The best Stanford classes: recommendations from alumni and students
I asked former StanfordGuide readers what the best classes they took at Stanford were.
Sorted by most recent admits first.
Elizabeth Bours, Stanford ’29
- Best Stanford classes: COLLEGE: Education and the Good Life, I got to take it with Gene Kim, a pretty notorious stats professor who also teaches the super popular Probability & Gambling Introsem. It was an amazing chance to connect with professors I normally wouldn’t meet until sophomore year or later. In the same vein, Persis Drell (Stanford’s former Provost) teaches a winter quarter section of COLLEGE, which is also a pretty unique opportunity. Note that the experience drastically differs professor to professor.
Ben Pan, Stanford ’27 (dropped out to join a startup, Cognition, makers of Devin)
- Best Stanford classes: ORALCOMM was recommended by Stanford Guide. I love Tom Freeland — he was great and got me into theater later. TAPS 103 was also recommended and one of my favorite classes. It changed how I viewed the world and social interactions. I also loved HISTORY 10N (Thinking about War) because I love military history, and also TAPS 127V (Voice for the Actor). MATH 62CM because it challenges your thinking to an extraordinary degree.
Zack Seifert, Stanford ’27
- Best Stanford classes: Engineering students should take ENGR40M to learn EE fundamentals and because Mark Horowitz is a good teacher
Justin Yang, Stanford ’27
- Best Stanford classes: Painting I, Art History with Nemerov, and Native American Gardening.
Varun Shenoy, Stanford ’23
- Best Stanford classes: History 251F. Don’t major in CS — you can learn more than 99% of CS majors by taking CS 140, CS 143, CS 265/261/254, EE 364a.
Sasankh Munukutla, Stanford ’22 ’23
- Best Stanford classes: CS 51/52: “CS+Social Good Studio”; CS 184/PUBPOL 170: “Bridging Policy and Tech Through Design”; PWR 2GMF: “Immigration Nation: Rhetoric Up Against the Wall”; EARTHSYS 213: “Hacking for Climate Change & Sustainability”; CS 329S: “Machine Learning System Design”; CHEMENG 90Q: “Dare to Care: Compassionate Design”; PSYCH 50: “Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience”; CS 106 series; EDUC 193A: “Listen Up! Core Peer Counseling Skills”; EDUC 377C: “Philanthropy, Inclusivity and Leadership”; CS 182: “Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change”; ENVRES 221: “New Frontiers and Opportunities in Sustainability”; PSYCH 70: “Self and Society: Introduction to Social Psychology”; SUST 210: “Pursuing Sustainability: Managing Complex Social Environmental Systems”; CS 325B: “Data for Sustainable Development”. Sometimes, pick the class for the Professor/Instructor, rather than the actual content!
Anonymous, Stanford ’22
- Best Stanford classes: ME 410 w/ bill but sadly not around anymore. Ruling the world w/ justin was also fun and good community.
Ronak Malde, Stanford ’22
- Best Stanford classes: for CS, 229S and 336. Otherwise, just shop every interesting class on explore courses and you’ll find things that uniquely interest you
Jason Zhao, Stanford ’21
- Best Stanford classes: Myth and Modernity (Amir Eshel), Liberalism and its Critics (Brian Coyne), Philosophy and Literature (was taught by Lanier Anderson who is incredible, not sure if he’s still teaching it) — and Directed Studies are a total hack to work directly with your favorite professors.
Nick Rubin, Stanford ’21
- Best Stanford classes: Dance improv, American West, Econ 1, Phil 80, CS 103, art history with Nemerov.
Rohan Kapur, Stanford ’21 (dropped out to start a business)
- Best Stanford classes: ME410 with Bill! Also Beat Poetry was awesome. Jazz Guitar was another awesome one.
Anonymous, Stanford ’19
- Best Stanford classes: Hard programming classes that made me understand how computer systems work together. AI classes for building mental models on how current breakthroughs happen. My thesis is classes that help you gain a broad understanding of how everything maps together are key
Chris Barber, Stanford ’16
- Best Stanford classes: Classes related to whatever you most want to build (at the time for me; CS184, no longer offered), try take one class in the GSB (meet the TAs), ME410 if Bill is teaching it, EDUC 193A
See also: 1) Silicon Valley etiquette and startup resources 2) Making the most of Stanford.