Stanford University is the No. 1 dream college in the United States, taking the top spot for the third year in a row, according to the annual "College Hopes & Worries Survey" of 12,185 college applicants and parents conducted by the Princeton Review.
Students and parents were asked this fill-in-the-blank question: "What 'dream college' do you wish you (your child) could attend if acceptance or cost weren't issues?" Nearly 550 schools were named.
Students' top 10 dream colleges(学生心目中): 1. Stanford University 2. Harvard University 3. New York University 4. Princeton University 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6. Yale University 7. University of California, Los Angeles 8. University of Pennsylvania 9. University of Southern California 10. University of California, Berkeley
Parents' top 10 dream colleges(家长心目中): 1. Harvard University 2. Stanford University 3. Princeton University 4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5. Yale University 6. Duke University 7. Brown University 8. New York University 9. University of Notre Dame 10. Northwestern University
But college hopes and dreams are also accompanied by college worries and fears. Overall, 69 percent reported "high" or "very high" levels of stress about the college application process, up 13 percent since 2003. In addition, 72 percent admitted the economy affected their application decisions with 86 percent of respondents saying financial aid will be "very necessary."
Students' biggest worry is that they will gain admission to their first-choice college, but won't have sufficient funds or financial aid to actually attend.
The most looked-at statistics when researching a college are:
Average SAT score range of admitted freshmen: 38 percent
Percent of applicants accepted: 24 percent
Percent of students receiving financial aid: 21 percent
Graduation rate: 17 percent
Words of advice for next year's applicants:
The most common tip from students and parents alike: "Start early." One mother added, "Start the whole process a year earlier than you think."
One student wrote: "Put your best into your application. Most of the time you underestimate your abilities and worry. The worst experience is the waiting period."