On the Road Again!
Stanford University – Bring your bike! It would certainly come in handy at this beautiful and large campus with 12 miles of bike lanes. Students already have caught on; I have only seen more bikes in the Netherlands! Stanford is certainly as selective as any East Coast Ivy but has a decidedly California feel. The enormous, lush, palm tree laden campus stretches from the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains to the heart of the Silicon Valley in Palo Alto. Here are some of the highlights:
- Curriculum – Thinking and broadening one’s thinking are at the heart of Stanford. All students take a course in Thinking Matters and a series of courses called Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing. Computer Science is the most popular major but other majors are close behind such as engineering and biology.
- Joint degrees – Stanford offers joint degrees with computer science, combining computer science with degrees in the humanities such as philosophy or history.
- Study away from Campus – As beautiful as the campus is, about half of the student body will study at one of Stanford’s campuses around the globe from Washington, D.C. to Cape Town, South Africa.
- Need blind and full financial need met– With its huge endowment, Stanford’s domestic students benefit from need blind admissions. The full demonstrated financial need, without loans, is met for every admitted undergrad.
- Social Life – Over 90 percent of students live on campus for all four years. There is something for everyone to do on campus. Students can participate in Greek life but it doesn’t dominate the social scene. There are hundreds of clubs and organizations. Stanford has powerhouse athletics in many sports with several national championships. For those not quite as elite as these athletes, there are many intramural sports, a golf course and four swimming pools.
