About

The Stanford Humanities Institute (SHI) is Stanford’s flagship high school summer program in the humanities. Over three intensive weeks, U.S. and international high school juniors and seniors live on campus and take a college-level seminar in fields such as philosophy, history, literature, or political theory. Unlike enrichment programs with survey courses, SHI is structured as a true seminar: small cohorts, Stanford faculty instruction, and daily close readings and discussions. Tuition runs about $8500, but generous financial aid is available, and the program is known for attracting a global applicant pool.

The program does not release student numbers or admit rates, but the best estimates place its admissions rates at 15% or under. Applicants must be rising juniors or seniors and the application requires essays (including an example of past student work), recommendations, and transcripts. Selection emphasizes intellectual curiosity and the ability to engage with complex texts, rather than sheer GPA or test scores. International students are eligible and make up a meaningful portion of the cohort.

Stanford’s goal is to replicate the academic rigor and excitement of an undergraduate humanities course. The seminar style—discussion heavy, writing intensive, and interpretive—closely mirrors a first-year college honors seminar. Students are placed in a single humanities seminar, meeting daily with Stanford faculty and teaching assistants. The workload includes dense readings, daily discussion, and multiple analytical essays. Outside of class, SHI participants attend guest lectures, faculty panels, and writing workshops, with the third and final week given over to independent research under the mentorship of Stanford faculty and graduate students. Notably the program eschews grades and transcripts, preferring that students focus on the quality of their work.

Within the small group of serious pre-college humanities programs, SHI has a justified reputation as being one of the best and most selective options for students who are serious about using their summer to engage in serious intellectual conversation and textual analysis. Understandably, word has it that SHI alums receive a close look when applying to Stanford. For the right student, SHI is one of the most tempting choices out there.

Top-tier. SHI remains one of the most respected pre-college humanities programs in the U.S., offering Stanford-level seminars and a rare chance for high-schoolers to live the life of a humanities undergraduate.