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Senior Synthesis

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Developing a Senior Synthesis Project

  • We use the term "Senior Synthesis Project" to refer to a senior capstone project that does not readily fall within the category of a research or arts project.
  • Take time to pause and reflect on the experiences that have made up your undergraduate career. A senior synthesis project can spring from either the recurring themes that haven't been addressed as well as you'd like elsewhere in the curriculum, or the unanswered questions that your courses never seem to dedicate time to. 
  • Think about which faculty would be most interested to hear about the themes or questions you've identified. The right faculty mentor for a senior synthesis project may be in your major or elsewhere, but they will ideally have seen at least part of your development as an intellectual.
  • As you focus on a particular experience or effort that might serve as a capstone to your Stanford education, try to draw its connections to the courses, tracks, activities, and opportunities that you have already assembled. How does your new idea complement, build upon, or react to those recent experiences?
  • Guidelines for writing a senior synthesis proposal can be found in our VPUE Project Proposal Writing Guide and the eligibility requirements will be outlined on our Eligibility Requirements for All Applicants Page and on the grant page proper that you choose to apply for (i.e. Chappell Lougee, Major Grant, and Small Grant).