Stanford University is one of the few schools that consistently lives up to its pristine reputation; the school’s superior academic, research, and extracurricular opportunities are nearly unparalleled. The university is located on a sprawling, 8,180 acre campus–the largest in the country–and is just 30 miles from San Francisco. Currently listed as the number 5 school for national universities on U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking, the university’s tradition of excellence attracts students both nationally and internationally. Speaking to this is the fact that more than 50 Stanford faculty, staff, and alumni have been recipients of a Nobel Prize. Stanford has left a very noticable imprint on today’s world: its alumni includes the founders of companies like Google, Hewlett-Packard, LinkedIn, and Yahoo!
Student life at Stanford comes alive outside of the classroom. In addition to academic research, students bridge the gap between work and play with organizations such as the Stanford Solar Car Project, in which students model, build, and race solar cars biyearly. The school’s Cardinals, which compete at the Division I level, attract a large crowd, especially at the traditional “Big Game” against football rival Cal, for which the winning team earns the Stanford Axe–a highly coveted, ceremonial trophy. Tiger Woods trained with the school’s celebrated golf program, which is competitive each year. In addition, the school’s Greek Life is active, with 10% of the student body participating in fraternities and sororities.
