Nichita Stanescu National College Ploiesti

Coordinating teacher: Daniela Badea

Student: Radu Popescu XII I2

2011

Motto:
Let knowledge grow from more to more; and so be human life enriched

Prcis

My paper presents some differences and similarities among the science profiles of 4 famous foreign universities. There are 3 universities from the United States of America and one university from England which are presented from many points of view, sharing useful information for every interested pupil, student or teacher. The first chapter, Ranking of World Universities, focuses on the value of world universities given by the number of very important scientific activities, including the main published articles, by size and visibility . All these 4 universities are considered to be very good because they are in top 30 ( Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1st, University of California Berkeley 4th, California Institute of Technology 7th, University of Cambridge 28th ) , while the best Romanian university is not in top 1000. In the second chapter, Website structure, I wrote about the web pages of these universities, including predominant colours and psychological impact. This chapter is important to realize the comparison among universities because it shows how the universities are organized. Sometimes, the actualization of every website is made by students and this thing is representative, because if the website is a good one, the students from Computer Science are competent in their work. This part of my paper also includes photos with pages of every website and comments which emphasize a value order from this point of view. The third section, Admissions & financial aid, presents useful information about the admissions to these universities and some opportunities to get some money for studies. On the one hand, the admission is distributed in 3 main headings: Freshman ( person who is thinking of university for college ), Transfer ( if a person wants to transfer from another college ) and Professional Programs ( if a person is looking for educational opportunities that enhance leadership, practice and innovation ). The admission is also different for a foreign person. On the other hand, there are many financial aids: loans, scholarships and aids for special circumstances. The fourth chapter, Research, emphasizes the importance of scientific discoveries for every university which has a science profile. Only the research can prove that these abstract subjects like Mathematics, Physics or Chemistry are fundamental for a better existence. The majority of laboratories are for medical sciences because diseases are the most serious problems in our life, but there are also many scientific explorers who try to discover many things in Architecture, Astronomy, Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Robotics and artificial intelligence.

In the section, Job opportunities, are presented some possibilities to work during the faculty ( part-time jobs ) or after the license examination ( full-time jobs ). The first case is essential for students with a poor financial situation and in this category most of them are from Africa or Asia. Evidently, these students look for a job in their domain of interest, but in most cases they have other jobs like deliverer, waiter or washerwoman. It is difficult for them to learn and to work, but after their studies they will have good salaries in important institutions. In the second case every student can see that his intellectual efforts are for nothing. A student from any of these 4 universities will find a good job with a substantial salary, because there are many contracts between universities and important companies. The chapter, Students opinions, shows what students from Romania, from the United States of America and from England think about these 4 universities and why they chose to apply for that educational institution. My paper contains opinions from persons who study there, but because they can be subjective, I interviewed students from other prestigious universities, too. The conclusion is determined after a thorough study of these 4 famous foreign universities. It does not contain a clear classification because every institution of education has advantages and disadvantages, but there are recommendations for the best university from every main point of view.

Contents

Introduction . 1 Chapter I: Ranking of World Universities .. 2 Chapter II: Website structure Predominant colors and psychological impact .... 3 Headings ...5 Chapter III: Admissions & financial aid Admissions .. 6 Financial aid 8 Chapter IV: Research ..... 9 Chapter V: Job opportunities ......10 Chapter VI: Students opinions ..11 Chapter VII: Conclusions....12 Bibliography ...13

