If you don’t use it, you lose it! That statement might be a little dramatic, but it is important to keep your brain active, especially in the summer months when you may not have any classes to attend. It’s very easy to spend the summer relaxing at the beach or playing sports, but it’s also important to give your brain a little workout now and then. Of course, the best option is to meet with a tutor regularly during the summer to stay sharp, but here are a few suggestions besides that one. If you want to have fun this summer, but don’t want to let your brain hibernate, read further.

Have Fun With Puzzles
A great way to get your brain some exercise when you have a little down time is by doing some fun puzzles. Crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles, or other types of puzzles can be a fun diversion that will keep your brain nice and healthy. Sudoku puzzles (and other types of logic puzzles) are especially useful, as they require you to think very thoroughly and logically. Best of all, these puzzles are completely portable- you can sit on the beach or by the pool and relax while doing a few of them! It’s also a swell way to avoid boredom on long car rides during vacation trips, so keep that in mind as well.

Play a Few Video Games!
I know what you’re thinking. “Video games? How are those good for your brain?” Well, it all depends on what type of game you’re playing! Many puzzle, strategy, or role playing games require quite a bit of critical thinking skills! Video games can be a fun platform for learning, but even if your game isn’t directly related to any of your class work, you still may be giving your brain a good workout! Plus, you’d have a hard time finding a video game that requires less brain activity than watching television does.

Write, Write and Write Some More
The summer months can be a wonderful time to do a bit of writing. Whether you want to keep your blog updated with all your latest thoughts and the major happenings in your life, or you prefer to spin a story web in the style of fiction, you really can’t go wrong with taking the time to put some thoughts down on paper. Writing about, well, just about anything can be a great way to sharpen your English skills and express yourself all at the same time. Best of all, many types of writing will help you to stay in touch with your creative side. Creativity is often an under-appreciated part of learning, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted!

There are many ways to keep your brain busy during the summer; these are just a few ideas. No matter what, make sure that you’re doing something to keep your mind active during the next couple of months…you’ll be glad you did when the next school year rolls around!

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Since many students are heading off to college for the first time in a couple of months, it seems like a good idea to mention a few things that you’ll want to remember when you’re moving into the dorms! As your school will be your new “home away from home”, you’ll want to make sure you have everything you need with you, so you’ll be prepared for college success!

5. Plenty of Notebook Paper!
Why do you need so much notebook paper? Because you’ll have to take lots (and lots) of notes to succeed at the college level! Many students don’t rely too much on note taking in high school, either because the material is very easy, or they don’t have a lot of classes where the teacher lectures extensively. In college, this will change very, very quickly. If you want to keep up, you’ll have to take good notes, so that you can review the material again later!

4. Phone Numbers and E-Mail Addresses!
One of the determining factors of whether or not you’ll do well in college is whether or not you’re happy while you’re there. That’s why it’s a good idea to stay in touch with friends from back home, as well as family. Doing so will help you to avoid being homesick, which can only lead to problems! When you’re happy where you are, you’ll find yourself putting forth a much better effort, so don’t forget to stay in touch with friends and family to avoid homesickness!

3. A Sturdy Backpack!
College textbooks aren’t just expensive; they’re also very heavy! Since you’re going to be lugging those monstrosities all over campus, you’re going to want a nice, comfy, sturdy, dependable backpack. After all, you don’t want to be the only one who shows up for Literature class without their textbook! Even your tutor can’t help save you from the wrath of your professor, if you leave important class materials in your dorm room (all the way across campus!).

2. A Computer!
If possible, it’s a great idea to bring a computer with you to school. Sure, there are computer labs, but they can be quite busy, and very inconvenient as well. If you have a big paper due and need to get some work done, it’s nice to be able to shut the door to your dorm room and get your paper completed without the distractions you may have in a busy computer lab. Also, if you bring your computer, you can use it to e-mail family and friends, as well as do all sorts of research on the internet! You can even use your computer to work with your online tutor!

1. Your Work Ethic!
Academics at the college level can be very intense. That’s why you’ll have to bring your “A” game (no pun intended) if you’re going to emerge from the experience with your degree a few years down the road. College is a lot of fun, and you’ll probably have a great time, but don’t forget your primary purpose! At times, you’ll really have to buckle down and focus on your work, so be prepared to do so!

