Top Ranking Universities

University Of Paris

Internationally highly reputed for its academic performance in the humanities ever since the Middle Ages–notably  and philosophy–it introduced several academic standards and traditions that have endured ever since and spread internationally, such as doctoral degrees and student nations. Vast numbers of Popes, royalty, scientists  were educated at the Sorbonne.Following the turbulence of the French Revolution, education was suspended in 1793; its faculties were partly  by Napoleon as the University of France, which operated between 1793 and 1896.In 1970, following the May 1968 events, the university was divided into 13 autonomous universities. Three of the new universities took over the old faculties and the majority of their professors: humanities by Paris-Sorbonne University,law by  University, and natural sciences by Pierre and Marie Curie University. The other ones, l-Sorbonne University, chose to be multidisciplinary. Because, historically, humanities were the chief focus of the University of Paris, Paris-Sorbonne University is often considered its main inheritor.In the, the thirteen Parisian universities formed seven different alliances in order to help preserve their various degrees of attributed legacy of the University of Paris.Like other medieval universities (Bologna, Oxford,, Cambridge the University of Paris was well established by the time it was formally founded by the Catholic Church in 1200.^[2] The earliest historical reference to it is found in Matthew of Paris' reference to the studies of his own teacher (an abbot of Stand his acceptance into "the fellowship of the elect Masters" at the university of Paris in about 1170.^[3] Additionally, it is known that Pope Innocent III had completed his studies at the University of Paris by 1182 at the age of 21. The university developed as a corporation around th Dame Cathedral, similar to other medieval corporations, such as guilds of merchants or artisans. The medieval Latin term  had the more general meaning of a guild. The university of Paris was known as a (a guild of masters and scholars), in contrast with the .The university had four faculties: Arts, Medicine, Law, and Theology. The Faculty of Arts was the lowest in rank, but also the largest, as students had to graduate there in order to be admitted to one of the higher faculties. The students were divided into four  according to language or regional origin: France, Normandy,  and England. The last came to be known as the  (German) nation. Recruitment to each nation was wider than the names might imply: the English-German nation included students from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.The faculty and nation system of the University of Paris (along with that of the University of Bologna) became the model for all later medieval universities. Under the governance of the Church, students wore robes and shaved the tops of their heads in tonsure, to signify they were under the protection of the church. Students followed the rules and laws of the Church and were not subject to the king's laws or courts. This presented problems for the city of Paris, as students ran wild, and its official had to appeal to Church courts for justice. Students were often very young, entering the school at age 13 or 14 and staying for 6 to 12 years.Three schools were especially famous in Paris: the palatine or palace school, the school of -Dame, and that of  Abbey. The decline of royalty brought about the decline of the first. The other two were ancient but did not have much visibility in the early centuries. The glory of the palatine school doubtless eclipsed theirs, until it completely gave way to them. These two  were much frequented and many of their masters were esteemed for their learning. The first renowned professor at the school of Ste, who lived in the tenth century. Not content with the courses at he continued his studies at Paris, entered or allied himself with the chapter of St, and attracted many pupils via his teaching. Distinguished professors from the school in the eleventh century include Lambert, disciple of of Chartres;of Germany; and Anselm of  These two schools attracted scholars from every country and produced many illustrious men, among whom were: St. , Bishop of, Archbishop of St. Stephen, third Abbot of Robert , founder of the Abbey etc. Three other men who added prestige to the schools of -Dame and Ste- were William of , and Peter Lombard.Humanistic instruction comprised grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy (trivium and quadrivium). To the higher instruction belonged dogmatic and moral theology, whose source was the Scriptures and the  Fathers. It was completed by the study of Canon law. The School of Saint-Victor arose to rival those of -Dame and Ste-. It was founded by William when he withdrew to the Abbey of Saint-Victor. Its most famous professors are Hugh of St. Victor and Richard of St. Victor.The plan of studies expanded in the schools of Paris, as it did elsewhere. A  compendium of canon law called about a division of the theology department. Hitherto the discipline of the Church had not been separate from so-called theology; they were studied together under the same professor. But this vast collection necessitated a special course, which was undertaken first at Bologna, where Roman law was taught. In France, first  and then Paris erected chairs of canon law. Before the end of the twelfth century, the  of Gerard La and were added to . However, civil law was not included at Paris. In the twelfth century, medicine began to be publicly taught at Paris: the first professor of medicine