Act Now: Teach an IntroSem in 2026-27

Instructors are invited to submit new seminar proposals for 2026-27 now through March 6th. If you are renewing an IntroSem, simply email introsems@stanford.edu by the same date.

Introductory Seminars

How to Select your Choices for Pre-enrollment

Enter Your Choices during these Windows

Autumn: August 12 – August 26 (Deadline)

Winter: August 12 – November 4 (Deadline)

Spring: August 12 – February 10 (Deadline)

Step 1: Finding Your IntroSems in the Explore IntroSems Catalog

  1. Browse the online catalog and do not limit your choices: Allow yourself to imagine the excitement in subjects that may seem far afield from what you initially expected to pursue. Each seminar page contains the course description as well as a biographical profile of the instructor. If you are interested in taking a course in a particular department or quarter, use the filtering tools. You can also filter by interest, Ways, and school.
  2. Create your plan for the year: You get to request pre-enrollment in your top three seminars each quarter. By choosing seminars in advance, you will have a head start on academic planning for the year. You need to write one statement of interest each quarter when you enter your choices (see next section on this page).
  3. Confirm that the seminar works with your class schedule: You are able to see the day, time and location (DTL) for your IntroSem selections in Navigate Classes and the IntroSems selection system, the IntroSems' VCA portal.

Step 2: Entering Your Choices in the IntroSems' VCA Portal

The online student selection system, the IntroSems' VCA portal, opens for the 2026-27 year on August 12th when students can map out their selections for pre-enrollment for all three quarters and finalize their choices by the quarterly deadlines above.

Selections are reviewed by instructors after each quarterly deadline. Students may only enter information in the IntroSems' VCA portal when it is open for the quarter; the system is closed when instructors are in the VCA portal to select students for their classes and when admitted students are being pre-enrolled. Deadlines are on Wednesdays at 11:59PM, no extensions.

  1. Go to the IntroSems' VCA portal.
  2. Search for your seminar choices and click on a course title to select it. On the next window, click on the red button, Enter Your Choice. As you start to enter your choices, the system will automatically order the courses 1, 2, and 3. You'll have an opportunity to modify your choices later from the table with your name on the VCA landing page.
  3. You need to write one brief combined statement of interest that addresses each seminar that you choose each quarter. 
    • Respond to the following prompt— 
      For the seminars you select, in a single statement pick something in each course description and explain why it resonates with you. (3000 character limit.)
      • Not sure what to write? Perhaps the topic reminds you of an experience, inspires you to tell a story about yourself, or unearths a curiosity you didn't know you have. Your statement doesn't need to "fit" the seminar perfectly—professors are learning about you, not just your academic strengths and interests. Students who demonstrate genuine engagement with all their selected seminars in their single statement (i.e., one paragraph per seminar in the Choice 1 text box) receive strongest consideration for each seminar.
  4. If you see any additional course-specific questions for the seminars you select (Choice, 1, 2 and/or 3), be sure to answer those as well. If a seminar has a question, you'll see it below the standard prompt when you enter your choices in the IntroSems' VCA portal.
  5. Be sure to click the red Save button often to record your choices and statement. The Save button is essentially the submit button. Look for an automatic confirmation message in your email every time you save something to the IntroSems' VCA portal.
  6. You may change your selections, reorder your choices, and revise your statement(s) up until each quarter's Wednesday 11:59PM deadline at which point all saved entries are automatically submitted for instructor review. In other words, your selections are reviewed after each quarterly deadline, not on a rolling basis and not first come, first served.
    • Look for the Revise link to update your statement, make changes, and click Save.
    • Look for the dropdowns in the Choice column to change the order of your selections and be sure to click the red button, Save Reordered Choices.
  7. Saw the course in the online catalog, but don't see it in the IntroSems' VCA portal? Check the Seminar Updates page in the Explore IntroSems' catalog for the most recent updates.

At least a week before each quarterly deadline, make sure you can log into the IntroSems' VCA portal. Email introsems@stanford.edu if you encounter any issues.