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There are so many colleges and universities to choose between, that it can be difficult to narrow them all down, especially if you’ve earned good grades in high school and can get accepted to many schools. However, among the many small criteria you will use to decide where you ultimately go for your college education is one very big choice. That choice relates to whether you’d like to go to a public college or university, or a private school.

What’s the Difference?
Public schools include large, state universities as well as smaller colleges, but usually they are larger in size. Private schools can also be many different sizes, but it is easier to find a small private school than a similarly sized public school. So there is one big difference: the size of the schools.

Also, private schools can be a bit spendier and tend to have higher requirements for admission. However, this is all relative to the school in question, as all schools have different requirements! Really, it’s all a matter of preference, since there are great colleges and universities, whether you want a public or private school!

Before we get into the differences between public and private schools, let’s recap what you may have missed over the last several days. We’ve discussed, how teachers can keep their skills sharp over summer vacation, the mistakes that I (and many others) made in the classroom, and how to give your best performance during tests. We also talked about how to overcome differences and work as a team in the classroom, the reasons why math is cooler than you’d think, and some of the great reasons to be a teacher!

Now, let’s get into what separates public schools from private schools, so that you’re better equipped to decide which is best for you!

Public School Pros and Cons
Public colleges and universities are known for usually being very affordable. You’ll really notice the savings if you’re an in-state resident, as your tuition will be vastly discounted from what you’d pay if you went to an out-of-state school. As a result, public schools rely on much of their funding from the federal government, and they are more likely to pack a lot of students in to help fund the institution. So you may occasionally have larger class sizes, sometimes very large ones- especially in “general education” classes that are required for the entire school population to graduate.

Public universities are great places to go if you’re a talented athlete, musician, or performer. The level of athletics and other activities in public universities is usually the highest in the entire nation, especially at the Division I level. This means that you can usually get an even better deal on tuition, even in an out-of-state school, if you’re talented in one area or another.

Sometimes, you may find a larger variety of activities in a public school, since they generally have such a large number of students enrolled. This means that there are all kinds of clubs, organizations, intramural sports and volunteer opportunities to get involved with. This also means that no matter how obscure your interests are, you’re bound to find other students who share the same passion as you do!

There are also many cultural opportunities in a large public school. After all, the larger the school, the more diverse the campus (usually), so you’re bound to be able to experience many different things than you would at home, or in a private college. Cultural events, festivals, and other opportunities to interact with people of backgrounds different than yours await you in a public university.

Finally, large public schools can provide an atmosphere that most small colleges can’t compete with. There’s simply nothing like getting your face painted and joining 50,000 other fans to watch your university’s football team take on their biggest rivals on a Saturday afternoon. By going to a large school, you’ll be a part of these kind of events.

You’ll also join a large number of alumni nationwide (and even worldwide), which means connections for jobs and other opportunities. You’ll be able to easily follow your school’s athletic performances on national television, and others that you meet will instantly know where you went to school once you tell them.

One of the cons of a large public university is that it can be easy to feel lost in the shuffle. After all, you’re a relatively small fish in a very big pond, all of a sudden. There is definitely a sense of community in a large school, but it’s a different kind of community than in a school with a few thousand students. Again, this is all a matter of your own personal preference!

Private School Pros and Cons
Private schools are often among the best academic institutions. They often have lofty requirements for admission, and they usually produce some of the best and brightest minds in the country. This means that, depending on the school you choose, your degree may really catch the eye of potential employers. After all, a degree from a rigorous and prestigious college means a lot!

However, with this kind of prestige comes a price. Private schools rely on current students and alumni donations to fund their activities, and the usually small class sizes mean that there are less students to foot the bill, so tuition is naturally higher. Of course, need-based financial aid is always available, as are scholarships. However, many private colleges and universities don’t offer athletic scholarships, so keep that in mind!

This isn’t always a bad thing, though. Since you’ll most likely end up in a college with just a few thousand (or even less) students, you’re more likely to be able to be involved in extracurricular activities. The lack of athletic scholarships, for instance, can mean that if you work hard and have a little experience in a sport, you can play at the intercollegiate level! The same goes for participating in the arts, theatre, or any number of activities, such as student government.

So as you see, a small college allows everyone to truly get involved. There’s also an outstanding sense of community in a smaller school, since you see the same people quite a bit. You’ll especially get to know those that have the same major as you, as you’ll be taking many of the same classes together over the years. This can help you to have solid contacts in your field as soon as you graduate! Alumni of small private colleges also tend to be very tight, which can work to your benefit.