Introduction
In this paper 4 famous universities from Great Britain and the United States are presented together with their particular science profile. The study tries to answer at the main pupils question: Which is the best university for me ?, because if there are a lot of very good possibilities it is difficult to take the best decision. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( abbreviated as MIT ) is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research. MIT researchers were involved in efforts to develop computers, radar, and inertial guidance in connection with defense research during World War II and the Cold War. It is interesting that 73 Nobel Laureates, 47 National Medal of Science recipients, and 31 MacArthur Fellows are affiliated with the university. The University of California Berkeley ( known as Berkeley, Cal or UC Berkeley ) is a public research university located in Berkeley, California, United States. The University was founded in 1868 in a merger of the private College of California and the public Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College. Berkeley was a founding member of the Association of American Universities. Sixty-two Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the university as faculty, researchers, or alumni. California Institute of Technology ( abbreviated Caltech ) is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. The Institute maintains a strong emphasis on the natural sciences and engineering, and operates and manages NASA's neighboring Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Caltech is a small school, with only about 2100 students (about 900 undergraduates and 1200 graduate students), but it is ranked in the top ten universities worldwide by metrics such as citation index, Nobel Prizes, and general university rankings. Caltech began as a vocational school founded in Pasadena in 1891. The school was known successively as Throop University, Throop Polytechnic Institute, and Throop College of Technology, before acquiring its current name in 1921. The University of Cambridge ( known as Cambridge ) is located in Cambridge, England, being the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. The University grew out of an association of scholars in the city of Cambridge that was formed, early records suggest, in 1209 by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with local townsfolk there. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge are often jointly referred to as "Oxbridge." In addition to cultural and practical associations as a historic part of English society, the two universities also have a long history of rivalry with each other. Academically, Cambridge is consistently ranked in the world's top 5 universities. It has produced 83 Nobel Laureates to date, more than any other university in the world according to some counts.

Chapter I
Ranking of World Universities
There are many universities classifications, but top 4000 made by Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is the most important. This institution is an initiative of the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group belonging to the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), the largest public research body in Spain. CSIC is among the first basic research organizations in Europe. The CSIC consisted in 2006 of 126 centers and institutes distributed throughout Spain. It is attached to the Ministry of Education and its main objective is to promote scientific research as to improve the progress of the scientific and technological level of the country which will contribute to increase the welfare of the citizens. CSIC also plays an important role in the formation of new researchers and technicians in the different aspects of the science and the technology. Since 2004, the Ranking Web is published twice a year (January and July). This Ranking has the largest coverage with more than 16,000 Higher Education Institutions worldwide listed in the Directory. Web presence measures the activity and visibility of the institutions and it is a good indicator of impact and prestige of universities. Rank summarizes the global performance of the University, provides information for candidate students and scholars, and reflects the commitment to the dissemination of scientific knowledge. In this classification, these 4 universities have the following world rank: World University Rank 1 4 7 28 MIT Berkeley Caltech Cambridge Country Size 1 6 8 29 Position Visibility 3 4 8 23 Rich Files 2 5 21 55

MIT is the biggest university and it is followed by Stanford University, Harvard University, Cornell University and University of Wisconsin Madison. All these 5 educational institutions are from United States of America, while the biggest European university is Cambridge and the biggest Romanian one is Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest. Harvard University ( USA ) is the most visible one, being followed by Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Berkeley and Cornell University. In Europe, Cambridge has the best visibility and in Romania the most visible one is National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics. Carnegie Mellon University has the most rich files and it is followed by MIT, Stanford, University of Minnesota ( USA ) and Berkeley. In Europe, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich gets ahead of Cambridge and in our country the University Babes Bolyai from Cluj and the University Politechnica of Bucharest are distinguished.

Chapter II
Website structure Predominant colors and psychological impact
The power of colour is truly intense. Colour influences mood, aura, harmony and ambience. They have the power to influence every area of our lives and this is the reason why the color of a webpage is important to attract the visitors. A colour can decide and alter your mood. Certain colours are calming whilst others are stimulators. Therefore choosing the right colour is vital to balance and harmony of spirit. The website of MIT has a black background. Black is not considered colour and represents authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner, so it is stylish. In the picture below is shown a screen capture representing the home page of this website.

Berkeley University of California has a website predominated by blue. The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. The screen capture below shows the interface of Berkeley website.

The website of Caltech has a white background. White is not considered a color, having the same property like black. Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility. The next picture contains the homepage of the website.

University of Cambridge is also predominated of white and it contains also blue and green which is the most popular decorating color, symbolizing nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. In the picture below is shown a screen capture representing the home page of this website.

So, the most attractive website is from Berkeley. For a calm person, University of Cambridge has the best design and for a person with a strong personality MIT is the most interesting website.