in Paris records is Hugo,quadrivium .Professors were required to have measurable knowledge and be appointed by the university. Applicants had to be assessed by examination; if successful, the examiner, who was the head of the school, and known as, and chancellor, appointed an individual to teach. This was called the licence or faculty to teach. The licence had to be granted freely. No one could teach without it; on the other hand, the examiner could not refuse to award it when the applicant The school of Saint-Victor, under the abbey, conferred the licence in its own right; the school of Dame depended on the diocese, that of S on the abbey or chapter. The diocese and the abbey or chapter, through their chancellor, gave professorial investiture in their respective territories where they had jurisdiction. Besides-Dame, Ste, and Saint-Victor, there were several schools on the "Island" and on the "Mount". "Whoever", says "had the right to teach might open a school where he pleased, provided it was not in the vicinity of a principal school." Thus a certain Adam, who was of English origin, kept his "near the "; another Adam, Parisian by birth, "taught at  Paris, I, 272).The number of students in the school of the capital grew constantly, so that lodgings were insufficient. French students included princes of the blood, sons of the nobility, and ranking gentry. The courses at Paris were considered so necessary as a completion of studies that many foreigners flocked to them. Popes  II, Adrian IV and Innocent III studied at Paris, and Alexander III sent his nephews there. Noted German and English students included Otto of  Cardinal Conrad, Archbishop of , St. Thomas of Canterbury, and John of Salisbury; while Ste- became practically the seminary for Denmark. The chroniclers of the time called Paris the city of letters par excellence, placing it above Athens, Alexandria, Rome, and other cities: "At that time, there flourished at Paris philosophy and all branches of learning, and there the seven arts were studied and held in such esteem as they never were at Athens, Egypt, Rome, or elsewhere in the world." ("Les Philippe-. Poets ex

University Of Mainz

The first University of goes back to the Archbishop of, Prince-elector and Adolf II  Nassau. At the time, establishing a university required papal approval and Adolf II initiated the approval process during his time in office. The university, however, was first opened in 1477 by Adolf's successor to the bishopric, In 1784 the University was opened up for Protestants and Jews (curator Anselm Franz. It fast became one of the largest Catholic universities in Europe with ten chairs in theology alone. In the confusion after the establishment of th Republic of 1792 and its subsequent recapture by the Prussians, academic activity came to a gradual standstill. In 1798 the university became active again under French governance, and lectures in the department of medicine took place until 1823. Only the faculty of theology continued teaching during the 19th century, albeit as a theological Seminary (since 1877 "College of Philosophy and Theology").Statue of Johannes Gutenberg at the University ofThe current Johannes Gutenberg University of was founded in 1946 by the French occupying power. In a decree on 1 March the French military government implied that the University  continue to exist: the University shall be "enabled to resume its function". The remains of anti-aircraft warfare barracks erected in 1938 after of the Rhineland during the Third Reich served as the university's first buildings and are still in use today.The continuation of academic activity between the old university and Johannes Gutenberg University o, in spite of an interruption spanning over 100 years, is contested. During the time up to its reopening only a seminary an survived.In 1972, the effect of the 1968 student protests began to take a toll on the University's structure. The departments  were dismantled and the University was organized into broad fields of study . Finally in 1974 Peter Schneider was elected as the first president of what was now a "constituted group-university" institute of higher education. In 1990  became University President yet spent only a year in the position after he was appointed Minister for "Science and Advanced Education" for the State of Rhineland-Palatinate. As the coordinator for the  higher education policy, this furloughed professor from the Institute for Physiological Chemistry played a decisive role in the higher education policy and in the development of Study Accounts.Today the Johannes Gutenberg University o has approximately 36,000 students (as of 2010) and consists of over 150 institutions and clinics.The range of studies is comprehensive; the university lacks some technical studies, veterinary medicine and nutrition science. One can nonetheless study History of books, athletics, music, visual arts,, and film.The University of  does not currently levy fees or tuition  for a regular course of study. Senior citizen students, auditing students, and certain postgraduate students may be subject to fees. The Ministry for Science and Advanced Education introduced "study accounts" that were developed jointly with Prof.  