The section leading application for Autumn 2024 is now closed. Please check back during week 3 of Winter 2025 if you are interested in applying.
We use an application cycle with two deadlines. Students who have already completed CS106B or equivalent will have a deadline around week 4 and students currently enrolled in CS106B will have a deadline around week 6. Section leading is a two-quarter (minimum) commitment. In select circumstances, the quarters need not be continuous (e.g. we can accommodate applicants planning to go abroad).
Before applying, be sure to read
About the CS198 Program to familiarize yourself with the structure of CS198, particularly the responsibilities of the section leader position. In particular, ensure that:
- You'll have room in your study list to enroll in 3-4 units of CS198 in your first quarter
- You'll be able to attend CS106 staff meetings on Mondays from 4:30-5:30pm
- For the first four weeks of the quarter, you'll be able to attend workshops (Monday 7:30-9:00PM and Wednesday at one of ~6 times mostly in the afternoon and evening). These workshops are MANDATORY as part of the CS198 course. Missing workshop may lead to the coordinators deferring your start quarter or dismissing you from the program.
The online application consists of a few informational questions, a few code debugging questions, a few questions where you are asked to explain a CS topic to someone, and several short answer questions. We attempt to interview as many qualified applicants as possible, but, that said, we cannot, regrettably, interview everyone.
There are two interviews: a teaching interview and a technical interview. The teaching portion consists primarily of a ten-minute presentation of a typical section problem. Qualified teaching applicants will then be asked to come in for technical interview. The technical portion is a simulation of a LaIR helper shift, where the applicant plays the part of a course helper and helps correct an excerpt of buggy code. We look for demonstrated and potential teaching ability, effective communication skills, interpersonal skills, flexibility under pressure, enthusiasm, and strong technical ability.
For more information about the CS198 program, e-mail the coordinators, Diego Ahmad-Stein, Emily Park, and Monica Hicks, at
cs198@cs.stanford.edu.