You apply to Stanford, not to a major
Stanford says you apply to the university as a whole, not to a particular major, department or school, and that prospective majors named in the application do not bind you.
Undergraduate · Stanford Symbolic Systems
Stanford Symbolic Systems: a major chosen after you are admitted
Stanford admits students to the university as a whole, not to a major, department or school, and says applicants who name prospective majors are not bound by them. Symbolic Systems is one of those majors: an interdisciplinary programme integrating computer science, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, psychology and statistics, with a core and a five-course concentration. Stanford's Computer Science Department offers its own major with tracks and no prior background required. For an A-level or IB applicant the decision is what you want to study, not a separate application, and how to present A-level or IB results given Stanford's required ACT or SAT.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Stanford says about Stanford Symbolic Systems
Taken from Stanford Undergraduate Admission's Apply, International Applicants and Transcript pages, the Symbolic Systems Program's pages and the Computer Science Department's undergraduate degrees page, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Stanford's pages for the 2028-entry details.
An interdisciplinary major with a concentration
Symbolic Systems integrates computer science, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, psychology and statistics. The B.S. needs the core courses and a five-course concentration.
Concentrations from Cognitive Science to HCI
Concentrations include Applied Logic, Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science, Decision Making and Rationality, Human-Centered AI and Human-Computer Interaction, plus individually designed ones.
A-levels and the IB are named, with predictions
Stanford says it has no preference for a specific curriculum and names A-Level and the IB, and that academic results and predictions are required if available.
The ACT or SAT is required
For international applicants, Stanford says the ACT or SAT is required. The pages read do not say A-level or IB results replace it.
Official sources
- Stanford Undergraduate Admission: Apply (first-year)admission.stanford.edu
- Stanford Symbolic Systems Programsymsys.stanford.edu
- Stanford Symbolic Systems Program: Major Policies & Requirementssymsys.stanford.edu
- Stanford Computer Science: Undergraduate degreescs.stanford.edu
- Stanford Undergraduate Admission: International Applicantsadmission.stanford.edu
- Stanford Undergraduate Admission: Transcript, School Report and Recommendationsadmission.stanford.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Stanford Undergraduate Admission's Apply, International Applicants and Transcript pages, the Symbolic Systems Program's pages and the Computer Science Department's undergraduate degrees page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Stanford's Standardized Testing page, the full Symbolic Systems core requirements, the Computer Science degree requirements, Stanford's English-proficiency details, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
How admission works
The application is to Stanford; the major comes later
Stanford's application page says there is no application to a particular major, department or school, and that prospective majors named in the application are not binding. Symbolic Systems and Computer Science are therefore choices made once you are a student. This guide does not describe any separate admission to either.
Symbolic Systems and Computer Science
What each describes about itself
The Symbolic Systems Program describes an interdisciplinary programme integrating computer science, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, psychology and statistics. Its B.S. needs the core courses and a five-course concentration, chosen from a list that includes Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Science, Decision Making and Rationality, Human-Centered AI and Human-Computer Interaction. Stanford's Computer Science Department says prospective students need no prior background, and its major uses tracks that students explore through gateway courses before settling on a path.
Symbolic Systems if
you want to connect computing with language, mind and logic, and to shape a concentration around cognition, decision making or human-centred design.
Computer Science if
you want a computing major organised by tracks such as Artificial Intelligence, with a gateway course for each.
Either way
You can name a prospective major without being bound, and you decide after taking courses.
A-levels, the IB and testing
Named curricula, predictions and a required ACT or SAT
Stanford says it has no preference for a specific curriculum (A-Level, IB, AP, national) and no need to convert marks into an American GPA. For students following A-level or the IB Diploma outside the US, academic results and predictions are required if available, sent by a school official. For international applicants the ACT or SAT is required. The pages read did not include Stanford's standardized testing page, so test details are not stated, and this guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Stanford's.
What do you want to study, rather than which label?
The major is chosen after admission, so the interests you show matter more than the name.
Are language, mind and logic part of your interest in computing?
That is the combination Symbolic Systems integrates.
Can your school send results and predictions, and can you plan the ACT or SAT?
Stanford asks for both.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Stanford's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Stanford's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The university-level application, the major-choice structure, the curriculum policy and the ACT or SAT requirement: read 31 October 2026 with no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Stanford has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, Stanford's full testing page, English-proficiency requirements and financial aid: not stated here
This guide has not read them. Check Stanford for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Symbolic Systems core requirements, plan the ACT or SAT and ask your school how it will report results and predictions.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Stanford University or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Stanford. Stanford says its admission office does not work with paid agents or credentialing services. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Do I apply to Symbolic Systems directly?
No. Stanford says you apply to the university as a whole, not to a particular major, department or school.
What does Symbolic Systems integrate?
Computer science, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy, psychology and statistics, according to the programme.
Does Stanford accept A-levels and the IB?
Stanford says it has no preference for a specific curriculum and names A-Level and the IB, and asks for academic results and predictions where available.
Do I need the ACT or SAT?
For international applicants, Stanford says the ACT or SAT is required.
Can I start without programming experience?
Stanford's Computer Science Department says prospective CS students do not need any prior background.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Stanford's wording with no entry-year label. Check Stanford's pages again when Stanford publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Stanford Symbolic Systems
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their interest in cognition, language and computing and how they would weigh Symbolic Systems against Computer Science, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.