I apologize for spreading the myth, this is just something I had heard and will dismiss it.
This is something I did not want to get into, because I was afraid it would take this discussion into the wrong area, but since it has come up on previous posts, and yours as well, I think I should address it.
Now, this could come from going to a public school and my supposed "inferiority complex" that was alluded to by other posters, but it appears to me that many Stanford students seem to exude this characteristic of superiority/eliteness/etc., that in my opinion is a product of the school and the environment that they are in.
I mean, come on... "I can guarantee you that Stanford students work, on average, much harder that Cal or Oregon students." Really? That is quite the impressive claim. You must have done a great deal of work quantifying "work", collecting data, and analyzing the whole situation to arrive at that conclusion. Please....
They believe that they are the best and greatest and smartest, and that everybody else isn't really worth dealing with.
I get this feeling from stanford2010's post here as well:
I for one believe that having people of different academic achievements and abilities is a good thing.
I'm sorry if you have trouble working with people that may not be as smart as you, or have the same "drive" as you, but that's life. When you get into the workplace, you're going to be with people that don't give a shit about anything but their paycheck. People that are uninspired, lazy, or just straight up may not be as talented as you. However, you will have to deal with them and work with them on a day to day basis to get the job done.
That is great for you, but again, I feel that sometimes having such small class sizes is a detriment to your learning. You don't get to hear from a larger array of people, but rather just that small group who very well may all be from the same place.
Also, just in case you didn't know, all large classes at Cal have weekly mandated discussion sections where small groups (10-20) meet and talk about lectures and material. So we attempt to get the best of both worlds.
Those were some great statistics there, but I think you need to read between the lines.
Sure Stanford may have 40% from CA and 50% from the rest of US, but that 50% is far more likely to be affluent and white than the 90% population from CA at Cal. This is because, obviously, CA has the most diverse population of any state (and I believe in terms of class as well).
I find it unlikely that there is really that much diversity at Stanford, when the students that I have known and talked with seem to embody and agree that there are far more students from affluent families at Stanford than there are of a lower socioeconomic background.
IMO, it is a bad thing, because although you may say that you don't "sail" through classes, I just can't shake that feeling. However I have never attended, and can only comment from what I have heard and discussed with other Stanford students.
I think that sums up my arguments quite nicely.
If you want a place where the opportunities and the smart people are handed to you on a silver platter, then Stanford is for you.
If you want to work for it and learn with people of a vast array of abilities and backgrounds, then Cal is for you.