Transfer Credits
When you get accepted to Stanford, you will get something called a Transfer Evaluation from the Office of the Registrar. This document will tell you how many credits from your previous university Stanford will accept towards your graduation requirement. This form will also tell you if you’ve completed 1 of 2 writing class requirements (the second one, PWR 2, must be taken at Stanford no matter what). In addition, to make sure you come out a well-rounded student, Stanford requires you to complete a certain number of Ways of Thinking/Doing. If you come into Stanford with a maximum number of 90 credits, you will only be required to take 5 courses in 5 different Ways.
TIP #1: Keep in mind that you can complete a PWR 2 course requirement by taking an Intro Seminar that has a Writing 2 component. Nine times out of ten, these Intro Sems are much easier.
TIP #2: To be as time-efficient as possible, look at which classes required within your major also satisfy a Ways requirement, so you don’t end up taking extra classes you didn’t need to take.
The problem is that having Stanford accept your credits does not that mean the department for your intended major will accept your credits, so here is a list of people that you may need to contact:
Due to COVID-19, the best way to contact departments may be through email. However, in the future, the hope is that you will go to their offices and speak with them in person. When you contact them, please make sure to include your Transfer Evaluation as well as the syllabi from your old courses. Don’t be afraid to email your former professors now and ask them to send you the syllabi of old courses if you did not have them saved or can’t find them.
Tip #3: Below is a strong template of an email you can use to get credit approval: