Evaluation Processes
Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) and your Stanford degree program(s) evaluate your respective applications concurrently but separately. Your applications are reviewed by separate admission committees who make independent assessments about your candidacy. The separate admission committees do not share application materials except in very rare cases when it may aid evaluation efforts.
While Knight-Hennessy Scholars does not review your Stanford degree program application(s), we do check in at regular intervals with Stanford degree programs to verify which KHS applicants have submitted their degree program application and remain competitive for admission. We do so to ensure that we select finalists and scholars who remain competitive for admission to the graduate program.
The Stanford degree program communicates its admission decision to you on its own distinct timeline. Depending on the Stanford graduate degree program, you may receive your Stanford admission decision as early as December or as late as April. For this reason, some Knight-Hennessy Scholars finalists (notified in late January) have already been offered admission to their Stanford program(s), while others are still awaiting their admission decision from Stanford. Consult the Dates and Deadlines page for a full view of concurrent timelines.
| Knight-Hennessy Scholars | Compared to | Stanford degree program(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Criteria | Varies by program Consult your graduate degree program directly |
| KHS Admission committee only | Reviewed by | Admission committee for your desired program only |
| Additional Requirements | Varies by program Consult your graduate degree program(s) directly |
| Notification Date | Varies by program Consult your graduate degree program(s) directly |
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Do I apply only to Knight-Hennessy Scholars to be considered for the Stanford graduate program(s) I am interested in?
A: No. You must complete both your Knight-Hennessy Scholars application AND the entire application process for your graduate degree program(s), including any standardized test that your graduate degree program(s) requires (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, etc.) and, if applicable, an English proficiency test (TOEFL; or, for MBA program only, IELTS or PTE). The Stanford graduate degree program application(s) may require a fee. Please visit the graduate program(s) for specific information about its requirements.
Q: Can I be admitted to Knight-Hennessy Scholars and not to my Stanford graduate degree program?
A: No. You must receive an offer of admission from a Stanford graduate degree program in order to be a Knight-Hennessy scholar. KHS cannot admit you to Stanford! For this reason, we check in with Stanford graduate degree programs at regular intervals to verify which candidates have applied and remain competitive for admission to the degree program. We advance only those KHS applicants whom the degree program verifies are eligible.
Q: Can I be admitted to my Stanford graduate degree program and not to Knight-Hennessy Scholars?
A: Yes. It happens every year that some applicants are not selected for KHS, but still receive an admission offer from the Stanford degree program(s). Many of these applicants choose to enroll at Stanford. If you are interested in KHS, please apply confidently with the knowledge that your KHS application does not preclude or negatively impact your chances of admission to Stanford.