<p>Stanford is academic not intellectual and not particularly politically-minded or liberal, either. I speak as a former grad. student having taught undergrads, there, and as the spouse of a Stanford graduate. The other disappointing thing, and I hear that Brown suffers from this, as well, is Stanford takes its share of sub-part applicants whose parents are either prominent CEOs or celebs.</p>
<p>You want intellectual, you should take a serious look at Berkeley and Univ. of Chicago.</p>