AMERICA'S 25 HOT SCHOOLS

Pull apart the DNA of a student's dream school and you'll find so many different strands. Perhaps it's the location, either in the rolling countryside far from anything that resembles a sidewalk, or in the midst of a hip urban neighborhood. It could be a college's unique educational mission or the array of quirky personalities on campus. Maybe it's the outstanding labs or libraries or theaters, even the fitness center. All 25 colleges on the Hot List for 2005 have one thing in common: they provide an outstanding education. But what makes them hot is their differences and special traits.

Although all these schools have demonstrated continuing excellence, various qualities made many of them stand out in 2004. The Iraq war, as well as its aftermath, highlighted the importance of well-educated military leadership and made some students think of applying to Annapolis or West Point. The debate over Early Decision (ED) admissions policies prompted a number of applicants to try schools like Yale or Stanford that have led the effort to reduce ED stress on students. The controversy over affirmative action motivated other students to seek out schools like Wesleyan that celebrate diversity. Another trend has been increased attention to quality-of-life issues: good dorms, good food, an active social life, a range of student organizations. There's also a growing focus on what happens at the end of four years. Is the career center helpful? How many students get jobs or are accepted into the graduate schools of their choice? With tuition and fees at private universities topping $40,000 a year, these are serious questions.

To compile this admittedly subjective list, we interviewed students, admissions officers and longtime observers of the ad-missions process. The applicant pool for all these schools has grown much stronger in recent years--not only in sheer numbers of students applying but also in test scores, grades and extracurricular accomplishments. Some schools on our list have international repu-tations. Others aren't widely known out-side their region. But they are all someone's dream school. Maybe yours? Herewith, America's Hottest Colleges for 2005.

HOTTEST IVY
Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Yale president Richard Levin has been a leader in efforts to change ED admissions policies, and that is probably one reason the university was at the top of so many ambitious students' lists this year. A record 19,682 students applied in 2003, but only 1,955 were admitted. The 2004-05 season could be a repeat. Undergraduate Admissions Dean Richard Shaw says the number of campus visits has increased dramatically--a good indicator of a future spike in applications. Yalies say a big attraction of their undergraduate experience is the residential-college system. Students live in one of 12 colleges, each with its own character, under the guidance of a master and a dean.

HOTTEST SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
Juilliard School, New York, N.Y.
Juilliard turns 100 in the 2005-06 academic year, and the current crop of students can look back on an impressive history with such alumni as actor Kevin Kline, violinist Itzhak Perlman and choreographer Lar Lubovitch. To celebrate, the school will introduce new choreography, productions and performances. The student orchestra, which already performs abroad, will embark on its first domestic tour. In 2003-04, Juilliard received 2,016 applications; only 152 musicians, dancers and actors were offered the chance to showcase their talent in the Juilliard Theater right next to Lincoln Center. That's the best inspiration for any aspiring star.

HOTTEST BIG 10 SCHOOL
Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
With six undergraduate schools, Northwestern attracts budding actors, journalists, engineers and teachers--along with plenty of liberal-arts students still unsure of their major. Each school has a national reputation and draws students from all over the country. Some standouts: the Medill School of Journalism, the School of Communication (which includes the drama and thea-ter program) and the engineering school, which is a center of research in nanotechnology. When they're not studying, Northwestern students can take in Wildcats football or head into Chicago, which is at the doorstep of the Evanston campus.