What & where is New York University

New York University is a private institution that was founded in 1831. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 22,615 and its setting is urban. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. New York University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 32. Its tuition and fees are $46,170 (2014-15).

New York University’s primary campus is located in the lively Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. NYU is a true city school, with no borders separating a distinct campus from the streets of the Big Apple. Students are guaranteed housing for all four years in the many residence halls throughout Manhattan, but many upperclassmen choose to live off campus in apartments around the city. NYU has a small but active Greek life with more than 25 fraternity and sorority chapters. There are hundreds of student organizations on campus, such as NYU-TV, which operates both the University Channel and the Movie Channel to provide entertainment and information to the university community.

NYU is divided into a number of schools and colleges, the largest of which is the College of Arts and Sciences. For those interested in drama or film, the renowned Tisch School of the Arts is the place to go, offering both undergraduate and graduate programs in acting, dance, dramatic writing, film, television and more. Former Tisch students include directors Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. Other graduate programs include the highly ranked Stern School of Business; Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development; School of Law; School of Medicine; Silver School of Social Work; and Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

New York University, a member of the distinguished Association of American Universities, is the largest private university in the United States, with a student population of over 44,000 and seventeen schools and divisions. NYU offers more than 150 undergraduate majors, including individualized studies. There are also opportunities for double majors, minors, dual degrees, and internships. NYU's main campus is situated in Greenwich Village, New York City, and has two branch campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, China. It also has study away sites in Berlin, Germany; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Florence, Italy; Accra, Ghana; London, England; Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Tel Aviv, Israel; Prague, the Czech Republic; Sydney, Australia; and Washington DC, US.

70 Washington Square S

New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 998-1212 / 2014-2015

Tuition & Fees  $46,170

Students 22,615 enrolled

40% male / 60% female

Admissions

Jan. 1 application deadline

32.4% accepted

California Institute of Technology in USA

California Institute of Technology is a private institution that was founded in 1891. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 977, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 124 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. California Institute of Technology's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 10. Its tuition and fees are $43,362 (2014-15).

Caltech, which focuses on science and engineering, is located in Pasadena, California, approximately 11 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Social and academic life at Caltech centers on the eight student houses, which the school describes as "self-governing living groups." Student houses incorporate an admired Caltech tradition: dinners served by student waiters. Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but around 80 percent of students remain in their house for all four years. The Caltech Beavers have a number of NCAA Division III teams that compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Integral to student life is the Honor Code, which dictates that "No member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community."

In addition to its undergraduate studies, Caltech offers top graduate programs in engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science,earth sciences, mathematics and physics. Caltech participates in a significant amount of research, receiving grants from institutions such as NASA, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Health and Human Services, among others. Caltech maintains a strong tradition of pranking with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, another top-ranked science and technology university. Companies such as Intel, Compaq and Hotmail were founded by Caltech alumni. Famous film director Frank Capra also graduated from Caltech.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): 

Caltech is a world-renowned research and education institution focused on science and engineering, where faculty and students pursue new knowledge about...

1200 E. California Boulevard

Pasadena, CA 91125

Phone: (626) 395-6811

2014-2015 Tuition & Fees

$43,362

Students

977 enrolled

63% male / 37% female

Admissions

Jan. 3 application deadline

10.6% accepted

University of Pennsylvania in USA

University of Pennsylvania is a private institution that was founded in 1740. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,712, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 302 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Pennsylvania's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 8. Its tuition and fees are $47,668 (2014-15).

The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, was founded by Benjamin Franklin. The Penn Quakers have more than 25 NCAA Division I sports that compete in the Ivy League, and are noted for successful basketball and lacrosse teams. Penn offers housing in more than 10 College Houses, but many students live in the numerous off-campus apartments and houses available. More than 25 percent of the student body is involved in Greek life, which encompasses about 45 fraternities and sororities. The school also offers a number of clubs and organizations, ranging from performance groups like the Latin and Ballroom dance club to student publications such as the Penn Political Review. Penn works closely with the West Philadelphia area through community service and advocacy groups.

Penn has 12 schools: Four offer undergraduate and graduate studies and eight offer only graduate studies. Penn's highly ranked graduate programs include its Wharton School, School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Law School and School of Medicine. Penn's other notable graduate programs include its Design School and School of Dental Medicine. Penn, though secular, has a strong religious life with its Hillel for Jewish students, Penn Newman Catholic Center and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. More than 2,000 students each year participate in international study programs offered in more than 70 countries around the world. Notable Penn alumni include former U.S. President William Henry Harrison, poet William Carlos Williams and businessman Donald Trump.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school): 

Inspired by the intellectual audacity and educational ideals of our founder, Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) offers a compelling mixture of world-class liberal arts coursework and pre-professional education. Students apply to one of four undergraduate schools---Arts and Sciences, Nursing, Engineering and Applied Science, or Wharton. Penn also offers an array of exciting interdisciplinary programs and courses which leverage the resources of different departments or schools, such as the Fisher Program in Management and Technology, the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, and the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management.

