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Home » Programs » High School Summer College Students » Credit & Evaluation

All High School Summer College courses carry Stanford University academic credit. Grades are recorded on an official Stanford University transcript, along with the course name and credit earned. Transcripts are available upon request from the Office of the University Registrar.

College level coursework is demanding and grading is, for most students, far more rigorous than in high school. High School Summer College students are graded on the same scale as the undergraduate students in their courses. The expectations of instructors are the same for all students.
 

The Stanford Calendar is based on the quarter system. The unit of credit is the quarter unit.

To enroll in courses students must have been admitted, completed the acceptance process, and been issued a Stanford ID number. Students who are eligible to enroll do so by using Stanford’s student information system, Axess. Course enrollment for Summer Quarter begins April 14, 2013.
 

International students requiring a Stanford sponsored I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status) may enroll in courses after receiving their Stanford ID number, but are required to verify receipt of their F-1 Student Visa by June 1 to remain in good standing for the Summer Quarter (Canadian citizens excluded). Students may verify their F-1 visa status by forwarding a scan or photocopy of their valid F-1 visa stamp to the Summer Session Office via email or fax:
 

Email: summercollege@stanford.edu

Fax:   650-725-6080

Every unit for which credit is given is understood to represent approximately three hours of work per week for the average student. In lecture or discussion work, for each unit of credit, one hour per week will be allotted to the lecture or discussion and two hours for preparation or subsequent reading and study. Studio, field, or laboratory courses require three hours of class time per unit of credit. During the Summer Quarter, the typical ten-week term is condensed to eight weeks; course load requirements increase proportionally.
 

Residential students in High School Summer College must enroll in a minimum of 8 units, 6 of which must be from academic departments, and maintain this enrollment for the duration of the Summer Quarter. Students may enroll in more than 8 units, but costs will increase accordingly. The maximum allowable enrollment is 12 units; however, we recommend that students stay in the 8- to 10-unit range to allow time to balance academics with extracurricular, social, and educational activities planned through the residence.
 

Commuting students must enroll in a minimum of 3 units.
 

There is no option to audit courses in Stanford Summer Session.

Academic courses taught during the Summer Quarter are typically offered for a Letter Grade, or for an elected Credit/No Credit grading option. Non-academic courses are offered on a Satisfactory/No Credit basis. When enrolling in a specific course, a student has the ability to select their preferred grading scale from the options provided within Axess.
 

All courses offered as part of Summer Session carry academic credit, regardless of how they are graded. Most students express a desire to earn credit, but want to make certain their effort is reflected by a letter grade. For these students, the “Letter Grading” option should be chosen when available within Axess. Letter grades not only provide feedback on course performance – they may also be required in the future when a student is transferring courses to another educational institution.
 

For courses that allow a student to select between a Letter Grade and a Credit/No Credit grading option, students have the ability to revise their grading selection until the Change of Grading Basis deadline. See the Program Calendar for details. Once the Change of Grading Basis deadline has passed, it is no longer possible to adjust this aspect of course enrollment.
 

The tables below summarize the grading scales used at Stanford University. The Registrar’s Office maintains a full listing of the General University Grading System.
 

Grade	Credit/No Credit Option (In Lieu of Letter Grades)
CR	Performance that is satisfactory or better. In a course with optional grading, some students will elect a Credit/No Credit option instead of letter grades.
NC	Unsatisfactory performance in courses taken on a Satisfactory/No Credit basis. Performance is equivalent to letter grade "D+" or below.
W	When a student withdraws from a course after the course withdrawal deadline.