<p>I’m a Stanford student, so I can tell you what I know.</p>
<p>Just in the criteria you mention, I’d say Stanford is by far the best option, though the others have their strengths given what you want. What do you mean by “diverse”? Stanford’s student body is only 32% Caucasian, and it’s also the most socioeconomically diverse (highest proportion of low-income students among private universities–17% Pell Grantees, and 15-20% first-generation). You’d also have access to San Francisco, San Jose, etc. among the other smaller cities around campus. As for large/small classes, 75% of Stanford’s courses have fewer than 15 students, and less than 2% are larger than 120. All are taught by professors, though of course you’ll have TAs supplementing the course (small sections). You’ll also have the option of doing independent study, in which you work one-on-one with a professor on a topic of your choice for 1-5 units (a really awesome experience, similar to the tutorial system at Oxbridge).</p>
<p>As for research and internships: on-campus ones are relatively easy to get, since you apply to a department(s) and the standard rate is $5,600 for 10 weeks. There’s a reason that Stanford allocates more money to undergraduate research than any other university–$4-5 million per year. So many students do internships too, so Stanford holds Summer Research College (SRC), held in two adjoining dorms on campus (~220 students, though many more students doing research over the summer opt to live elsewhere). Stanford’s also part of an internship network along with Penn and some others I can’t remember.</p>
<p>It also offers awesome interdisciplinary programs in public policy and urban studies:</p>
<p>[Program</a> on Urban Studies](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/URBS/]Program”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/URBS/)
[Public</a> Policy Program](<a href=“http://publicpolicy.stanford.edu/]Public”>http://publicpolicy.stanford.edu/)</p>
<p>And you’ll also have access to courses at the law and business schools. I’ll add that the public policy program is known on campus to be very rigorous, requiring more than basic calculus, econ, etc.</p>
<p>Stanford’s ranked #1 for biology and #2 for molecular biology.</p>
<p>[Best</a> Biological Science Programs | Top Science Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biological-sciences-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/biological-sciences-rankings)
[Best</a> Molecular Biology Programs | Top Science Schools | US News Best Graduate Schools](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/molecular-biology-rankings]Best”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/molecular-biology-rankings)</p>
<p>Its study abroad program (Bing Overseas Study, or BOSP) is really strong–half the students at Stanford study abroad at least once, and many students go for more than one quarter. It also has the Stanford in Washington program:</p>
<p>[Home</a> | Bing Stanford in Washington](<a href=“http://bsiw.stanford.edu/home.html]Home”>http://bsiw.stanford.edu/home.html)
[Bing</a> Overseas Studies Stanford University](<a href=“http://bosp.stanford.edu/]Bing”>http://bosp.stanford.edu/)</p>
<p>On volunteering, Stanford has the Haas Center for Public Service, which is recognized as a national model for collegiate public service centers.</p>
<p>[Haas</a> Center for Public Service | Student Affairs](<a href=“http://haas.stanford.edu%5DHaas”>http://haas.stanford.edu)</p>
<p>I don’t think you should be concerned about the graduate student population. While Stanford has over 8,000 full-time grad students, they are there to interact with–either as your TAs or, more importantly, as your research collaborators. They are always doing intensive research, and given that Stanford emphasizes collaboration in research, you’ll have an even better chance of doing publishable research with more graduate students.</p>
<p>What I love about Stanford is that it offers the best of both worlds: the large, diverse, myriad-opportunity environment, with the benefits of a small community, which you get in the usually small dorms, classes, and student groups–nearly 700 student groups (each of which offers a small community in itself). I’m finishing at Stanford now and feel I definitely get the most out of the small-community/big-environment divide.</p>
<p>Of course it’ll come down to where you feel you’re most at home, and so you’ll need to wait until you visit to see. I think you’ll like Stanford. ;)</p>
<p>Good luck deciding! :)</p>
![http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/cdc/images/021016DG-09-CDC-120x180.jpg[/url]](http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/cdc/images/021016DG-09-CDC-120x180.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