Headings
All these 4 websites have a number of main headings comprised between 10 ( Berkeley ) and 13 ( Cambridge ). Excepting University of Cambridge which have a website where the first heading is Study Opportunities, all these websites have the first heading About ... ( About MIT / About Berkeley / About Caltech ). The most important headings are similar for these 4 websites: Information about the University, Research, Job Opportunities, Study Opportunities, Faculties & Departments, Schools and Community. From this point of view, MIT, Berkeley, Caltech and Cambridge have typical headings, but the first one and the last one have something special. The website of MIT has a heading called Video which includes courses, lectures, scientific experiments and videos about MIT, while the website of University of Cambridge has a heading called Museums and Collections which includes many interesting images. Now the Museum galleries are closed for renovation from 6th April 2009 until late Spring 2010. So, in this part of study the classification of universites taking into account the useful information from the websites is represented in the table below. Rank 1 2 3-4 University MIT Cambridge Berkeley Caltech

Taking into account the clarity of headings, the order is below. Rank 1 2 3 4 University Berkeley Cambridge Caltech MIT

Chapter III
Admissions & financial aid Admissions
a) MIT The 2010 freshman application for MIT will become available online during the summer. In order to apply online, a person will need to create a MyMIT account. It only takes a few minutes. There are some helpful tips if a student wants to apply for MIT:

Biographical Information Form Essays, Activities, and Tests Form Self-reported Coursework Form Interview Standardized Tests Teacher Evaluation Forms

Secondary School Report Form Mid-year Grade Report Form Financial Aid Materials Contacting A Coach Submitting A Music Or Art Portfolio

If you have spent a year or more at another college and come to the conclusion that MIT would be a better fit for you, they welcome you to apply as a transfer student. Although spaces are very limited, transfer students are especially welcome on campus for their fresh perspective, maturity and focus. Transfer students can apply for entry in September (open to all students) and February (for US citizens and permanent residents only). They will not consider applications for a second bachelor's degree. If you live in the greater Boston area, you can get a taste of the kind of provocative thinking and delightful rigor that is the essence of MIT by signing up for one of our many academic enrichment programs. The best one to hone your Math is SAT Preparation Program and High School Studies Program is recommended for programming. b) Berkeley Berkeley is a highly selective public university. But did you know that every freshman application to Berkeley is read individually in their comprehensive review process? That is because they are looking for students who can add to the extraordinary educational atmosphere at Berkeley; although grades and test scores are important, they are not just looking at the numbers. The helpful tips are similar to MITs steps. Prospective freshman international students should read the information provided for all students on their website and in their Freshman Admission flyer on the Online Publications page in addition to the special topics included below. Much of their admissions information is the same for foreign as well as for U.S. students. The Berkeley campus is strongly committed to admitting transfer students, who typically make up about one-third of our fall class. Transfer students do very well at Berkeley, graduating with similar grade point averages and at similar rates as students who started Cal as freshmen. Transfer admission is limited to students who have or will have completed a minimum of 60 UC-transferable semester units by the end of the spring term of the current semester.

There is also a group of students and their mission is to reach out to prospective and current student parents to create a network of mutual support and build an inclusive, connected community. c) Caltech The admission to Caltech is competitive. They usually welcome approximately 215 new freshman and 10 to 15 new upperclass students to campus each fall. They come to Caltech from all over the United States and all over the world. What they share is an unusual interest in and an extraordinary aptitude for science. There are no formulas that assure success, and even for experienced application readers it is impossible to predict the outcome for a particular applicant without reading the entire application. There are no automatic cutoffs for any criteria that they might consider, and every application submitted for admission to Caltech is read. The best is to take your time on the application. Answer all the questions fully, make sure that you spend time on your writing, and be sure that the application accurately reflects your interests and accomplishments. Caltechs admissions process is unusual in the way in which faculty and students are involved. Virtually every student who is offered admission to Caltech has had their application read by a Caltech faculty member and an undergraduate student, as well as by one or more members of the admissions staff. Caltech welcomes applications for transfer admission. Previous transfer students have contributed much to the campus community and have also been extraordinarily successful in research and in the classroom. The Admissions Committee seeks to continue this record of success by attracting an accomplished and talented group of transfer students each year. Each year Caltech enrols freshman, transfer, and 3/2 students who are citizens of countries other than the United States. International students comprise approximately eight percent of the undergraduates currently enrolled at Caltech. d) Cambridge To apply to Cambridge, you will need to submit an application to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Once received, your application will be forwarded to a Cambridge College for consideration. Applicants from the UK and EU for 2010 entry (or deferred entry in 2011) need to submit a UCAS application in order to apply to Cambridge. If you are applying from outside the EU, you will need to submit a Cambridge Overseas Application Form (COAF) in addition to your UCAS application. The COAF together with comprehensive instructions is available from any Cambridge College. If you are a graduate with an approved degree from another university, you can apply to take a Cambridge BA course as an affiliated student. This means you could take the degree in a year less than usual. Showcasing Cambridge as an internationally recognized leader in science and technology, this multifaceted, multicultural event features exhibitions, plays, concerts, poetry readings, lectures, demonstrations, and debates. Unless otherwise indicated, events are free with Exhibit Halls admission. The most complex admission is at MIT because it is more objective. Then are Berkely and Cambridge where the objectivity and subjectivity can coexist. Caltech is the last one, even if it studies deeply every student, because the subjectivity can have a baneful influence. It is