Students are strongly encouraged to engage the world beyond Penn, both locally and globally. Civic House provides a "hub" for students interested in all kinds of community service while the Center for Community Partnerships coordinates over 150 Academically Based Community Service courses each term which link theory and practice through activities that make a significant difference in West Philadelphia and the City. Opportunities for global engagement include Penn Abroad, through which more than 600 Penn undergraduates each year spend a semester or longer abroad, more than any other Ivy League school. Nearly 15% of our undergraduates come to Penn from other countries, providing a linguistically and culturally diverse environment.

As one of the world's premier research universities, Penn offers students the opportunity to learn by participating in the hands-on creation of new knowledge. The Center for Undergraduate Research, the Kelly Writers House, the Weiss Tech House, and the Penn Museum are places that connect undergraduates to leading researchers at Penn and to the cutting-edge ideas of its laboratories and seminar rooms. The academic experience at Penn is integrated with social and extra-curricular life. Almost all first-year students reside within the eleven College Houses at Penn, which link intellectual and social experiences through close contact with faculty-in-residence and student resident assistants. Penn has over 300 student groups ranging from political action to performing arts to sports clubs to student publications offering all students opportunities to pursue a wide-range of interests.

Such opportunities extend beyond campus to the City of Philadelphia where students can experience the rich cultural, athletic, social, and political life of America's most historic city. Today Ben Franklin would marvel at the intellectual and social excitement of the diverse and dynamic institution he founded.

Basic deep of Rice University in USA

Rice University is a private institution that was founded in 1912. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,965, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 285 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Rice University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 19. Its tuition and fees are $40,566 (2014-15).

Rice University, located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, offers a dynamic student life in the nation’s fourth-largest city. The Rice Coffeehouse, Valhalla Pub and Willy’s Pub are all student-run institutions offering on-campus food and drink. Before stepping foot on campus, all students are assigned to one of 11 residential colleges, of which they remain members even if they decide to move off campus. The residential colleges provide housing, dining, and academic and social events. The Rice Owls boast 14 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams and are well known for their strong baseball program. Students receive free tickets to all varsity athletic events.

Rice is comprised of eight schools, including the School of Social Sciences, School of Humanities and Wiess School of Natural Sciences. Its graduate schools include the highly ranked Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business and George R. Brown School of Engineering. Rice also has a well-regarded School of Architecture and the Shepherd School of Music. Rice is home to the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think tank, which offers coursework, internships and lectures. When a private detective found Rice’s stolen owl mascot at rival schoolTexas A&M in 1917, he sent a coded message back to Rice students letting them know that "Sammy" was OK, thus bestowing a name on the school’s mascot.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

As a leading research university with a distinctive commitment to undergraduate education, Rice University aspires to pathbreaking research, unsurpassed teaching and contributions to the betterment of our world. It seeks to fulfill this mission by cultivating a diverse community of learning and discovery that produces leaders across the spectrum of human endeavor. Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, undergraduate education has remained at the center of Rice University's mission since its founding in 1912. Our students have unparalleled opportunities to learn from distinguished faculty through classroom interaction and research collaboration. Rice combines the advantages of a liberal arts college with the resources and facilities of a premier research university. Some of the important engineering and science developments include Rice being the first university in the nation with a department wholly dedicated to space science; Rice researchers joining Dr. Michael Debakey and his Baylor College of Medicine team to produce the first artificial heart; and Rice professors Robert Curl and Richard Smalley and British chemist Sir Harold Kroto receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their discovery of buckyballs, which introduced the new field of nanotechnology. In addition to engineering, Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. The distinctive residential college system enhances the Rice experience by allowing students to flourish as individuals in a community of their peers. Rice boasts a 6:1 undergraduate student-faculty ratio, a median class size of 14, an endowment of $4.84 billion and numerous opportunities for undergraduates to conduct primary research. Rice practices need-blind admission, meets 100 percent of students' demonstrated need and is consistently heralded as one of the best values in higher education. Rice is surrounded by the Texas Medical Center, the Museum District, Hermann Park, Rice Village and great restaurants, and is a short light-rail ride away from theater, symphony, ballet, opera and major league sports.