Ultimately, you have to decide for yourself what type of academic institution is best for you. Most of the time, you really can’t go wrong! After all, there are great opportunities at all types of academic institutions, and every school has its own features and attributes. You really have to just do the research necessary to make a smart decision on which school is the best school for you! After all, what’s important is that once you get there, you do your best work and prepare to take on your career after graduation!

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It’s sad but true: we all make mistakes. I, of course, am no exception, and although I’ve done a pretty good job during my school career, I do wish I had done a couple of things differently. Here is another edition of “Tales from the Classroom”, with the top 5 mistakes I made while I was in school.

5. I Worried Too Much About the Little Things!
In school, especially once you reach junior high and high school, it can be easy to spend a lot of time worrying about your appearance, your reputation, or what the cute boy or girl with the locker next to you thinks of you. My experience has now taught me that, while it’s important to take pride in your appearance and get along well with others, it’s not worth it to agonize over who will ask you to the dance! All of that ends up taking care of itself if you simply be yourself! You’ll have more fun and be more successful if you just be yourself and let the rest fall into place!

4. “Cramming” for Exams…
This is one of the worst things that high school and college students do, and I was no different. Studying for a huge test the night before and staying up until 5 a.m. won’t get you many A’s on test day! Instead, study your material on a daily basis, with regular cumulative review sessions. Ask your tutor for even more study tips!

3. I Skipped Breakfast Too Often!
This may seem like a joke, but it’s a pretty serious matter! It’s important for students to be well-fed before a long day of learning! I remember waking up late and having to rush to school, skipping breakfast in the process, many times. However, on those days, I found it hard to concentrate in the hours before lunch, as my stomach was grumbling and all I could think about was how hungry I was! Get your day off to a good start, and you’ll be a better learner!

2. One Word: Procrastination.
Too many term papers, book reports and assignments I had over the years suffered and never reached their full potential because I waited too long to start on them! As you get into high school, teachers will start giving you long-term assignments and projects to test your responsibility level. Pace yourself on these huge tasks, get homework help ahead of time and work on big assignments little by little! There’s nothing worse than having to read a whole book the night before class, or rushing through a term paper! You’ll get a better grade and save yourself a whole lot of stress if you get your work done early.

1. I Didn’t Want to Ask for Help!
I don’t know if it’s a macho thing or not, but for a long time I refused to ask anyone for help. Occasionally, I’d raise my hand or approach the teacher’s desk to ask a question, but more often than not, I would stubbornly work for three times as long to figure out a problem myself instead of just asking! Now, I’ve had the experience of working with a tutoring service, and I understand the importance of asking for help! I never would have gotten through calculus without it…at least, not with my sanity intact! If you want to succeed, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

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We talk a lot here about how students can sharpen their educational skills in the summer months, but it’s important to know that teachers can do the same thing, so they’ll be not only rested and refreshed, but also ready for the next school year. Here are some handy tips for teachers who don’t want to be rusty when fall comes.

Learn a Few Things Yourself
One of the best ways to become a better teacher is to keep learning yourself! By taking up a new interest, reading books or studying new things, you will keep your own brain active and come across tidbits and experiences that will help you in the classroom. Being a lifelong learner is a great way to avoid stagnancy in your life and your career, and there’s nothing worse than a stagnant teacher who has given up on introducing new ideas to the classroom!

Incorporate New Things
In keeping with that idea, make sure you pull out those dusty old lesson plans this summer and change a few things up. It can be easy to fall in love with the way you do things and become reluctant to get out of a comfortable rhythm, but teaching the same lessons each year is also a very easy way to become burned out! You definitely don’t want that to happen, and students can tell the difference between a teacher who is bored with their work and one who is excited to teach something new. Since your students will take an attitude similar to yours, incorporate some new material to your lessons that you can get excited about!

Do Something Completely Different
I know that I advocated working on new lesson plans and learning new things, but it’s also important for teachers to get completely away from their work for a while. Many teachers like to do this by taking a part-time job, going on a vacation, or just by relaxing! Really, the choice is yours, but make sure that along with doing necessary things to get ready for another school year, that you also take a little time just to recharge your batteries.

