DR. WALLACE: My parents were born in South Korea and, to them, education is of utmost importance. It is to me as well. I'm a straight-A student attending Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. My parents want me to apply to Harvard, in nearby Cambridge, because they think a Harvard degree will provide me with more job opportunities than other degrees will.

I have a cousin who attended Harvard and is now a medical doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. I think I would be accepted at Harvard, but I'm not sure I want to attend Harvard. I think I would like to expand my knowledge of America and would enjoy going to school in California. I have several cousins living in the Los Angeles area, so the University of Southern California or University of California at Los Angeles would be two I would consider attending.

I would appreciate your comments. — Kurt, Boston, Mass.

KURT: Harvard is, without doubt, an excellent school and some regard it as the best in the country; other colleges and universities also have their supporters for that title.

However, I consider the question of which school is best to be a sort of "shallow" debate. I believe a quality education is possible everywhere - at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT, and also at South West Missouri State, California State in Fullerton, Wabash, and numerous other lesser-known schools.

A dedicated student can earn a quality education from any school of his or her choosing. There are no "bad" schools. I hope your parents come to understand that it's the quality of the student that is more important than the name of the school.

YOU ARE A BRIGHT YOUNG LADY

DR. WALLACE: I'm 9 years old and my name is Susan. I was wondering what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning?

My dad told me to write to you for the answer. He reads your column every day. Thanks for your help. — Susan, Dyer, Ind.

SUSAN: Your interesting question caused my head to start spinning and led me to do a little research. I discovered that the chance of having the Earth stop spinning in the next few hundred million years is just about zero, and that's good news!

However, scientists still speculate on what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning. Our Earth is rotating at a speed of about 1100 miles per hour, but if somehow our planet suddenly stopped spinning, the atmosphere would still be in motion at that speed. The atmosphere would be moving so fast it would literally sweep the land masses clear of anything not anchored to bedrock; this would mean that rocks, trees, soil, buildings, humans, and animals would all be swept up into the atmosphere.

One half of the Earth would then be in darkness for half of the year while the other half would be in daylight. The second half of the year, it would be reversed.

Thanks for writing and I enjoyed doing the research for your question. Indeed, you are a very inquisitive and bright young lady!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.