[originaltext]W: Two million high school seniors are gearing up this fall to ap

W: Two million high school seniors are gearing up this fall to apply to nearly 3 500 US colleges. Which are the strongest academically and toughest to enter, and of course top private schools. Well, the Best 361 Colleges.
M: (22) We’ve reached up to so many students-110000--to put best 361 colleges this year.
W: So this is a survey of just the students with their feedback on their campuses?
M: Exactly. We went directly to whom we considered power experts.
W: To the source, how does this differ from US News and World Reports Rankings, and Newsweek along with Kaplan’s Rankings?
M: (23)It’s a qualitative survey of the students’ experience both academically, as well as outside the classroom.
W: All right. Look at the strongest schools academically first. Usually we expect Harvard, Princeton, Yale. Oh, they’re up there as well, but this year, (24)a hit of surprise is Reed College in Oregon score highest. Why is it?
M: Reed College has got a great regional reputation and growing national reputation. Only 1 300 students, but a wonderful liberal arts school. Students said their professors were great, both inside and outside the classroom.
W: Tiny school! About ten students per class?
M: Yeah! It averages ten to one, student to faculty ratio.
W: All right! Ivy Leagues did very well in other categories as well: MIT first, followed by Yale, Princeton, and Harvard, second, third, fourth respectively. Ah, (25) the overall happiest students, Stanford University.
M: Stanford is a terrific place to go. Certainly a super competitive school, but it has a beautiful campus, great food, great dorms, great library, and great and happy students. Overall quality of life.
W: All right! Now speaking of beautiful campuses, Pepperdine scored top!
M: It’s perfect. Right on the beach, a lovely campus, like a travel destination.