Take a Few Classes
Summer can be a great time for teachers to further their education. For instance, you can take a class or two towards your Master’s degree, or even a class or two on new technology that you can incorporate in your classroom. There are also ways you can enhance your classroom experience by taking courses specifically geared towards your subject- for instance, art teachers can take a class in photography or advance pottery, and music teachers can brush up on their knowledge of a particular instrument. These are all great ways to accumulate some new knowledge into your teaching routine. Also, by becoming a student again, even for a little while, you can get back in touch with what it’s like to be on the other side of the teacher’s desk, which is truly a valuable perspective to keep in touch with.

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For some reason, math often gets a bad rap among students. Perhaps it’s because it can be very challenging, or because students don’t see how some math classes, like algebra, can apply to “real life”. Well, I’m here to tell you, math is not only worthwhile, but vital! Here are a few reasons to prove it, as I reveal the top 5 reasons why math is cool!

5. It trains your brain to think correctly!
Math is important because it makes your brain go through a specific process to figure out problems. This translates very easily to other classes, especially science and business classes. Math also helps you learn to think logically, since every step has a reasoning behind it. The bottom line is that math skills teach you to do more than just math problems!

4. Math is designed to make sense!
You may disagree with this point at first, but hear me out! One thing that many teachers, tutors, and students love about math is that there is an exact right or wrong for every problem. Few things in the world are designed to make sense, and in many classes (or careers), most of your time is spent in the “grey area” where everything can be a judgment call. With math, there is a right or wrong answer for every problem, and if you go through the process correctly, you will get the problem right! It’s as simple as that! That kind of thing can be reassuring in today’s world.

3. It is fun, once you figure it out!
Math can be very tough, especially upper-level math like algebra and calculus. However, it’s also very gratifying when you finally get that problem you’ve been working on. There’s nothing more satisfying than working hard and being rewarded by a hard-earned A on a calculus test! Math is at times frustrating, but it’s all worth it when the light bulb in your head goes off and you realize you understand the concepts!

2. Many top paying jobs require it!
Many of the top-paying jobs in America require high-level match courses in college. This can include engineering, finance, accounting, science-related jobs, or careers in medicine. This means that it’s much better for you to simply work to understand math than dismiss it as unimportant. After all, you may not be planning to be a math tutor, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to learn math to have the career you do want to have!

1. You will use it in the real world!
As I mentioned in the previous point, you’ll have to take some fairly difficult math classes to get certain degrees in college. Not only that, but you’ll actually use your math skills directly in many high paying careers! There are plenty of other times where you may need fundamental math skills in your every day life, as well. Take my word for it, math classes are anything but unnecessary!

So, there you have it…five great reasons why math class is cool! Be sure to tackle your math classes with a positive attitude, and you may do better than you expected!

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One of the hardest problems to overcome, especially in high school and college, can be having to work with people in the classroom that you don’t necessarily get along with or have much in common with. Since education, much like many areas of life, requires teamwork to succeed, it’s important to overcome these differences in order to achieve your goals.

Any student who’s attended their fair share of days in the classroom has worked with teachers that they didn’t always see eye to eye with. However, it’s important to remember that your teacher is on your side- he or she wants to see you succeed! After all, it’s their job to help instill you with knowledge and foster your learning experience so that you’re ready to progress with your education. Even though you may have different personalities or ideas on how things should be done, you should never doubt the fact that your teacher wants you to do well.

If you think about it, your teacher and you are really a team of sorts. After all, it’s hard to think of too many things in life that we do completely on our own. You may be working on your homework on your own (unless you work in a group or with a tutor, of course), or preparing for and taking tests on your own, but your teacher is helping to guide you and instill you with the knowledge you need to succeed in these situations. Often times, they are guiding you through the proper steps to put your best foot forward. It’s hard to imagine how learning could take place without the guidance of teachers.

Similarly, your tutor and you form a team as well. An online tutor or tutoring service is there to help you reach your goals. The reason that these resources can be so helpful is that tutors have been students themselves, and have learned techniques that can help you retain the information you need to know, which is a powerful advantage in the classroom, indeed! There are methods for everything- performing in sports, playing an instrument, cooking a dish- and learning is no different!

Finally, it’s important to work well with your classmates. You will find that as your education continues, you’re required more and more often to “team up” with classmates to work on projects and other assignments. Unfortunately, you’ll also find that you won’t always see eye to eye with the students that you’re working with! Perhaps you’ll have other ideas of how things should be done, or maybe you’ll find that they want to work less hard than what you’re accustomed to. Regardless of the differences, it’s important that you overcome them for the common good of getting a great grade.

