail any items to participants after the end of the program.
Be sure to include the name of the participant and program on all mail and packages.
We strongly recommend students leave items with significant sentimental or monetary value at home.
There is no mail delivery on Saturdays or Sundays. All mail must be delivered to Stanford three days before the end of the program.
Mail delivery to residence halls often takes an extra day or two because it arrives at a campus office and is then sorted and delivered to the participant.

Campus Resources

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies participants will take on new responsibilities as they adjust to residential life. Here are key aspects of campus life—from enjoying sunny outdoor activities to managing everyday essentials like accessing cash.

Someone bikes past Tresidder Union, a central space on campus that has dining options and ATMs.

Banking

The Stanford Federal Credit Union and Wells Fargo Bank have branch offices on the second floor of the Tresidder Memorial Union, located on campus. ATMs connected to the STAR, PLUS, CIRRUS, MC, and VISA systems are available, along with Bank of America. Money is only necessary for incidentals such as souvenirs.

The Dish, a large satellite dish, is a scenic landmark within the hills right off campus.

Outdoor Outings

Stanford’s campus has many exceptional outdoor spaces that participants will have an opportunity to experience during their time in Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies. A hike of the Stanford Dish may be a part of scheduled program activities.

On campus basketball courts, participants play a game together.

Recreational Facilities

Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies participants will have access to recreational facilities on campus operated by Stanford Recreation and Wellness. To visit the gym, parents/legal guardians must complete the waiver prior to participant arrival on campus.

Health and Safety

Safety is a top priority for both Stanford University and Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies. Our residential staff are trained to handle a wide range of safety concerns, from physical and mental health issues to emergency situations. If needed, participants will have access to world-class medical facilities for immediate care.

Health and Safety at a Glance

Our staff are trained to address a range of health and safety concerns throughout the program. Below is an overview of the services we provide.

Residential Safety

Our residential staff partner with the Stanford University Department of Public Safety, Stanford Environmental Health and Safety, and Stanford Conferences and are trained to handle emergency situations and participants will be briefed on campus safety procedures during their opening hall meeting.

Medical Facilities

In the event of an illness or injury that cannot be treated by the on-site staff or an emergency, participants will be taken to Palo Alto Medical Foundation Pediatric Urgent Care or the Stanford Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department, based upon the level of care needed and the hours that the facility is open. In the event that a participant needs medical care, program staff will contact the participant’s parents/legal guardians and will remain in contact until medical care is complete.

Emergency Updates

In the event of a disaster or emergency affecting the Stanford community, updates can be found online. Residential staff will receive emergency alerts via text message or email and will relay that information to program participants.

Our Safety Principles

Residential Security

Exterior doors and windows of the residences should be closed and locked when the residence is unattended. Participants should also keep the doors and windows to their bedrooms closed and locked whenever they are not in their room. Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately to residential staff, who in turn will contact Public Safety and Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies professional staff as needed.

Mandatory Reporting

California law requires certain individuals at Stanford to report known or reasonably suspected child abuse or neglect to the authorities. These individuals are known under the law as "Mandated Reporters.” All instructors and members of the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff are Mandated Reporters, as are many of the members of the larger Stanford University community with whom participants interact.

Personal Medicine

All participant prescriptions and medications, especially epinephrine or other anaphylaxis medications, should be up-to-date for the length of the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies program. All medications should be in their original, labeled packaging. Participants are responsible for self-administering all medications brought with them to the program.

Over the Counter Medications

Participants are encouraged to bring their own over-the-counter pain medication or allergy medicine with them to the program. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies staff can provide certain over the counter medications (ibuprofen, Benadryl, bandages, etc.) if a participant’s parent or legal guardian has authorized them to do so in CampDoc. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies will only administer over-the-counter medications if authorized in writing. Families are encouraged to review all over-the-counter medications listed on CampDoc prior to submitting to ensure staff have the most accurate information.