important to analyse the human personality, but it is very difficult to chose the best option in some cases.

Financial aid
If youre interested in receiving a MIT scholarship for undergraduate study, you need to apply for MIT financial aid each year. MIT awards all undergraduate financial aid on the basis of your familys financial need, so if you qualify for financial aid, youll automatically be considered for an MIT scholarship. Undergraduates are eligible to receive a scholarship in an amount up to the price minus the sum of the expected family contribution and the self-help level. MIT administers four federal grant programs youll automatically be considered for when you apply for financial aid each year. If youre eligible, they include these federal grants in your aid package: Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Award. At Berkeley, alumni scholarships distribute nearly $2 million in undergraduate scholarships and awards to more than 800 students each year. With a network of 4,000 alumni nationwide handling selections, they have the largest program of its kind in the country. Students may search for scholarships on Scholarship Connection's online database. To stay up to date on available awards, UC Berkeley students may also subscribe to the Scholarship Connection listserv. Subscribers receive biweekly e-mail updates on scholarships and related opportunities. In addition to providing information on many externally-funded scholarships, Scholarship Connection also administers the application process for several highly competitive and prestigious scholarships, such as the Rhodes, Marshall and Truman Scholarships. Most of these awards require a campus endorsement before the applications can be forwarded to the final levels of competition. Once your financial need for Caltech has been determined, it will be met either by a single type of aid or by a combination of grants or scholarships, student employment, and lowinterest loans. Such a combination is called a financial aid "package". Grants and scholarships, which include those provided both through Caltech and by the Federal and state governments, do not have to be repaid. Employment wages are funds earned during the academic year either on or off campus. Many on-campus employment opportunities exist for students to work to help meet their educational costs. Loans are a sound means of meeting a portion of current educational expenses by borrowing against future earnings. Loans, of course, must be repaid. At Cambridge University, the Overseas Research Studentships competition for overseas students has been discontinued with effect from Michaelmas 2009 as HEFCE funding for the competition has been withdrawn. References to the ORS in the paper version of the Graduate Prospectus are no longer valid. In its place candidates are encouraged to submit applications for the Cambridge International Scholarships which follows the same application procedure. The Board of Graduate Studies administers payments for the following Studentships and Bursaries: ( 1,2,3,4 full ; 5,6,7,8 part-cost ) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Cambridge International Scholarships (overseas only) Domestic Research Studentship (home & EU only) Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards (Studentship) (overseas only) Grace and Thomas C.H. Chan Studentship (overseas only) Allen, Meek and Read Bursary Le Bas Bursary Smuts Memorial Fund Bursary BGS Hardship Awards (including the Lundgren Bursary)

