[4] She became a student at an elite English-language high school, and competed on the Bulgarian team in the International Mathematical Olympiads in 1987 and 1988, earning silver medals both times.

[2] Stankova studied at Bryn Mawr College, completing bachelor's and master's degrees there in 1992,[6] with Rhonda Hughes as a faculty mentor.

[7] While an undergraduate, she participated in a summer research program with Joseph Gallian at the University of Minnesota Duluth, which began her interest in permutation patterns.

[8] Next, she went to Harvard University for her doctoral studies, and earned a Ph.D. there in 1997; her dissertation, entitled Moduli of Trigonal Curves, was supervised by Joe Harris.

[8][11] In 2004 she became one of two inaugural winners of the Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning College or University Mathematics Faculty Member.