Stanford will welcome more than 2,730 prospective first-year students, parents and guests for Admit Weekend 2018 , which opens today with tours of memorable campus spaces, including Bing Concert Hall and the Science and Engineering Quad.

Currently, 1,330 admitted students are expected to attend the three-day event, which is designed to encourage prospective first-year students to explore Stanford’s academic, residential, athletic and social scenes by offering them a wide variety of activities and programs that showcase the university’s breadth and depth.

Many of the admitted students will share dorm rooms with current students to experience residential life firsthand.

The official welcome will take place Thursday afternoon with addresses by university leaders – Provost Persis Drell, Harry J. Elam, Jr., vice provost for undergraduate education, and Richard H. Shaw, dean of admission and financial aid. The visitors will also hear from students, who will share stories of their Stanford journeys of intellectual exploration, from small seminars to funded undergraduate research, honors work, overseas studies and beyond.

Admit Weekend also features “A Conversation with President Marc Tessier-Lavigne,” in which Stanford’s 11th president will discuss his vision for the university’s future.

The prospective students are also invited to a picnic with admission officers and to “Humans vs. Zombies,” a gigantic game of tag – both on Meyer Green.

During Admit Weekend, panels of students will talk about studying overseas , as well as in Washington, D.C . and New York City . Students will share stories about LGBTQ life on the Farm and their experiences as first-generation college students at Stanford. Student panels will also discuss opportunities available to women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and the research they are conducting at the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute .

Students who participated in the Leland Scholars Program , which eases the transition to Stanford, will talk about the four-week residential program, which takes place before the start of the school year.

Stanford has offered admission to 2,040 students from across the country and around the world to the Class of 2022.

Admitted students have until May 1 to accept the university’s offer.

The university has created a website for the Class of 2022, Stanford Admitted Students .

Admitted students and their guests can get a taste of life in the classroom by attending Academic Expos – seminars taught by faculty members – including:

• Cool Hands, Hot Performances, Better than Steroids and Legal
• Ice, Mud and Thermometers: How Records of Past Climate Change Help Us Understand Modern Global Warming
• Hydrogen Bonding: From DNA to Nylon
• Mixed Race in the New Millennium: Making Sense of a “New” Demographic
• Andy Warhol’s Contact Sheets

In addition to hosting open houses and interactive panels, community centers are offering the visitors ice cream, Asian snacks, tasty treats, a talent show with kosher desserts, and a “PamCake” breakfast. There will be opportunities for spiritual reflection, including a “Fundamentals of Meditation” session at Windhover Contemplation Center .

Admit Weekend also features a two-hour symposium highlighting the research and creative projects of students.

Admitted students can explore social life on campus through a variety of special events, including an a cappella concert , a Dance Expo, “A Queer Night Out on the Farm,” and a pop-up concert by the Stanford Collaborative Orchestra in White Plaza.

Admit Weekend includes several events designed for parents or guardians, including tours of residence and dining halls, a Parents’ Club Mixer, and a presentation by staff and students about the programs offered by the Office of Alcohol Policy and Education , including Cardinal Nights , safe rides services, and online and in-person educational outreach programs.