Sign Up for Priority Enrollment

Deadlines to Submit

  • Autumn Quarter: august 30, 2017 by 11:59PM, PACIFIC TIME
  • Winter Quarter: october 15, 2017 by 11:59Pm, PACIFIC TIME
  • Spring Quarter:January 28, 2018 by 11:59Pm, PACIFIC TIME

Please note times when the VCAis sign-up system closes to students to accommodate quarterly faculty review:

  • vcais closed to sign-ups FOR AUTUMN PROCESSING: august 31 - sEPTEMBER 21, 2017
  • vcais CLOSED TO sign-upSFOR WINTER PROCESSING: oCTOBER 16 - oCTOBER 27, 2017
  • Vcais CLOSED TO sign-upsFOR spring PROCESSING: January 29 - February 9, 2018

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Choose up to three courses per quarter. Use the My Plan online tool at ExploreIntroSems or print the Annual Seminar Plan pdf to keep track of your choices for the year.
  2. Complete a statement of interest for your first ranked seminar each quarter. The prompt:  "Please write a few sentences that will tell me (the professor) something about yourself, why you are interested in taking the seminar, and how you will contribute to the class." Be specific, give details that illustrate your points, and use full sentences in a unified presentation. See our Writing Tips for more guidance.
  3. If a course has a seminar-specific question, it MUST be answered regardless of how you rank the course. Instructors of your second- and third-ranked choices are able to read your statement for your first-ranked course. You can enter additional statements for other ranked seminars if you would like to.
  4. Submit your statement of interest through our online sign-up system, the vcais, at
    vcais.stanford.edu
  5. If you select more than one seminar in a given quarter, the vcais will rank your choices and give you the option to adjust. Can't locate the course in the system? Changes happen, so review the Seminar Updates page at ExploreIntroSems for the most recent updates.
  6. The save button will record your selections and statement of interest. Look for a confirmation email each time you save. You may revise your selections, ranking, and statement at any time up until the quarterly deadline at which point all saved entries will be submitted for instructor review.