• Knowing how much money to ask for in a salary negotiation is crucial for any job seeker.
• Asking for 10% to 20% more than what you're currently making isn't a bad idea.
• But you're going to have to put in some research before you just go with that formula.

How much money should you ask for in a salary negotiation?

It's a tricky question. The fact that salary negotiations can be extremely stressful doesn't help matters, either.

When you're finally down to the wire on your impending job offer, there will come a time to talk numbers, Lynn Taylor, national workplace expert and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," told Business Insider.

"That one last conversation — where you negotiate salary — can unnerve even the most savvy job seeker," she said.

Fortunately, there are strategies for hashing out your salary or a raise with an employer.

Here's how to find out how much money you should ask for in a salary negotiation, and how to get it:

SEE ALSO: The 40 highest-paying jobs you can get without a bachelor's degree

DON'T MISS: Negotiate your way to a higher salary with 8 tips from a Harvard professor who teaches people how

Do your homework

To prepare for a salary negotiation, you'll want to do your research ahead of time and figure out what someone with your experience and skills typically makes in this particular role. 

Once you hear their offer and it's time to negotiate, you should keep those numbers in mind, "but also consider the nature of the first offer and how much bargaining power you think you have," Taylor said.

You should also take into consideration whether you're currently under- or overpaid. 

Ask for 10% to 20% more than what you're currently making

As a general rule of thumb, it's usually appropriate to ask for 10% to 20% more than what you're currently making.

That means if you're making $50,000 a year now, you can easily ask for $55,000 to $60,000 without seeming greedy or getting laughed at.

"If the original offer is on the low side of the scale, you have more leverage," Taylor said. "If you get an offer for 20% over your current salary, you can still negotiate for more — ask for an additional 5% — but know that you're already in good stead."

Asking for 10% to 20% more is also a good option if you're looking for a raise from your employer.

That being said, Taylor said to not be afraid to "go big on your first negotiation."

"Just be sure you're using market salary ranges as your data point," she said.

Put your knowledge to use

The first step of winning any negotiation is actually sitting down to negotiation. So don't just accept the first offer you get from a prospective employer.

While most employers expect you to come back with a counteroffer, many job candidates avoid the practice and leave money on the table.

"You don't have to be one of them," Taylor said. "You'd be well served in your career to become comfortable with the process. You get one chance to accept a final compensation package at your company, so be prepared to make a persuasive argument."

Jacquelyn Smith wrote a previous version of this article.

• Your financial situation is ever-evolving.
• But there are certain ages in life when you're most likely to reach a peak related to spending, saving, and earning money.
• For example, the average American woman earns the most money of her career around age 40.

Your financial situation is ever-evolving — just like your happiness.

But like your state of mind, your finances are bound to peak at certain times in your life.

To find out what that timeline looks like for the average person, we've gathered some research on how Americans spend, save, and earn money.

The graph below pinpoints the age at which you peak at everything in terms of your money.

Keep reading to learn more about the five financial peaks:

SEE ALSO: This is the age when most people become millionaires

DON'T MISS: 8 things you can do today to be richer next year

Age 25: You spend the most money you don't have

Anyone, regardless of age, can be guilty of overspending. But for the average American 20-something, the propensity to do so is often the greatest.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 25-year-old's average pre-tax income is $31,000, while their annual spending is about $33,000.

That means they're most likely racking up debt — or getting help from Mom and Dad— to cover their expenses.

Living beyond your means is a bad financial habit to adopt, but entry-level salaries, expensive rent, and student loan debt aren't helping millennials spend less and save more.

Age 40: You buy a home

The typical US homebuyer is 40 and purchasing a home for $200,000, according to Zillow Group's 2017 housing report.

But 42% of all homebuyers are part of the millennial generation — people between 18 and 37 — and becoming homeowners for the first time.

And many aren't doing it alone. Nearly 70% of all homebuyers are married or have a partner and earn a median household income of $87,500.

