America's Hot Schools
Competition's intense and there are scores of colleges．Large, small, public, private, , rural—what's best for you? Here are our top picks for the places that everyone's talking about for 2005.
Newsweek 2005 edition—Pull apart the NBA of a student's dream school and you'll find so many different strands．Perhaps it's the location, either in the rolling country-side far from anything that resembles a sidewalk, or in the midst of an neighborhood．It could be a college's unique educational mission or the array of quirky personalities on campus．Maybe it's the outstanding labs or libraries or theaters, even the fitness center．All 25 colleges on the Hot List for 2005 have one thing in common: they provide an outstanding education．But what makes them hot is their differences and special traits.
Although all these schools have demonstrated continuing excellence, various qualities made many of them stand out in 2004．The Iraq war, as well as its aftermath, highlighted the importance of well-educated military leadership and some students think of applying to Annapolis or West Point．The debate over Early Decision (ED) admissions policies prompted a number of applicants to try schools like Yale or Stanford that have led the effort to reduce ED stress on students．The controversy over affirmative action motivated other students to seek out schools like Wesleyan that celebrate diversity.
HOTTEST IVY
Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Yale president Richard Levin has been a leader in efforts to change ED admissions policies, and that is probably one reason the university was at the top of so many ambitious students' lists this year．A record 19,682 students applied in 2003, but only 1,955 were admitted．The 2004--2005 season could be a repeat．Undergraduate Admissions Dean Richard Shaw says the number of campus visits has increased dramatically—a good indicator of a future spike (高峰) in applications．Yalies say a big attraction of their undergraduate experience is the residential—college system．Students live in one of 12 colleges, each with its own character, under the guidance of a and a dean.
HOTTEST SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
Juilliard School, New York, N.Y.
Juilliard turns 100 in the 2005—2006 academic year, and the current crop of students can look back on an impressive history with such alumni as actor Kevin Kline, violinist Itzhak Perlman and choreographer (芭蕾舞创作者) Lar Lubovitch．To celebrate, the school will introduce new choreography, productions and performances．The student orchestra, which already performs abroad, will embark on its first domestic tour．In 2003—2004, Juilliard received 2, 016 applications; only 152 musicians, dancers and actors were offered the chance to showcase their talent in the Julliard Theater right next to Lincoln Center．That's the best inspiration for any aspiring star.
HOTTTEST LIBRARY
Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Harvard's library system ranks with the best of any kind in the country, even the Congress．'It contains the largest collection of every kind of book and bit of information anyone would ever want, says library director Sidney Verba．The collection includes more than 15 million volumes, 5.5 million microforms, 6.5 million manuscripts and 5 million other research materials such as photographs, maps and recordings．Even undergraduates take advantage of these resources for writing term papers and senior theses．Harvard, digital collection is particularly strong, and a big draw for students who want access to just about every online journal around.
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