Group assignments and projects aren’t just a way for the teacher to frustrate you. They’re a simulation of what you will go through often in your future career, as well. In most jobs, you’ll be required from time to time, or even constantly, to work well with others, regardless of your personal feelings toward one another. You’ll be often asked to work as a team with them, with your boss, or with customers as well. That’s why it’s important to learn teamwork early in your education!

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Teaching can be a difficult career, there’s no doubt about it. However, there’s also very few careers out there that are as satisfying and rewarding as teaching. That’s why, each year, some of the best and brightest students in the country choose teaching over many other career options, many of which would be much more lucrative. Here are the reasons why many students feel that teaching is the best job in the world!

5. Camaraderie Among Educators
There’s a special bond among teachers, or even between anyone involved in educating young people, such as professors, administrators, tutors, faculty and coaches! There’s something about the practice of dedicating your life to improve the future of the youth that brings people together, and helps you to form bonds and friendships that last a lifetime. There’s also no better way to be involved in a community than to educate its young people! For this reason, teachers are among the most well-known and beloved people in any community.

4. Great Benefits
Much is made by the comparatively low salary of teachers compared to other college educated workers, but teaching does have great benefits. Teachers qualify for great health insurance, and many states offer other benefits, such as tuition forgiveness or reimbursement for teachers that go on to work in certain areas or teach certain subjects. You can’t beat that!

3. Two Words: Summers Off!
What else can I say? Even though teachers do spend a lot of non-school days working on lesson plans and other tasks, it’s still worth mentioning that they receive summers off, and get a few weeks off during winter holidays! This is also great for teachers with families, as they will usually be free to spend time with their school age children when they aren’t in class!

2. Doing What You Love
All the salary, benefits, and time off in the world wouldn’t matter if teachers didn’t simply love their jobs. One of the sadly overlooked aspects of careers is figuring out whether you would enjoy your work or not. After all, even with a good salary, it’s not a whole lot of fun to spend all day Sunday dreading the beginning of another work week. Simply put, if you love your career, you’ll be a much happier person. Imagine being excited to go to work, instead of wishing the morning would never come! Teachers love their jobs, which makes all the hard work worth it.

1. You Can Really Make a Difference!
Along with getting enjoyment out of their jobs, teachers also feel a fulfillment that very few other careers can give you. Watching a student who had previously struggled start to find his or her way and really succeed is an experience like no other, and it’s what keeps teachers coming back to teach year after year. When your working days are retired and you reflect back on all the time you spent on the job, will you feel as if you accomplished something important? Teachers never have to ask themselves such questions, as their job is among the most important in the world!

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Since tests are a fact of life for students and aren’t going anywhere soon, it’s important that students learn proper test taking techniques. After all, tests determine large portions of students’ grades, and in some cases, determine the whole grade for a particular class! With so much riding on getting a proper education, it becomes very clear that test taking skills should be a top priority for any student! Here are a few tips on how to perform better during tests.

Take a Deep Breath!
The vast majority of students who have trouble with tests are experiencing problems because of the amount of pressure associated with taking them. There’s no question that even thinking about taking a test can make even the best student’s palms get a little sweaty. However, this just means it’s even more vital to relax. Try to find some relaxation methods that work for you. This can be as simple as taking a deep breath or as complex as learning different meditation techniques to be used before an exam. I knew a student in college who did this, with great results.

Since all people are different, find out what works for you. One thing you shouldn’t do is put extra pressure on yourself. Try not to keep looking at the clock, and try to clear your head of anything but the work at hand! Trust in your own knowledge and you’ll be fine!

Let the Teacher Know
If you have trouble with specific types of test, especially if it’s related to a learning condition or learning disability, it’s important to discuss this matter with your teacher! Teachers don’t want to see you fail, they want to see you succeed, so if there are certain issues that are keeping you from doing better on tests that have nothing to do with the material itself, they will want to know. Often times, certain changes can be made to exams, such as allowing students to take them in a room by themselves, or taking oral exams instead of written exams, and these changes can make all the difference.

Make Sure You’re Prepared
One of the best ways to relieve test day anxiety is to know that you are absolutely prepared for that exam. This will give you the confidence you need to approach the test in a calm manner. If you know that you didn’t put the time in that you should have while preparing for a big exam, it’s only natural that you’re going to be nervous and on edge during it! However, if you’ve done your homework, so to speak, and studied with a tutor or worked on your own, you’ll be much more confident and focused heading into the exam.

