This study seeks to find if the structure of the demands of the quarter system impacts the levels of depression reported in the school's student body. That is, can the external and systemic stressors at be linked to levels of depressive symptoms? This study proposes that depressive symptoms may be linked to external stresses exerted on the student in the form of school and extracurricular time commitments, as well as the occurrence of exams and other points of evaluation. Analyses were performed on self-reported time-series data on depressive symptoms and external stressors from a random sample of thirty-seven Stanford University students in the spring of 2009. Within the limitations of the study, results indicate that depressive symptoms have a strong relationship to the quarterly structure and tend to vary not with time constraints but with midterms and major assignments. Depressive symptoms peak sharply around the time of midterms. Further, Stanford undergraduates are remarkably more prone to depressive symptoms than the national average. These conclusions suggest that depressive symptoms may be linked to the structure of the quarter system due to the condensed occurrences of major assignments, particularly when considered in relationship to the campus culture of excellence and achievement. (Contains 2 tables, 5 figures and 4 footnotes.)