Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University, one of the country’s top research and teaching universities, is an excellent and prestigious school. It was founded in 1891 and has had high standards ever since.

The 8,180-acre tobacco-free campus has beautiful facilities with a lot to do. There are 40 recognized religious groups and many opportunities to perform public service. There are 590 student organizations and clubs. The school mascot is Cardinal (the color) and the school colors are red and white.

Stanford has many traditions, but the most interesting is that at midnight under the first full moon of the autumn ­quarter, seniors kiss freshmen. Freshmen can’t keep cars on campus, but the Marguerite shuttle is there to take them around. There are live performing arts for students to enjoy. There are many places to eat on campus and a library in which to study, read, and go online.

Housing options include dorms, apartments, and cooperative houses, and the campus is secure. The University Department of Public Safety, Stanford police, and medical care on campus keep students safe.

Stanford has over 40 fields of study, including medicine, engineering, and business. Stanford also offers study abroad programs in Australia, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Cape Town, Florence, Kenya, Kyoto, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Oxford, Paris, and Santiago.

The school has 35 varsity sports, including squash, fencing, archery, and lacrosse. Seventy-five percent of classes have 15 students or less, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 7:1. Stanford accepts scholarships and grants from federal agencies, state agencies, and private organizations. The university gives out Perkins, Stafford, and PLUS loans to applicants who qualify for financial aid.

Stanford is a wonderful school that I am considering as one of my options for college.

For more information, visit www.stanford.edu.