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The rankings are based on US News & World Report criterion.

1. Harvard University (Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. It is also the first and oldest corporation in North America.

Harvard University Library.

The Harvard University Library System, centered in Widener Library in Harvard Yard and comprising over 90 individual libraries and over 15 million volumes, is considered the fourth largest library collection in the world, after the Library of Congress, the British Library, and the French Bibliothèque Nationale.

John Harvard Statue at Harvard University.

A statue of John Harvard, sculpted by Daniel Chester French, sits in Harvard Yard at Harvard University. The statue, known by Harvard tour guides as the statue of three lies, claims that it depicts John Harvard, Founder, 1638, but in reality Harvard was merely a contributor, not the founder; the institution was founded in 1636; and the statue is actually a likeness of somebody else.

2. Johns Hopkins University (Located in Baltimore, Maryland)

The Johns Hopkins University is a private university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Johns Hopkins also maintains full-time campuses in greater Maryland, Washington, D.C., Italy, and China. It is particularly esteemed for its medical, scientific, and international studies programs.

Mason Hall.
A brand new building that houses undergrad admissions.

3. University of Pennsylvania (Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Penn is America’s first university and is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. As a member of the Ivy League, Penn is also one of the Colonial Colleges.

Benjamin Franklin statue at University of Pennsylvania

Benjamin Franklin, Penn’s founder, advocated an educational program that focused as much on practical education for commerce and public service as on the classics and theology. Penn was one of the first academic institutions to follow a multidisciplinary model pioneered by several European universities, concentrating several “faculties” (e.g., theology, classics, medicine) into one institution.

4. Washington University in St. Louis (Located in St. Louis County, Missouri)

Washington University in St. Louis is a nonsectarian, private research university located in St. Louis County, Missouri. The university has students and faculty from all 50 US states and more than 125 nations. Twenty-two Nobel laureates have been associated with Washington University, nine doing the major part of their pioneering research at the university. Washington University is made up of seven graduate and undergraduate schools that encompass a broad range of academic fields.

Olin Library

Washington University was co-founded in 1853 as a nonsectarian, private institution by St. Louis leader Wayman Crow, and the Unitarian minister William Greenleaf Eliot, grandfather of the Nobel Prize laureate poet T. S. Eliot.

5. University of California, San Francisco (Located in San Francisco)

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is one of the world’s leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF’s medical, pharmacy, dental, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world.

Head Columns

Founded in 1873, the mission of UCSF is to serve as a “public university dedicated to saving lives and improving health.” Though one of the ten campuses of the University of California, it is unique for being the only University of California campus dedicated solely to graduate education, and this in health and biomedical sciences.

6. University of Washington (Located in Seattle, Washington)

The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the largest university in the Northwestern United States and the oldest public university on the west coast.

Drumheller Fountain

The university is known as a Public Ivy, an American term for state-funded institutions of higher learning that “provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price.”

7. Stanford University (Located in Stanford, California)

Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a highly selective and well regarded private university located in Stanford, California, United States

Clark Center I

Stanford was founded by railroad magnate and California Governor Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford. It is named in honor of their only child, Leland Stanford, Jr., who died of typhoid just before his 16th birthday.

8. Duke University (Located in Durham, North Carolina)

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892.

Duke Chapel

Besides academics, research, and athletics, Duke is also well known for its sizable campus and Gothic architecture, especially Duke Chapel. The forests surrounding parts of the campus belie the University’s proximity to downtown Durham.

8. Yale University (Located in New Haven, Connecticut)

Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is a member of the Ivy League. Particularly well-known are its undergraduate school, Yale College, and the Yale Law School, each of which has produced a number of U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state.

Beinecke Library

Originally called the Collegiate School, the institution opened in the home of its first rector, Abraham Pierson, in Killingworth (now Clinton). It later moved to Saybrook, and then Wethersfield.

10. Baylor College of Medicine (Located in Houston, Texas)

Baylor College of Medicine, located in Houston, Texas, USA, is one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research and clinical care. Situated within the Texas Medical Center, a 1,000-acre complex that is home to 46 member institutions and is the largest medical center in the world.

Baylor College of Medicine, Cullen Building

The school was formed in 1900 in Dallas, Texas as University of Dallas Medical Department. It allied with Baylor University in Waco, Texas in 1903 and moved to the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas in 1943.

10. Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (Located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan)

The Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, abbreviated P&S, is a graduate school of Columbia University located on the health sciences campus in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

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