During the transition period, overdrafts on the account would incur a flat-rate charge of 650 Euro for every overdrawn semester. The Study Accounts allow for a free-of-charge initial course of study as long as it does not exceed 1.75 times the standard period of study. In a second step the accounts will soon be charged according to time actually used. It is still contested as to whether the enormous administrative burden will lead to an actual improvement of academic conditions. **Measurable success is similar by the introduction of long-term tuition in other federal states and its effect on the decline of nominally enrolled students.Among the notable alumni from the university of are German politicians Federal Minister for Economics and Technology),  of Kohl and president of he Munich Conference on Security Policy), Kristina , Federal Minister of Family and Social Affairs and Franz Josef Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and former Federal Minister of, as well as sculptor  Oswald, sports journalist political journalist Peter Dieter , the former General , the biggest television in Europe, soprano  a founder of American  cinema Jon his brother,, film director, writer and educator, and mural  Maria, the German climatologist Wolfgang  and also Abbas  the notable Iranian scholar and The University of  is one of few campus-based universities in Germany. Nearly all its institutions and facilities are located on the site of a former barracks in the south west part of the city. The university medical  is located off campus, as is the Department of Applied Linguistics and Cultural Sciences, which was integrated with the university in 1949 and is located i On campus next to the University is the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, the Institute of Molecular Biology, the electron accelerator the, the botanical garden, a sports stadium and an indoor swimming pool. Unique in the national higher-education landscape is the integration of the Rhineland-Palatinate Conservatory, the Academy of Visual Arts and College of Athletics at one university.Since 2007, the university started a web-TV program which also airs its video clips in English. The short videos (two to seven minutes) are specially made for students who are new to the city or university, and do offer information relevant to first-year students. This web-TV is unique Germany's universities and can be viewed on a website that is run by students: One of the instruments carried by the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, a miniature spectrometer, was developed at the university.

Uniersity Of Cologne

The University of Cologne was established in 1388 as the fourth university in the Holy Roman Empire, after the Charles University of Prague (1348), the University of Vienna (1365) and the Karl University of Heidelberg (1386). The charter was signed by Pope Urban VI. The university began teaching on January 6, 1389. In 1798, the university was abolished by the French, who had invaded Cologne in 1794, because under the new French constitution, universities were abolished all over France.The last rector Ferdinand Franz  was able to preserve the university’s  now once more in 1919, the Prussian government endorsed a decision by the Cologne City Council to re-establish the university. On May 19, 1919, the Cologne Mayor Konrad Adenauer signed the charter of the modern university.At that point, the new university was located in  but relocated to its current campus in  on 2 November 1934. The old premises are now being used for the Cologne University of Applied Sciences.Initially, the university was composed of the Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Social Sciences (successor to the Institutes of Commerce and of Communal and Social Administration) and the Faculty of Medicine (successor to the Academy of Medicine). In 1920, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts were added, from which latter the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences was split off in 1955 to form a separate Faculty. In 1980, the two Cologne departments of the Rhineland School of Education were attached to the university as the Faculties of Education and of Special Education. In 1988, the university became a founding member of the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies today's Global Alliance in Management Education.The University is a leader in the area of economics and is regularly placed in top positions for law and commerce, both for national and international rankings.Over the centuries, scholars from Cologne have been among the most prominent in their fields, beginning with and his pupil Thomas Aquinas (both 13th century). Notable alumni of the 20th century include among others Kurt Alder (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1950), Peter (Nobel Prize in Physics 2007), Heinrich  (Nobel Prize for Literature),Karl  (president of the Federal Republic of Germany 1979–1984), Gustav  (president of the Federal Republic of Germany 1969 to 1974),  (former president of the Hellenic Republic), and Erich Gutenberg(founder of modern German business studies).In 2005, the University enrolled 47,203 students, including 3,718 graduate students. In 2003, the number of post-doctoral students was 670.The number of international students was 6,157 in the Summer Semester of 2005. This amounts to approximately 13% of the total students. Those from developing countries made up about 60%, representing a total of 123 nations. The largest contingents came from Bulgaria (10.5%), Russia (8.8%), Poland (7.4%), China (6.2%) and Ukraine (5.7%).There are 508 professors at the university, including 70 women. In addition, the university employs 1,549 research assistants, with an additional 765 at the clinic, and 1,462 other assistants (3,736 at the clinic).The University of Cologne maintains twenty official partnerships^[6] with universities from ten countries. Of these, the partnerships  I and Pennsylvania State are the oldest partnerships. In addition, Cologne has further with more than 260 other universities.

