College Applicants' Top 10 Dream Colleges: Princeton Review List

Stanford University is the No. 1 "dream school" among college applicants, according to the Princeton Review's 2011 College Hopes and Worries survey.

The Review asked 8,219 applying seniors and 3,966 parents of applicants to answer a series of questions about their application process and what they hope -- or are afraid -- will happen once they hear back from schools in the coming weeks.

The survey was available online through the Princeton Review's website from late January to early March, and distributed in print via the Best 373 Colleges: 2011 Edition. Among the questions respondents were asked was: "What 'dream college' do you wish you or your child could attend if acceptance or cost weren't issues?"

Below, check out the ten colleges that were most frequently named "dream schools'" by students. Click over to the Princeton Review for more survey results, plus information on their methodology.

Is your dream school on the list? Let us know in the comments section.

1 of 10

Stanford University

1 of 11

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

Celebrities Giving Commencement Speeches In 2013

Really Unique And Sometimes Weird Scholarships

The Best Lines From Commencement Speeches In 2012

Grads strut their fashion

The Most LEGENDARY College Pranks (PHOTOS)

The Best Of The Best 2012

comments(235)

Total comments: 235 | Post a Comment

1 of 11

Rate This Slide

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

Nightmare Dream

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Current Top 5 Slides

loading...

Choose your Top 5 Slides

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[paigeghackett]

12:29 AM on 05/05/2011

UCLA has been my dream since I was in 6th grade. I just finished a year at Capital University and am transferring to Kent State. No where close to my dream =(

[Xxbiucrushxx]

12:06 AM on 04/27/2011

AH! I finally go into my dream school which is UC Berkeley! I want to go so badly but even with the scholarship they offered me there is no way i can afford to go, also considering my parents do not want to pay the ridiculous cost for out of state students. To be honest I'm torn and have no idea what to do i have full rides if i stay in NYC my home town but i don't want to give up on my dream school!!! i mean i like City College and the other offers i got from the CUNY system here in new york but i just can't see how i can give up on one of the best universities in the world let alone the nation.I feel like im down grading and this has been a really stressful month for me! wow i really wish someone told me the truth about how much of a difficult time deciding what college to go to is.

[Amor Sex Shop]

11:29 PM on 04/06/2011

Agora ficou mais fácil

http://www.amorsexshop.com.br

[Amor Sex Shop]

11:29 PM on 04/06/2011

Como é complicado de postar comentários nesse site!
sex shop

[fem56]

01:48 PM on 04/05/2011

I notice posts wondering why more students want to go to UCLA rather than Berkeley. I think it is actually Berkeley grad school that is ranked really high which might partially explain why more students want to go to UCLA for undergrad. UCLA is a beautiful campus in a lovely neighborhood. I think that is a bigger reason. Plus UCLA folks may be a little more relaxed even though clearly they have to work hard. Santa Monica and the beach are only a few minutes away. Beside it really is about fit not some tiny difference in SAT scores or whatever.

[mike morales]

01:22 PM on 04/04/2011

My son is deciding between 4 schools that have accepted him, UCLA, Cal Berkeley, Univ of Arizona and Notre Dame. He is leaning Berkeley but the ND offer is a full ride. He wanted Stanford but their admissions process is a crap shoot.

[BlueCashew]

11:24 PM on 04/01/2011

I overheard my daughter giving a high school junior some college advice.

She said, figure out what you want to do after college, then find the best corresponding program you can get into and afford. But do this in a big state university, where you can change your major if you need to.

[wendelswerk]

05:35 PM on 03/29/2011

As the Russians used to say: " We would love to play

YOOOOOOOUUUUUUKKKKLLLLLLLLAAAAAA!

[Mahi Joe]

05:07 AM on 03/29/2011

Beck U takes all applicants!

[Krisgi]

04:00 PM on 03/27/2011

Funny how Berkeley is always consistently ranked as superior to UCLA and USC, but the kids want to go to school in Los Angeles.

This survey is kind of dumb.

[Ricky Joshi]

02:12 AM on 03/27/2011

NYU? I will never understand why people love it. Seems like the worst college experience in the country to me - everyone I know who attended hated it.

[1Woman4Obama]

04:39 PM on 03/29/2011

I'm curious how NYU keeps ending up on these lists also. I'm sure it is a fine school (with a terrific law school) but top ten?

[talltom11]

10:04 PM on 04/20/2011

Well, I've been going to NYU for three years, and I love it. I'm not sure how well it fulfills the parameters of the idealized "college experience," but living here makes for both a very different and also pretty incredible LIFE, which I am glad to have. It is hard in many ways, I admit, but it is worth it.

[BoxOfficeWeekend]

12:28 AM on 03/27/2011

Back in the early 1990's, my dream college used to be UCLA. When I finally was ready to attend, I ended up attending UCSB, earning a BA in Film

[morefromLA]

05:52 PM on 03/28/2011

Was that good or bad?

[BoxOfficeWeekend]

09:53 PM on 03/28/2011

Back the, I felt dejected. I'm glad I took the UCSB path now.

UCLA Film only accepts 15 film students per year. I knew it was a long shot to get accepted. Even though I already earned an AA in Film at the time, I didn't have enough faculty support to improve my chance to get accepted. I don't regret attending UCSB.

I also got accepted to University of California, Santa Cruz's Film School. I lived in San Jose at the time.

However, I decided on UCSB. UCSB actually has a quality Film & Media Studies undergraduate program. The university built one of the top theaters in the nation. The program will make an impact soon.

I wouldn't go back and change my experience. However, UCLA was the top school on my list. I already earned my MA Degree. I don't plan to earn a PhD. I'll never have a chance to attend UCLA.

Most of the time we don't take the ideal path to accomplish our dreams and goals. On the opposing side, determination and persistence will deliver success. It I could choose again, I would have taken UCLA Film school.

I still hold the same dream. We'll see where my Film & Media BA and MPA lead me. I have no regrets attending UCSB. I preferred UCLA. Thanks.

[shaitan]

02:49 PM on 03/26/2011

I went to the University of Washington, Seattle (UW) for my Bachelors and Masters degrees and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) for my Ph.D. These are both excellent schools. You can't beat UW for the experience of living in the Northwest. UW is now even better as a school for young people than when I went there and it is better than many of the big name schools on this list. Philadelphia is no match for the NW--when I first went there years ago it was not a nice city but over the years it has really improved. But UPenn continues to be an excellent, top ranking school.

[cdiasmd]

01:23 PM on 03/25/2011

What! no Faber College? or Adams College?

[GBO]

12:31 PM on 03/25/2011

Devry and University of Phoenix should have made the list.