Stanford: Why it IS the Best

Introduction
To any and all students trying to get into Stanford...you need to SUC!!! Here's the lowdown on this acronym:

Studious--your grades need to be as high as possible, as do your SAT scores and the number of Advanced Placement courses you've taken. Because of its location and reputation, the already elite quality of students who seek entry to the Farm continues to escalate, so having a great academic record will at most, just give you a hat to throw into the admissions ring. You can also help yourself stand out by taking two or three of the highly recommended SAT II Subject tests. And bringing a studious attitude into the classroom at school might help make the right impression to your teachers, whose opinions aren't taken lightly by the admissions committee.

Unique-- Stanford's increasing applicant pool affords them the right to select the only the choicest, which might as well be a synonym for unique. Believe it or not, Stanford's admissions trends are beginning to sway away from the preppy kids that pricey private schools manicured into ravishing records and resumes. If you're someone who went to a tattered public school but managed to start an urban dance group, win national Latin competitions, or asked school staff to help commence a culinary charity drive for the needy, then look for Stanford to hand you a rose...crazy example, right? At Stanford, crazy is the norm, baby...

Creative-- Like I said, Stanford's not in the baking business--no cookie-cutters allowed. You must know that the founders of Google and Yahoo, Sally Ride, Reese Witherspoon, Charles Schwab and so many other standouts benefited from Stanford's schooling; the University will seek to continue this trend with each new class. In your everyday life at school, what are some situations upon which you can see a twist? Maybe your band could use a floutist, the school newspaper would shine with some articles that investigated school scandals, or the minorities would like some new activities to feel less marginalized. It's up to you to find ways like this to better your environment. Do so, and I'll see you around campus...

I chose Stanford not only because of how brightly the sun smiled here or how sweet and clear the air smells. It was the fact that coming here would vault my life to a much better standard of living that ultimately won me over.

DON'T COME HERE if you hate beautiful weather and people, or rubbing elbows with the world's greatest minds in a variety of fields, or (insert accolade here). In all seriousness, those who are looking for vivacious environs or party scenes need not apply; Princeton may just have a slightly better undergrad program, too, seeing that Stanford's program is matched by a wonderful research community. Everyone at Stanford is focused on building a future career and not so much building the best friendships, so flakiness is commonplace, and freshmen may feel flurried and forgotten at first. But, PLEASE, if you get in, COME!!! Stanford's honestly the world's finest university (in my eyes) ^_^

Campus Life and Social Life
Weekends at Stanford...It's Saturday morning, around 10am and you remember all the plans you'd made for the day. At 11, you'll eat brunch, at at noon you'll hit the pool to catch the NCAA Women's Water Polo championships. Later on, you want to go to the stables for that horseback ride with the Equestrian Club along the Dish (the BEAUTIFUL, verdant playground for runners and the like). And tonight, you're gonna PARTY down at Moonsplash, the fall's biggest frat party, with plenty of liquor and booming tunes....dreamy

BUT BAM!!! You have to cancel all plans, because you've got an essay on the theories of Aristotle and Plato due Tuesday, your problem set for the Economics of the Middle East is wanted by Wednesday, and you're regretting signing up for the French horn, 'cause you got a recital (that the world's foremost players will undoubtedly attend) on MONDAY!!! AAHH!!!

This is obviously a haphazard example, but as a final brief, students should expect to balance an onslaught of clubs and sports to participate in and watch with the world's hardest-core classes that ALWAYS expect your best work. Advertisement
Academics
Stanford is, if not THE best, among the world's finest locales for study in most every field. It's second only to MIT in engineering, and History, Psychology, Sociology, Computer Science, Biology, Physics, and English all find Stanford at the top of their rankings. If you're serious about Art, Drama, or Film, perhaps it ain't the best place for ya; the latter was started only a few years ago, and Art and Drama don't reap reams of respect as they might at NYU, USC, UCLA, or Yale.

Stanford, compared to other universities, strikes a near-perfect chord between research and teaching. Therefore, the quality of professors here is sky-high. For example, one class I took in Spring Quarter was an Intro Sem on the Top Ten Books read in introductory English classes at most universities. (IntroSems are Introductory Seminars, specialized courses taught by only the best professors, that are specifically for freshmen and sophomores and limited to a maximum of 15 students--in other words, sweetness.) The class was taught by a stud who'd been to Oxford, Princeton, and Yale and was a scholar in African-American literature. This is not too infrequent of an occurrence on campus! I have heard many a friend bemoan to me, though, that their Physics or Chem prof has spritzed herself with a bit too much Pretentious Perfume and therefore cares more about her research than reaching her students...The sciences may not have the best teachers, but there are plenty of free tutors and study groups on campus to recompense.

Professors don't teach every class, of course, but the TA's vary in quality. It's best to ask upperclassmen with experience about whose classes to seek out and whose to avoid. The workload caters to those students who are well-organized, time-efficient, and (oh yeah) basically charming little cherubs, like me...hehe jk. It's tough; for example, the Engineering majors pretty much give up their room keys at the beginning of each quarter, seeing as they'll never leave; not even to potty and poo. But with time and experience comes an increase in your ability to manage your time, so eventually the heavens won't mind shoving that key under your door for you to use the bathroom...every four days...haha im a riot

Student Body
Students here are incredibly diverse, with a somewhat sizable international student body and a HUGE variety of socioeconomic status. To be sure, Asians and CAUCasians comprise the campus majority, but to my Latin, Black, Pacific Islander, and otherwise marginalized people out there--rejoice! The numbers may not represent it, but the dozens of clubs that are founded upon the interests of these minorities insure that your voice will be heard and your presence praised. Expect to question several jocks and babes about the "brilliance" Stanford must have seen in them, but otherwise be humbled by the TRUE brilliance of the world-class wunderkindren, athletic all-stars (literally), and generally inspirational humans that populate the campus.

In Closing...
What is the best school in the world to attend??? The answer is (drumroll) STANFORD!!!

Of course, this expletive is nothing if not uninformed. The answer is that no best school truly exists, at least in every field. Stanford, absolutely, ranks in the echelon of Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. But who knows?? Maybe none of those schools is best for you. If you're serious about journalism, head to Chicago--to wit, Northwestern. Bobson College has one of the finest programs ANYWHERE for undergraduate business. Queen's College in NY offers extraordinary education for those kids whose parents' salaries don't fit the $50,000 bill. (To be fair, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford have seen their financial aid leap in quality and now offer full, need-blind scholarships to families with limited income). If you really want to find the best school, then keep up exactly what you're doing now--seeking out precise information. TheU is a great place to catch all the info on your favorite schools, and what's really great is that you can look up the deal on other universities should you find that--GASP!!!--you really don't like Stanford! (I just threw up a little, but don't mind me). Odds are that you'll wind up going to a great school, and in the end, it doesn't matter where you go. What you do with what you have makes all the difference...If you've gone to a poor public school but still managed to be accepted to a great school, why not continue that trend of making the most of your resources once in college?? Good luck, buddy, and no matter where you go, you're gonna be awesome! (scroll down)


















BUT STILL, if you get in, GO TO STANFORD!!!!!!!! haha just kidding (or am I????)