<p>“The one real negative of Stanford for me is its actual location: it’s in a bubble, and the closest city is Palo Alto, which isn’t a very interesting city IMO”</p>
<p>You have just identified the <em>one</em> thing that drove me nuts at Stanford. I had come from Mexico City (American School). I was comfortable in a metropolitan environment with tons of people/traffic/activity/diversity.</p>
<p>By my fifth month at Stanford, I became so stir-crazy that I jumped on my Schwinn 10 speed and pedaled due east until I crossed the railroad tracks. I had entered the poor section of Palo Alto (yes, this was a LONG time ago). I breathed a sign of relief when I passed a house with a semi-dead lawn and an old car in the driveway up on blocks. Finally, the real world!</p>