Few schools are associated with a color as strongly as Syracuse University. A brilliant shade of orange is tied into campus life, manifesting itself in student media outlets such as The Daily Orange, the student-run newspaper, and CitrusTV, the television studio. The schools sports teams are known simply as Orange and compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference, cheered on by school mascot Otto the Orange. The football team plays in Carrier Dome, famed as the only domed stadium in the Northeast.The schools campus sits on University Hill, above the sprawling city of Syracuse in central New York state. With about 100 inches of snowfall each year, the bitterly cold winters at Syracuse University give students plenty of opportunities for skiing, snowboarding and sledding on nearby mountains. On campus, there are more than 300 student organizations. About 30 percent of Syracuse students are involved in Greek life. All freshmen and sophomore students must live in on-campus housing, though there are some exceptions. The free Connective Corridor bus shuttles transport students between campus and downtown Syracuse, where annual celebrations include a Winterfest and a Jazz Fest.Syracuse University offers undergraduates a variety of study abroad opportunities, including through the schools overseas centers and programs with partner institutions. Freshmen interested in the liberal arts can spend their first semester studying abroad through the Discovery Programs in Madrid; Strasbourg, France; or Florence, Italy. Notable alumni of Syracuse include writer Joyce Carol Oates, actor Jerry Stiller, former professional football player Donovan McNabb and singer and actress Vanessa Williams.

Located between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, the University of Maryland offers students a suburban lifestyle within easy reach of big-city experiences. The flagship campus in College Park, which has its own subway stop on the D.C.-area Metro transit system, is close to the nation's capital. There are more than 800 clubs and organizations on campus, including nearly 60 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen and all other students are not required to live on campus. Students looking for additional activities can visit the university's "SEE UMD" website, which stands for "Student Entertainment Events" and offers movie screenings, comedy shows, lectures and more. Sports also offer yearlong distractions. The Maryland Terrapins compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. The mascot, Testudo, is a Diamondback terrapin a species of turtle that is the official state reptile. One of several Testudo sculptures on campus sits in front of McKeldin Library, and rubbing its nose is thought to bring good luck, particularly before exams.The University of Maryland has a highly ranked graduate program in education and the noted A. James Clark School of Engineering, as well as well-regarded offerings through the Robert H. Smith School of Business. The university regularly earns accolades for its sustainable and clean energy initiatives, such as its plan to be carbon neutral by 2050 and campus-wide efforts to compost dining hall waste. Famous Maryland alumni span the professional spectrum and include NASA scientist Charles Bennett, broadcast journalist Connie Chung and "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show" creator Jim Henson.