PO Box 1892

Houston, TX 77251-1892

Phone: (713) 348-0000

2014-2015 Tuition & Fees

$40,566

Students

3,965 enrolled

51% male / 49% female

Admissions

Jan. 1 application deadline

16.7% accepted

Vanderbilt University in USA

Vanderbilt University is a private institution that was founded in 1873. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,835, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 333 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Vanderbilt University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 16. Its tuition and fees are $43,838 (2014-15).

Vanderbilt University offers a wide range of student activities. Located in Nashville, or Music City, there are plenty of off-campus options for dining, shopping, music and entertainment. On campus, Greek organizations play a big role in social life, with approximately 40 percent of students affiliated with Greek life. All undergraduate students at Vanderbilt are required to live on campus, and freshmen live together in The Commons, which has six LEED certified green dorms. The Commodores, named for Vanderbilt founder "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, have teams in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference. About 35 percent of students take advantage of Vanderbilt’s study abroad programs, which are offered in more than 35 countries.

Vanderbilt is comprised of 10 schools and colleges covering disciplines from the humanities to music to engineering. Among its graduate programs are the top-ranked Peabody College of Education and Human Development, which also offers undergraduate programs, and the highly ranked Owen Graduate School of Management, School of Engineering, Law School, School of Medicine and School of Nursing. Vanderbilt is also well known for its undergraduate Blair School of Music, and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center is ranked one of the best in the nation. Former chairman and CEO of Time Inc. Ann Moore, NFL quarterback Jay Cutler and novelist James Patterson all received degrees from Vanderbilt.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Comprised of four undergraduate schools and six graduate programs, Vanderbilt University offers students a world-class liberal arts education that includes both a high level of intellectual engagement and myriad extracurricular and research opportunities. Vanderbilt students -- who hail from across the country and the world -- speak often about maintaining an excellent balance between academic challenge and campus involvement. With 350+ student-led organizations, mirroring the diverse array of opinions and backgrounds represented at Vanderbilt, campus is always buzzing with activity. From Greek life to religious organizations and everything in between, there is never a shortage of opportunities to get involved. Designed to foster a sense of community for first-year students making the transition to college, The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons offers a living-learning residential experience, and has often been cited as a key source of friendship and camaraderie among our students, who keep in touch well after that crucial freshman year. Seven of The Ingram Commons buildings have been LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, making it one of the largest collections of LEED-certified buildings planned on a single campus in the Southeastern United States. Moreover, Vanderbilt Visions enhances The Ingram Commons by facilitating conversations about the college experience among first-year students, peer mentors, and faculty advisers. Vanderbilt's study abroad program offers more than 100 direct-credit programs in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, and Spain, among others. Service is also important to Vanderbilt students, who engage with the local and global community through a large number of volunteer programs and organizations such as Alternative Spring Break, which was founded at Vanderbilt and has since become a staple at many other universities. Well-known speakers and musical acts always draw a crowd on campus through the popular Rites of Spring festival, which takes place on Alumni Lawn, as well as IMPACT, Commodore Quake and other events conceived of and executed almost entirely by students. Indeed, Vanderbilt's location in Midtown Nashville, in the heart of Music City, provides something for everyone: a rich supply of music from every conceivable genre, and an abundance of restaurants, theaters, shops, museums, and coffee shops, all within walking distance of campus. Outside Nashville, the state of Tennessee is home to the Great Smoky Mountains and state parks featuring beautiful lakes and prime hiking trails. Regarding financial aid, Vanderbilt practices a need-blind policy for all U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens, and promises to meet 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students. Students' need-based aid includes a combination of grant monies and federal work-study funding and does not include loans. Additionally, the university offers merit aid to approximately 3% of applying students. The three signature merit programs -- the Ingram Scholarship Program, Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship Program, and Chancellor's Scholarship Program -- require a separate application and each award includes full tuition plus a summer stipend.

Nashville, TN 37240

Phone: (615) 322-7311

2014-2015 Tuition & Fees

$43,838

Students

6,835 enrolled

50% male / 50% female

Admissions

Jan. 1 application deadline

12.7% accepted

Brown University in USA

Brown University is a private institution that was founded in 1764. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,455 and the campus size is 146 acres. Brown University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 16. Its tuition and fees are $47,434 (2014-15).

Located atop College Hill in Providence, R.I., Brown University has a college-town feel with Thayer Street serving as a center of activity for shopping and dining. The Brown Bears have about 35 NCAA Division I athletic teams and compete in the Ivy League. The Bears are well known for their men’s soccer team, which consistently ranks among the top 25 teams in the nation. All students at Brown are required to live on campus for their first six semesters, and housing options include traditional singles, doubles and suites. With around 400 student organizations on campus ranging from The Brown Jug comedy magazine to Brown Ballroom Dance, students can find a way to pursue their interests. Brown also has a small but vibrant Greek community with approximately 10 chapters, including a few co-ed Greek organizations.