Chapter IV
Research
MIT has a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research. Two years ago, MIT spent $598.3 million for on-campus research. The federal government was the largest source of sponsored research, with the Department of Health and Human Services granting $201.6 million, National Science Foundation $65.1 million, and NASA $27.9 million. MIT employs approximately 3,500 researchers in addition to faculty. Three years ago, MIT faculty and researchers disclosed 487 inventions, filed 314 patent applications, received 149 patents, and earned $129.2 million in royalties and other income. In electronics, magnetic core memory and radar were invented or developed by MIT researchers. In the domain of computer science, MIT faculty and researchers made fundamental contributions to cybernetics, artificial intelligence and robotics. Current and previous physics faculty have won 8 Nobel Prizes, 4 Dirac Medals, and 3 Wolf Prizes. Members of the chemistry department have been awarded 3 Nobel Prizes and 1 Wolf Prize. MIT biologists have been awarded 6 Nobel Prizes for their contributions. Research at Berkeley is undertaken within several types of organizationsacademic departments, institutes and centers, museums, and field stations. Academic departments offer courses and grant degrees, as well as sometimes housing laboratories and other research infrastructure. They are organized according to academic disciplines (e.g. sociology, economics, physics). Research Centers and Institutes, also referred to as Organized Research Units (ORUs), are dedicated solely to the research enterprise. They are organized around broad substantive research topics (e.g. international affairs, information technology, the environment). As such, they draw into their research programs faculty and students from multiple departments and disciplines. Berkeley has more than 80 such research units. Berkeley's 8 museums are also research sites, whose common characteristic is their collections of physical objects. In addition, Berkeley manages a number of biological "field stations". Institutes and Centers for research are grouped together depending upon their primary subject focus (Biological Science, Engineering, Mathematical and Physical Science ). Caltech Center for Advanced Computing Research provides an environment that cultivates multidisciplinary collaborations. Their researchers take an applications-driven approach to Computational Science and Engineering, and currently work with Caltech groups in applied mathematics, astronomy, biology, engineering and experimental physics. Computational Science and Engineering (CS&E) is the practice of computer based modelling, simulation and data analysis for the study of scientific phenomena and engineering designs. Computer modelling and simulation makes it possible to investigate regimes that are beyond current experimental capabilities and to study phenomena that cannot be replicated in laboratories, such as the evolution of the universe. Cambridge is one of the world's leading research universities. It has more than 80 Nobel Prizes to its credit, more than any other single university in the world. Academic research at Cambridge contributes significantly to the social, political and cultural fabric of society. Dr Wendy Pullan, Department of Architecture, is leading a project to investigate how cities that have been torn apart by ethnic unrest or war can regenerate. The five-year project will involve scholars from Cambridge, the University of Exeter and Queen's University Belfast, supported by contributions from researchers in other countries in Europe and the Middle East. Funded with a 3.1 million grant from the Economic and Social Research Council, the project will focus on Jerusalem and Belfast, but will also look at the structure, layout and life of other cities such as Mostar, Beirut and Berlin. Dr Pullan's research in this area has already been recognised with a Royal Institute of British Architects President's Research Award.

Chapter V
Job opportunities
MIT has many contracts with important institutions ( where teenagers can work during or after their studies ) like: Ocean Server Technology, Sodexho, Aramark and Massachusetts Bank. There are also some students who work for MIT. On their website is a programme which helps students to find a suitable job. Everybody who have a science profile can select the Career area between: ANY/ Educational Technology/Engineering/Scientific Research/Health and Medicine/Hospitaly/Information Technology/Other. Then is the possibility to choose the Organization, the Location, the kind of job ( full or part-time ) and Keywords. Berkeley University of California is also an university where the students can find easy a good job. This university has contracts with important american institutions like: the Department of Defense, Google, California Forward, UBS, Meka Robotics, Millard Sheets Ctr for the Arts, Community Clinic Consortium, Dolby Laboratories and UCB Info Syst & Tech. HERC ( Higher Education Recruitment Consortium ) is another possibility for students. The Northern California HERC supports the efforts of each of its member institutions to recruit and retain outstanding faculty, administrators, and staff through the sharing of information and resources. Employment decisions often involve two careers. Their dual career section can help. The most important institution where students from Caltech can work is American Savings Bank California. There are also institutions like: Americas United Bank, Continental Currency Services Inc, Crescenta Valley Coin, Danielian Real Estate Services, Design and Management Services, Oak Escrow, Ford Motor Company, Haas Candy Factory and Pioneer Trunk Factory. Many students prefer to remain at the university because there are many good jobs, too. With over 3,000 employees who contribute to Caltech's research and teaching programs from an astonishingly wide range of occupations, Caltech is one of the best places to work in the Los Angeles area. Check out what the Institute has to offer: an exciting and dynamic work environment, exceptional career development opportunities, competitive pay programs, great benefits, and the opportunity to participate in many campus programs and activities. All those factors help make Caltech more than a great place to work, it remains one of America's exceptional academic communities where one can find excellence not only in the laboratory and classroom, but in every office and work space across its tranquil 124-acre campus. Most schools and colleges from Cambridge encourage their students to have experience of the world of work before leaving school or college. The University welcomes young people to undertake work experience in its departments. Cambridge University has a topic: Current Vacancies where everybody can search available jobs. The most interesting options ( with salary 30000 pounds/year ) for science profile students are: Research Assistant, Principal Investigator, Senior Research Associate in Petroleum Resources, Biomedical Facility Unit Manager, Senior Technical Specialist ( Networking ) and Executive Director of Centre for Health Care Management. After their studies, many graduates can work in important institutions like: Bank of England, Apax Partners UK LTD, Gabriele Skelton, Michael Page Marketing, Rare Selection, The Big Bus Company and London Gatwick Airport.

