Stanford University is a private research university located in the peaceful neighborhood of Stanford in Palo Alto, California, amidst the towering oak trees. Although it can get pretty hot in the summer, freshmen can relish in the tradition of fountain hopping, where students jump into water fountains around campus. Furthermore, brimming with aspiring Computer Science majors, its asset is that it is only a 10-minute Uber ride away from Silicon Valley—the dynamic technological hub which is home to billion- and trillion-dollar companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook. The university’s athletics teams are known as the Cardinals.