Brown offers a number of a graduate studies through its Graduate School, which offers well-regarded programs in English and history, and the highly ranked Warren Alpert Medical School. The center section of the Van Wickle Gates on Brown’s campus opens only twice a year: once to let incoming students onto campus and once to let recent graduates exit after commencement. Brown hosts an annual celebratory "Spring Weekend" with athletic events, concerts and free food. Notable alumni include John D. Rockefeller Jr., John F. Kennedy Jr. and CNN founder and media mogul Ted Turner.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Brown is the only major research university in the nation where undergraduates are the architects of their own course of study. The University's signature academic program for undergraduates encourages intellectual exploration and risk taking and fosters rigorous multidisciplinary study in more than 70 concentrations, ranging from Egyptology to Cognitive Neuroscience. Its unique, highly competitive program in Liberal Medical Education provides the opportunity to receive an undergraduate degree and a medical degree in an eight-year continuum. Its School of Engineering prepares students for careers that will make a difference by seeking solutions to current problems that challenge our society. Brown is frequently recognized for its global reach, many cultural events, numerous campus groups and activities, active community service programs, highly competitive athletics, and beautiful facilities located in a richly historic urban setting. Brown students are distinguished by their academic excellence, creativity, self-direction, leadership, and collaborative style of learning, while Brown's outstanding faculty is known for its singular dedication to teaching and research.

Box 1920

Providence, RI 02912

Phone: (401) 863-1000

2014-2015 Tuition & Fees

$47,434

Students

6,455 enrolled

48% male / 52% female

Admissions

Jan. 1 application deadline

9.2% accepted

Cornell University in USA

Cornell University is a private institution that was founded in 1865. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 14,393, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 745 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Cornell University's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 15. Its tuition and fees are $47,286 (2014-15).

Cornell University, located in Ithaca, N.Y., has more than 500 student organizations on campus, which range from the Big Red Marching Band to the International Affairs Society. First-year students live together on north campus, and the university has housing options for upperclassmen and graduate students, though many choose to live off campus. Cornell has a thriving Greek life, with around 70 total fraternity and sorority chapters. Cornell has more than 30 NCAA Division I varsity teams that compete in the Ivy League. The Cornell Big Red are perhaps best known for their successful men’s lacrosse team, which won seven consecutive Ivy League titles from 2003 to 2009. Cornell also has a strong hockey program.

Cornell’s 14 colleges and schools each admit their own students and provide their own faculty, even though every graduate receives a degree from Cornell University. Cornell’s two largest undergraduate colleges are the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Its graduate schools include the highly ranked S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, College of Engineering, Law School, Weill Cornell Medical College and a well-regarded program in education. Cornell is also well known for its top-ranked College of Veterinary Medicine and the highly esteemed School of Hotel Administration. One of Cornell’s oldest traditions is Dragon Day, during which a dragon built by first-year architecture students is paraded through campus and then burned during a bonfire celebrating the coming of spring. Notable alumni include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, author E.B. White and Bill Nye, the "Science Guy."

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Cornell University was founded in 1865 as a coeducational, nonsectarian institution where "any person can find instruction in any study."

Once dubbed "the first American university" in recognition of the revolutionary principles on which it was founded, Cornell continues to push the limits of its founder's vision. Renowned for its distinctive mix of eminent scholarship, academic rigor and commitment to public service, it attracts more than 20,000 students from every state in the Union and more than 120 countries. They learn from a world-class faculty teaching more than 4,000 courses and participate in cutting-edge research in 11 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools on the uniquely beautiful Ithaca campus, at Cornell's medical college campuses in New York City and Qatar, and in affiliated programs around the world.

Cornell???s breadth of study, ranging from legendary programs in the humanities to world-class interdisciplinary research centers in nanotechnology, biotechnology, supercomputing and genomics, sets it apart from its Ivy League peers. As the land-grant university of New York State, Cornell also boasts the nation's first colleges devoted to hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. In 2011, Cornell was awarded the opportunity to create a new graduate school for information technology in New York City. Cornell NYC Tech is training the student entrepreneurs who will drive the 21st century???s digital transformation of publishing, advertising, news and information, and entertainment.

In recent years, Cornell has been aggressively expanding its international programs - from the establishment, in 2001, of the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the first American medical school outside of the United States, to the forging of partnerships and collaborations with major institutions in China, India, and Singapore - further supporting Cornell's status as the transnational university of the future. 

Ithaca, NY 14853

Phone: (607) 255-2000

2014-2015 Tuition & Fees

$47,286

Students

14,393 enrolled

49% male / 51% female

Admissions

Jan. 2 application deadline

15.6% accepted