Chapter VI
Students opinions
MIT! To be completely and truly honest, I really don't think it matters. Like at all. With the schools you're talking about, they're all of a super-impressive caliber, so you'd be more than fine with any of them. I suggest figuring out which one you'd actually enjoying living at for four years. Laura Cambridge Make sure you apply to all of them if you haven't already because they are all very hard to get into. Kevin San Francisco My dad did an informal research project. He talked with either Human Resources people or Engineering Managers at 4 different companies, all in California, all very large and very successful, all famous for technology leadership. These companies actively run recruiting programs at CalTech, MIT and Berkeley and compete to attract their graduates. Joe Buena Park In the last 30 years, Stanford has made most technology inventions in the world, far more than MIT, Berkeley, Cambridge and Caltech. If you want to change the world in technology, no place in this planet is better than Stanford. Cosmin - Bucharest Berkeley and University of Virginia are certainly two of the best public schools out there, and just as good as or better than many private schools, regardless of the country you're in. They're great schools. When I think of Berkeley, what first pops into mind are highly cerebral West coast Asian kids who are going to become very successful engineers, scientists, or CS types. Just being honest! Mark Charlottesville I love the UK- the history and the culture, and I will definitely consider coming to Cambridge if I meet my condition. The US just pales in comparison, if you want a very depthoriented academic focus. Since I'm not sure on that front, I'll take my time to decide. Suffice to say that both systems aren't foolproof or right, just that in my opinion the US gets it right in many respects. Kemaya Bombay I would definitely go for Cambridge than Yale. Cambridge is just at prestigious as Yale but the campus and the people at Cambridge are nicer. Linda - Birmingham I think it's more for undergrad. IMO for grad: 1. MIT 2. Stanford/Berkeley/Caltech Sandra - Berkeley

Chapter VII Conclusions

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California Berkeley, California Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge are all of an impressive caliber, so any of them is a very good choice. These 4 universities are well-structured, offering some financial aids and some job opportunities to their students, all of them having very good departments of research. There are many important factors which contribute to the value of a university ( the country, the job opportunities, the admission, the financial aids, the colleagues, the campus, the correctness, the structure and many others ) , so it is very difficult to mention which is the best university. However, after this study, the conclusion is that from these 4 universities Cambridge is the best option for Architecture, MIT and Caltech are the best choices for technological research ( especially Computer Science ), and Berkeley is very good for Biology.

Bibliography
Books: - Fiske, Edward, Fiske Guide to Colleges 2008, Blackwell, 2008 - OLeary, John, Nunzio Quacquarelli, Martin Ince, Guide to the World's Top Universities, Blackwell, 2008 -Staff of U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News Ultimate College Guide, Inc Sourcebooks, 2009

Websites: http://www.webometrics.info/top4000.asp http://web.mit.edu/ http://www.berkeley.edu/ http://www.caltech.edu/ http://www.cam.ac.uk/ http://www.colourlovers.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/

Other sources: -students from Romania, England and United States of America -University Brochures