National University Of Singapore

NUS is consistently ranked as one of Asia's top universities by both UK ranking systems, the  World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. According to the latest 2015  World University Rankings, NUS is ranked 12th in the world and retained its position as 1st in Asia.^[3] NUS also fared well in the 2015- Higher Education World University Rankings, coming in 26th in the world and 1st in Asia.^[4] Alternatively, the system published by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy that measures universities academic achievements and research performance consistently places NUS in the range of 100–150 worldwide and 1st in Singapore. Additionally, 2014's U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities Rankings^[5] places NUS at 55th in the world.NUS's main campus is located in south-west Singapore adjacent to Kent Ridge, with an area of 150 hectares (0.58 sq mi).^[6] The  campus houses the Faculty of Law,  Yew School of Public Policy and research institutes, while the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore is located at the  campus.Two decades later, Raffles College was merged with the King Edward VII College of Medicine to form the University of Malaya on 8 October 1949. The two institutions were merged to provide for the higher education needs of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore.The growth of UM was very rapid during the first decade of its establishment and resulted in the setting up of two autonomous divisions in 1959, one located in Singapore and the other in Kuala In 1960, the governments of then Federation of Malaya and Singapore indicated their desire to change the status of the divisions into that of a national university.^[7]Legislation was passed in 1961 establishing the former Kuala  division as the University of Malaya while the Singapore division was renamed the University of Singapore on 1 January NUS has a semester-based modular system for conducting courses. It adopts features of the British system, such as small group teaching (tutorials) and the American system (course credits). Students may transfer between courses within their first two semesters,  in cross-faculty modules or take up electives from different faculties (compulsory for most degrees). Other cross-disciplinary initiatives study  include double-degree undergraduate degrees in Arts & Social Sciences and Engineering; Arts & Social Sciences and Law; Business and Engineering; and Business and Law.NUS has 16 faculties and schools, including a Music Conservatory. Currently, it has seven overseas colleges at major entrepreneurial hubs in Shanghai and Beijing (China), Israel, India, Stockholm (Sweden), Silicon Valley and Bio Valley (US).^[11962.NUS began its entrepreneurial education in the  with the setting up of the  for Management of Innovation and  in 1988. In 2001, was renamed the NUS Entrepreneurship , and became a division of NUS Enterprise is currently headed by Professor Wong ^10]and its activities are organised into 4 areas, including a business incubator, experiential education, entrepreneurship development, and entrepreneurship research.Jointly organised by NUS Enterprise and National University of Singapore Society the Innovation and Enterprise Award consists of two portions – the NUS Outstanding Innovator Award and Promising NUS Start-Up Award. Both awards aim to  individuals and companies within the NUS community who have achieved significant accomplishments in entrepreneurship and innovation, or who have contributed to the development of entrepreneurship and innovation in Singapore in recent years. The 2014 winner of the 100.000  award includes the NUS spin-off company .^[25][26] is the entrepreneurship division of the  Nanotechnology Institute at the National University of Singapore.  primary role is to work with faculty, staff and students on obtaining financial support for technology commercialization. This work typically takes the form of a consulting relationship in which gets deeply involved in the writing of grant proposals and business plans and actively connects technology commercialization projects to grant organizations such as the SMART Innovation , the National Research Foundation, SPRING Singapore, and to private angel and venture capital investors.^[27]The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine was first established as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School in 1905. The School comprises departments such as the Alice Lee  for Nursing Studies,  Anatomy, Biochemistry, Diagnostic Radiology, Epidemiology and Public Health, Medicine, Microbiology, Obstetrics & , Ophthalmology, Surgery, , Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Psychological Medicine, and Surgery. The School uses he British undergraduate medical system, offering a full-time undergraduate  leading to the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. For Nursing, the Bachelor of Science (Nursing) (conducted by the Alice Lee  for Nursing Studies) is offered. The department also offers post graduate Master of Nursing, Master of Science (Nursing) and Doctor of Philosophy The NUS Industry Liaison Office manages the University’s technology transfer and promotes research collaborations with industry and partners.  manages NUS intellectual property,  its intellectual assets and facilitates the spinning off of technologies into start-up companies. Ms Irene^[51] is the Director of .Some recent industry partnerships enabled by  include a research agreement with Agilent,^[52] a licensing agreement with Cambridge Display Technology^[52] (a  Chemical Group company), and a partnership with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics.^[53] NUS spin-off companies supported by,^[54] Gatekeeper Laboratories,^[55] ,^[57] and  Technologies.^[58] has set up the Research to Market  portal,^[59] to showcase NUS technologies and engage with industry. Technology sectors include the life sciences, interactive digital media, physical sciences and multi-disciplinary technologies. Another activity organised by  is the Technology  Forum^[60, an annual event that brings together industry, academia, researchers, investors and entrepreneurs to examine trends and issues involved in technology. In 2012,  has collaborated with the Association of University Technology Managers  concurrently with Asia.^[61] technology specific events, looking to facilitate technology  in industry sectors. ^[62] is an event that focuses on technologies in the field of augmented reality, media search, image processing, gaming, language processing, web analysis and video processing.NUS also has an external partnership with The Intern Group enabling students to complete an internship abroad.^[63]

Columbia University

A statue by sculptor Daniel Chester French called Alma Mater is centered on the front steps of Low Memorial Library., Mead & White invited French to build the sculpture in order to harmonize with the larger composition of the court and library in the center of the campus. Draped in an academic gown, the female figure of Alma Mater wears a crown of laurels and sits on a throne. The scroll-like arms of the throne end in lamps, representing . A book signifying knowledge, balances on her lap, and an owl, the attribute of wisdom, is hidden in the folds of her gown. Her right hand holds a scepter composed of four sprays of wheat, terminating with a crown of King's College which refers to Columbia's origin as a Royalist institution in 1754. A local actress named Mary  was said to have posed for parts of the sculpture. The statue was dedicated on September 23, 1903, as a gift of Mr. & Mrs. Robert  and was originally covered in golden leaf. During the Columbia University protests of 1968 a bomb damaged the sculpture, but it has since been repaired.^[52] The small hidden owl on the sculpture is also the subject of many Columbia legends, the main legend being that the first student in the freshmen class to find the hidden owl on the statue will be valedictorian, and that any subsequent Columbia male who finds it will marry a Barnard student, given that Barnard is a women's college.^[53][54]"The Steps", alternatively known as "Low Steps" or the "Urban Beach", are a popular meeting area for Columbia students. The term refers to the long series of granite steps leading from the lower part of campus (South Field) to its upper terrace. With a design inspired by the City Beautiful movement, the steps of Low Library provides Columbia University and Barnard College students, faculty, and staff with a comfortable outdoor platform and space for informal gatherings, events, and ceremonies. classical facade epitomizes late 19th century new-classical designs, with its columns and portico marking the entrance to an important structure.^[55] On warm days when the weather is favorable, the Low Steps often become a popular gathering place for students to sunbathe, eat lunch, or play In April 2007, the university purchased more than two-thirds of a 17 acres (6.9 ha) site for a new campus in , an industrial neighborhood to the north of the  Heights campus. Stretching from 125th Street to 133rd Street, the new campus will house buildings for Columbia's Business School, School of International and Public Affairs, and the Jerome L. Greene Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior, where research will  such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.^[57] The $7 billion expansion plan includes demolishing all buildings, except three that are historically significant, eliminating the existing light industry and storage warehouses, and relocating tenants in 132 apartments. Replacing these buildings will be 6,800,000 square feet (630,000 m²) of space for the university. Community activist groups in West Harlem fought the expansion for reasons ranging from property protection and fair exchange for land, to residents' rights.^[58][59] Subsequent public hearings drew neighborhood opposition. Most recently, as of December 2008, the State of New York's Empire State Development Corporation approved use of eminent domain, which, through declaration of "blighted" status, gives governmental bodies the right to appropriate private property for public use.^[60] On May 20, 2009, the New York State Public Authorities Control Board approved the  expansion plan and the first buildings are under construction.^[61]New York-Presbyterian Hospital is affiliated with the medical schools of both Columbia University and Cornell University. According to U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Hospitals 2009", it is ranked sixth overall and third among university hospitals. Columbia's medical school has a strategic partnership with New York State Psychiatric Institute, and is affiliated with 19 other hospitals in the U.S. and four hospitals overseas. Health-related schools are located at the Columbia University Medical Center, a 20 acres (8.1 ha) campus located in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, fifty blocks uptown. Other teaching hospitals affiliated with Columbia through the New York-Presbyterian network include the Payne Whitney Clinic in Manhattan, and the Payne Whitney a psychiatric institute located in White Plains, New York.