Beauty and happiness: Stanford and Palo Alto

Almost whole of the Stanford city's area houses the world's best university, Stanford University. Stanford University's academic reputation, eminent alumni, influence, and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Its 8,180-acre campus is the largest contiguous college and the most beautiful campus in the United States. I believe that Stanford is one of the best choices for an international student who wants to study in the United States. In fact, I’ve talked about this to a lot with the friends I made at Stanford. I asked them why Stanford was their first choice over Harvard, MIT, Berkeley or Princeton. A lot of them told me that they really liked the fact that Stanford was consistently ranked in the top 5 for all of its departments.

What's so great about this Stanford and Palo Alto?

Name and brand: To an international student who is still considering returning back to his country or outside US, the name and the influence that the school commands is significant. Students outside US only want to go to well-known schools like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Princeton and Yale, simply because it is advantageous for any career prospects in the future.

Location: Beautiful California. Seriously. Stanford has the best location anyone could dream of. The campus is beautiful and the weather is perfect all year round. Stanford isn't a university but a resort.

Academics: The reason why so many students dream of going to Stanford is the location combined with a top-tier education. Stanford is consistently ranked within the top 5 in all departments and the faculty are well-known for their research. The wide gap in education styles between Stanford and Asian universities can be seen. Whereas schools like Stanford highly valued one-on-one learning, and the chance for students to express themselves, colleges in Asia & esp. India are strictly lecture-based, and most of the times monotonous and boring.

Extracurricular activities: Stanford has everything - from religious groups, to cultural interest groups, to a gaming group. Yeah, extracurricular activities in night clubs and amazing pubs too ;).

Culture: Stanford prides itself in being really open to all cultures. I was really attracted by the fact that Stanford's student population is about 35% Asian/Asian-American and 20% international for graduate education.

Stanford is the most commonly named "dream college", both for students and for parents. It is one of the most beautiful place I have ever been to. Spend 3 days exploring the highlights of Stanford's beautiful campus.