America 1982

Otilia stared at Tommy Hawke with her beautiful eyes: "Stanford University, Tommy, do you want to choose Stanford University? I don't deny that it is an excellent university, but it... you like to major in computer science , you can definitely choose the University of Chicago.”

The big boy opposite used his help to select eleven universities and submitted applications. Although Harvard University and Yale University rejected Tommy without any surprise, Otilia felt that Tommy could definitely choose the University of Chicago. UCLA, New York University, and even Cornell University, which she regarded as a trash school, all of these universities had offered Tommy admissions.

"Stanford University has given me a full scholarship. I don't need to worry about tuition and living expenses anymore. The scholarship from the University of Chicago is not a full scholarship." Tommy smiled and sat across from Ottilia and told him about his decision. Stanford grounds.

He also knew the reason why Ottilia tried to persuade him to change his decision. Stanford University in the 1980s was barely considered a prestigious school, but it was really just barely, far inferior to the way it had become in later generations, when it became a top prestigious school alongside Harvard and Yale.

In the eyes of Americans in the 1980s, there are only two truly top universities in the United States today, Harvard and Yale. They are probably the Shaolin and Wudang of the university world. Their status is already complete.

Followed by MIT, Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, well-known branches of the University of California, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania and other well-established universities. Occasionally they can reach the top three or even the first place in the rankings, but compared with Harvard and Yale, There are always some obvious shortcomings or other lack of resources.

Then there are the famous trash universities that Otilia calls, including Cornell University, Brown University, Dartmouth University, etc. Although they are tied with Harvard as an Ivy League school, they are even worse than Columbia University and Princeton University, and some are not famous. The emerging universities ranked in the Ivy League already have the ability to surpass them in certain majors.

Stanford, on the other hand, is what Ottilia said is an emerging university that ranks behind famous schools such as Cornell University that are not trying to make progress, but is constantly trying to surpass the major established universities.

However, although we know that Stanford University is gradually exerting its strength, the university's heritage and teaching staff cannot be surpassed overnight. At present, it seems to Otilia that Stanford University does not have much in terms of teaching staff compared with the universities just mentioned. Advantage.

However, Tommy Hawke chose Stanford University not because of its faculty, nor did he consider how many Nobel Prize winners the university had.

He had applied to Stanford University in his previous life when he studied abroad, and set Stanford University as his dream school to start a sprint. However, it was a pity and a reality that Stanford University did not issue him an admission letter. In the end, he had no choice but to go to Boston, which was a guarantee. University.

But he had known about the university he wanted to study in his previous life, so he knew the status of Stanford University at this time. Compared with those old famous schools, it did lack the foundation and teachers, but it also had new thinking that those old famous schools did not have.

In 1951, Stanford University proposed a symbiotic system of business and scientific research and founded the famous Stanford Industrial Park, which would later become Silicon Valley.

Stanford University encourages students to start businesses on campus, provides cheap rent, and even opens the school's laboratories to companies started by students and provides school equipment for innovation. At Stanford University, you can continue to gain nutrition while pursuing your dreams. You can be a teacher's student in the classroom, or you can hire a teacher to join your company and work for you when starting a business after class to achieve success in your career. You can take a break from school to start a business, or you can continue studying after you become successful.

This kind of symbiosis between business and scientific research is what drives Stanford from an unknown regional university in the 1960s to barely entering the top 30 by relying on microelectronics and physics. Then it relied on the Silicon Valley wave in the 1980s to become a top-notch university in just four years. The reason why it has surpassed countless well-established schools in just ten years and is on par with Harvard and Yale.

Silicon Valley, which has been established for more than 20 years, has become famous all over the world due to the rise of the software and Internet industries. It is often like a blowout within a month, with dozens or even hundreds of multi-millionaires emerging, and most of these new rich people are from Stanford University, after the company makes money, students will use astronomical donations one after another to give back to their alma mater, and Stanford University will use these donations to expand its faculty, increase teaching equipment, and support a new batch of students.

The school was founded 120 years ago, but in the first 80 years it had little reputation.

In the following forty years, 85 Nobel Prize winners and alumni founded companies with a total market value of more than US$3 trillion, creating 5.5 million jobs.

The successful experience of founding the summer camp is the main reason why Stanford University is willing to issue an admission notice to Tommy Hawke. Tommy confessed in his application letter that he prefers to try entrepreneurship and put the lessons learned in school into practice through the entrepreneurial process, and in the letter It is stated that he is the first generation college student in his family.

Both Stanford University and the University of Southern California have a habit of admitting first-generation students with the same grades and resumes, that is, the first in their family to go to college. The reason is that the first generation may be tougher than others.

"Even if it's not a full scholarship, the money you earn is enough to pay for your tuition." Otilia said sadly: "Stanford University is in California, which is too far away. It's a pity that Brown University didn't give you an admission notice. Otherwise, you can study in Providence like Dennis and Pam, and I can drive to Providence after work and make an appointment to watch a movie with you."

The summer camp has a total income of 350,000 yuan. After deducting the tax-free share of 140,000 yuan taken by the school as education funds, the remaining 210,000 yuan is paid with various taxes totaling up to 44%, leaving 100,000 yuan. Sixteen thousand yuan was divided equally with Dennis and Pam, and each received thirty-eight thousand nine hundred yuan.

Yes, in the end I only got 38,900 yuan.

Tommy Hawke traveled back in time and did not enjoy the benefits of low-income earners, but as soon as he made some money, he understood the reason why rich people do everything possible to avoid taxes or get tax exemptions. This is because the Reagan administration continued to introduce tax reductions and exemptions in order to revitalize society. As a result of relevant policies, in the first two years after the end of World War II, it was said that wealthy Americans even enjoyed personal income tax treatment of up to 94%.

Taxation in the United States is a typical practice of robbing the rich and giving to the poor. The higher your income, the higher the tax you have to pay, and it is divided into federal tax, state tax and municipal tax, which are harvested at different levels. In short, the more you make money, the government Just take as much of your money as possible.

This is also the reason why after lucky people in the United States win the lottery, most of the time the bonus they receive after tax is not even half of the winning amount.

Tommy Hawke looked at Otilia and said with a smile: "Are you sure you will invite Dennis and Pam to watch a movie together?"

"No." Otilia laughed and shook her head: "Let them concentrate on studying at the Community College of Rhode Island. Oh my god, the resume for applying to the community college said that he helped Nobel Prize winners complete their papers. , just thinking about it makes me feel heartbroken for that industry.”

Tommy Hawke picked up his admission notice, stood up and said with a smile: "Miss Farrell, thank you very much for the help you have given me these days. I am grateful to you and have some thoughts that I shouldn't have, so if One day you are going to find a man to get married with, remember to call me first and ask, maybe I will have the time and enough money then."

"You are too young. In fact, I like mature men." Otilia stood up with a smile, reached out and hugged Tommy gently: "Go and spend the most exciting four years of your life."

"I will let you see my mature side as soon as possible." Tommy let go of Otilia, turned and walked out of the office.