^[62] On the northern tip of Manhattan island (in the neighborhood of , Columbia owns 26-acre (11 ha) Baker Field, which includes  Stadium as well as facilities for field sports, outdoor track, and tennis. There is a third campus on the west bank of the Hudson River, the 157-acre (64 ha) Lamont- Earth Observatory and Earth Institute in Palisades, New York. A fourth is the 60-acre (24 ha) Nevis Laboratories in  New York for the study of particle and motion physics. A satellite site in Paris, France holds classes at Reid Hall.^[7]In 2006, the university established the Office of Environmental Stewardship to initiate, coordinate and implement programs to reduce the university's environmental footprint. The U.S. Green Building Council selected the university's  plan for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design  Neighborhood Design pilot program. The plan commits to incorporating smart growth, new  and "green" building design principles.^[63] Columbia is one of the 2030 Challenge Partners, a group of nine universities in the city of New York that have pledged to reduce their greenhouse emissions by 30% within the next ten years. Columbia University adopt standards for all new construction and major renovations. The University requires a minimum of Silver, but through its design and review process seeks to achieve higher levels. This is especially challenging for lab and research buildings with their intensive energy use; however, the university also uses lab design guidelines that seek to maximize energy efficiency while protecting the safety of researchers.^[64]Every Thursday and Sunday of the month, Columbia hosts a  where local farmers can sell their produce to residents of the city. In addition, from April to November farm, a local New York gardening center, joins the market bringing a large selection of plants and blooming flowers. The market is one of the many operated at different points throughout the city by the non-profit group .^[65] Dining services at Columbia spends 36 percent of its food budget on local products, in addition to serving  harvested seafood and fair trade coffee on campus.^[66] Columbia has been rated "B+" by the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card for its environmental and sustainability initiativesColumbia University's acceptance rate for the class of 2020 (Columbia College and Engineering) was 6.04%, making Columbia the third most selective college in the United States by admission rate behind Stanford and Harvard.^[68] The undergraduate yield rate for the class of 2019 was 63.2%.^[69] According to the 2012 college selectivity ranking by U.S. News & World Report, which factors admission and yield rates among other criteria, Columbia was tied with Yale, Caltech and MIT as the most selective colleges in the country.^[70] Columbia is a racially diverse school, with approximately 52% of all students identifying themselves as persons of color. Additionally, 50% of all undergraduates received grants from Columbia. The average grant size awarded to these students is $46,516.^[71] In 2015-2016, annual undergraduate tuition at Columbia was $50,526 with a total cost of attendance of $65,860 (including room and board).^[72]On April 11, 2007, Columbia University announced  donation from media billionaire alumnus John Kluge to be used exclusively for undergraduate financial aid. The donation is among the largest single gifts to higher education. Its exact value will depend on the eventual value of Kluge's estate at the time of his death; however, the generous donation has helped change financial aid policy at Columbia.^[73] Annual gifts, fund-raising, and an increase in spending from the university's endowment have allowed Columbia to extend generous financial aid packages to qualifying students. As of 2008, undergraduates from families with incomes as high as $60,000 a year will have the projected cost of attending the university, including room, board, and academic fees, fully paid for by the university. That same year, the university ended loans for incoming and current students who were on financial aid, replacing loans that were traditionally part of aid packages with grants from the university. However, this does not apply to international students, transfer students, visiting students, or students in the School of General Studies.^[74] In the fall of 2010, admission to Columbia's undergraduate colleges Columbia College and the  Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (also known as SEAS or Columbia Engineering) began accepting the Common Application. The policy change made Columbia one of the last major academic institutions and the last Ivy League university to switch to the Common Application.^[75]Scholarships are also given to undergraduate students by the admissions committee. Designations include John W. Kluge Scholars, John Jay Scholars, C. Prescott Davis Scholars, Global Scholars,  Scholars, and Science Research Fellows. Named scholars are selected by the admission committee from first-year applicants. According to Columbia, the first four designated scholars "distinguish themselves for their remarkable academic and personal achievements, dynamism, intellectual curiosity, the originality and independence of their thinking, and the diversity that stems from their different cultures and their varied educational experiences."^[76]