I was just surfing through some websites & came across an article that's interesting if you're keen on continuing your studies abroad. More specifically in the U.S. This article is more of a Top 10 list of schools that are the toughest to get in; they're the cream of the crop & quite recognizable throughout the world, if that's what you're worried about. Most of the schools might sound familiar to the ears. Well, if you've ever dreamed of going to any of them, now might be the time to start thinking through real carefully. Especially since graduation is drawing near.

The Ten Toughest Schools to Get Into

As any high school senior well knows, the college grindstone begins long before their first freshman paper comes due. The Princeton Review's annual survey of college students found these ten schools to be the hardest to get into--and with most, the uphill battle doesn't stop after getting in. At these schools, competition is the name of the game.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts)Sure, "it's hard to get into and hard to stay in," but the rewards for all the difficult work include "professors who are just as eager to teach in their field as they are to research in it." MIT is the type of place where "almost everyone, including the teachers, loves to learn for the sake of learning, and you end up loving MIT for what it gives you while hating it for the work you have to do to succeed."

2. Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)Yale can afford to be extremely selective with a huge surplus of applicants beating down the doors, but "once you're in, they will pamper you and support your ambitions." "Yale does a wonderful job selecting students from a broad base," describes one student. "I now have friends in every corner of the globe."

3. Princeton University (Princeton, New Jersey)While Princeton's administration is still working hard to outrun the university's "preppy white image," it's having no problem drawing in brilliant students. It's placing yourself among this elite group that's tough. Once you do get in, though, "you will have the world's foremost experts in the field instructing you."

4. Harvard College (Cambridge, Massachusetts)Unsurprisingly, getting into Harvard takes grit and more than a smattering of self-discipline. Don't think anyone caters to your needs alone at Harvard: "There's no handholding. You'd better be an independent, self-motivated type." Others agree that the administration "is distant and inattentive to students' needs. They can replace you, and don't think they don't know that."

5. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (Needham, Massachusetts)Part of why getting into Olin is so tough is simple economics: Meeting the entire Olin student body wouldn't take much longer than reading this paragraph. Who wouldn't want to be part of this tight group of 150 "awesome, awesome people"?

6. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California)Caltech's "grueling" demands begin even before enrolling. Once they do get in, students arrive at Caltech knowing what to expect--namely, academic boot camp--and few graduate disappointed. Students "face far more challenges than they ever thought possible."

7. Columbia University (New York, New York)"Academic powerhouse" Columbia University boasts offerings in a staggering array of disciplines, a faculty that includes five Nobel laureates, and one of the nation's few core curricula that students actually love. As a result, it's incredibly difficult to get into. Students here warn that "Columbia truly is hands-off. It's sink or swim, and you are the only person who can help yourself."

8. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)Penn is one of the hottest names in American higher education, and students here tell us that its reputation is well deserved--which does nothing to mitigate the difficulty of being accepted to this Ivy League school. Despite the fact that "world-famous" professors, fantastic opportunities, "frequent, loud, and fun" parties, and--of course--the Penn brand name conspire to deny entrance to all but a lucky few, the university boasts an admirably diverse student body.

9. Stanford University (Stanford, California)Undergrads agree that Stanford lives up to its reputation as "an amazingly hard academic institution with a laid-back atmosphere" teeming with "brilliant and down-to-earth" professors. Yes, it's tough to get in here. If you're aiming for it, know that Stanford appeals to those looking for a serious school that "doesn't take itself too seriously."

10. Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island)Brown's famous "do-it-yourself" experience makes it "an Ivy League education without the pretense," which attracts a broad spectrum of "bright freaks" to its doors. If opening those doors is a feat, so is flourishing without rigid structure. It takes "incredible maturity" and focus to "balance all your courses and choose the right ones." The university, however, prides itself on "helping undergrads achieve their utmost potential."

Taken from MSN Encarta.

This is just a little guideline to spread & share. Well, if you don't you can make the cut, there's always pure & simple NUS or NTU here in sunny Singapore. Or SMU or maybe other private degree courses that you could take up.

I'm not really sure myself where I'd want to end up after graduation, but definitely still on the academic path. Most probably abroad because I don't think I can cope with the education system here of constant competition & well, it's time for something different; something fresh to start off. My parents aren't too keen on me going off to the States, but that's okay by me. As long as I find a school that has the courses I want & need to achieve my degree & that the school is a recognizable one, then that's that. I mean, I have been thinking about pursuing my degree for quite some time now; throwing some majors & minors in my mind so I pretty much have a vague idea of what I want out of it.

Oh well, good luck to me.

Okay, here's some booger facts about some animals which you may or may not have known about. Just some food for the brain; it's good to learn new things everyday. I do it because it helps keep me sane & prevents me from doing any bodily harm to those around me. Now that I have an irritating assistant IC who keeps wanting to matchmake me with his son, it gives me another reason why I should keep myself occupied, especially when he's around. So, bear with me, 'kay?? I don't know how much longer I can keep up with the bearing-teeth smiley thing.

Animals on the Move!

Many animals are on the move when seasons change, but where do they go and how do they get there? The following animals have fascinating travel tales--no matter what time of year they make their move.

1. Whales
In autumn whales move from subpolar to subtropical seas to reproduce, returning to colder, food-rich waters in late spring. They may be guided by a magnetic substance (called magnetite) in their brains that functions as a magnetic compass.

2. Bluefish
Known for their sharp teeth and insatiable appetites, bluefish migrate in dense packs each spring, preying on other fish that come inshore to spawn. Bluefish often leave a trail of blood for miles as they consume other fish in a feeding frenzy.

3. Lemmings
When overpopulation of the Norway lemming leads to a food scarcity and habitat overcrowding, thousands of the animals migrate overland in search of food. Many lemmings die during the migratory process--lemmings that reach the sea drown while attempting to swim the ocean as if it were a river.

4. Lobsters
Each year, the spiny lobster makes an astounding migration. Individual lobsters join large numbers of others to march single file across the ocean's floor. Scientists don't fully understand why the spiny lobsters do this, but it is believed to have something to do with their reproductive cycle.

5. Turtles
Each year thousands of female green turtles swim more than 1,000 miles from the coast of Brazil to tiny Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. There they haul themselves onto the sandy beaches, scrape out shallow nests, and deposit their eggs. Then they swim back to Brazil.

6. Eels
Freshwater eels spend most of their lives in North American and British lakes and rivers, but to reproduce they swim from each side of the Atlantic to an area of the Sargasso Sea between Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Land barriers are no problem: The eels just slither overland through dewy grass. After breeding, they return to their freshwater homes.

7. Monarch Butterflies
The monarch butterfly is known for its extraordinarily long migrations: Monarchs that live east of the Rocky Mountains fly to central Mexico, and those that live west of the Rockies migrate to the California coast. The longest recorded flight for a tagged adult is 1,800 miles.

8. Plovers
The American golden plover travels about 8,000 miles from nesting areas in the Arctic to the southern tip of South America--one of the longest migrations known. The trip includes about 2,000 miles over open ocean.

9. Salmon
Juvenile salmon memorize the odor of the stream in which they were born. Years later they use this knowledge to navigate from the ocean back to the mouth of their home river; they then follow its distinctive odor upstream.

Also taken from MSN Encarta

Right-o!! And now it's time for lunch!! Will be back with more interesting facts, articles & whatnot rubbish.

Laterz...
Lenny JC