SOAR: Stanford Online Academic Readiness

Starting in 2019, Stanford Online Academic Readiness (SOAR) offered incoming Stanford frosh access to free summer online courses to build their foundational skills in mathematics and, starting in 2020, writing. SOAR's mission was to help students prepare for the academic rigor they would face at Stanford with small class experiences, a personalized curriculum, and a friendly learning community. 

Now, building upon SOAR’s achievements and aligning with the goals of programs like LSP, SSEA, and THRIVE, in the summer of 2025, Stanford is launching a single new bridge program. This new consolidated program will continue to provide academic engagement while expanding on advising support for participants so they are prepared to take full advantage of the academic opportunities Stanford has to offer. It will also strengthen the sense of community for incoming first-year students. It will include five weeks of either online or on-campus classes, with an optional additional week of in-person programming right before NSO, which will focus on exploring campus resources and developing students’ sense of belonging as they transition to Stanford.

These changes to Stanford’s bridge program build on the opportunity and flexibility that SOAR provided to incoming Stanford frosh. The new summer bridge experience will offer similar opportunities for scholars in 2025, and we are excited to continue collaborating with partners across campus to support students.