Age 40: Women make the most money of their careers

Women's salary growth outpaces men's up until about 30, when they start having children, then slows down considerably within the next decade, according to research from PayScale cited by CNBC.

College-educated women hit their peak earnings around 40, when their typical salary is about $60,000.

PayScale found that the most common jobs held by American women were registered nurse, elementary school teacher, and human-resources administrator.

Los Angeles-based artist Marisa Livingston has gone viral after turning the cast of "The Office" into lovable cartoons.

Livingston, a character designer who currently works at Titmouse, first shared a few of her illustrations on Twitter in late February. She recently told BuzzFeed that she had been feeling "a little stuck," so she decided to sketch Michael Scott "to break the block."

Since February, Livingston has drawn 24 characters from "The Office"— from Jim and Pam to Jo Bennett and her two Great Danes. Take a closer look at her work below.

Let's start with everyone's favorite branch manager, Michael Scott.

The cartoon version of Michael has the same goofy smile and earnest demeanor.

Livingston perfectly captures the essence of each character from "The Office."

She previously told BuzzFeed that she sometimes puts "The Office" on while she works.

Her drawings include certain details pulled directly from the show.

Take, for example, her illustration of Pam's signature hairstyle and pink cardigan.

Every single year, technology keeps getting demonstrably better and more powerful. 

More and more tech products are having a profound impact on the way we live our lives.

But with so many gadgets on the market, which ones do you really need to own? Here are five we rate as essential in the year 2018:

SEE ALSO: The $300 Nintendo Switch has been great for my relationship

DON'T MISS: I've owned an Amazon Echo for over a year now — here are my 19 favorite features

1. A smartphone of your choosing

Smartphones are the most personal, powerful devices we have right now. They're tiny computers that fit in our pockets.

But despite the sheer number of phones that exist in 2018, choosing the one for you usually boils down to one question: "iOS or Android?"

Many people will tell you Apple provides the most reliable smartphone experience with the best security and the fastest updates. Others prefer the openness of Android, which gives you more control over how your phone works. Android phones also come in a wider variety of designs.

Whichever system you pick, you'll have plenty of excellent hardware options to choose from.

For iPhone fans

Apple now sells phones in a range of sizes, prices and capabilities, from the $350 iPhone SE to the $1,000 iPhone X. You can learn more about every iPhone now available right here. We also have a ranking of the top iPhones you can buy right now.

For Android fans

If you're considering Android, you should first consider a phone from the company that makes Android: Google.

Google's Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the search giant's newest phones, and they're incredible devices. They use artificial intelligence in various clever ways, from passively telling you what music is playing in the background to making your photos look better.

Most critics love the Pixel devices, but you have plenty of other gorgeous-looking Android phones to choose from: The Essential Phone, Samsung's Galaxy S9, and the OnePlus 5T are all standout devices. You can check out our list of top smartphones here.

• Famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House looked a bit different while they were being assembled.
• It took an impressive 14 years for the Sydney Opera House to be completed, and Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Família in Barcelona remains a work in progress to this day. It began construction in 1882.
  

We know what famous landmarks look like today. But iconic structures like the Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House looked a bit different while they were being assembled.

While it only took a handful of months for Argentines to erect the 221-foot Obelisco de Buenos Aires, built in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the city's founding, other famous landmarks took a tad longer.

The Sydney Opera House — whose iconic "shells" are covered in one million tiles and were built using cranes designed for the job — took an impressive 14 years to complete, just in time for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Australia in 1973.

Antoni Gaudí's famous Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain, which features 18 ornate towers, stained-glass windows, and numerous ruled surfaces, has been a work in progress since 1882.

Here are photos that show the construction of nine famous monuments in cities around the world — and the end result.

SEE ALSO: 26 tourist landmarks in Europe that are worth lining up for, according to top travel experts

DON'T MISS: The most iconic landmark in every state

The construction of the Eiffel Tower began in Paris in 1887, in advance of the 1889 World's Fair.

Gustave Eiffel's tower, which was actually designed by his senior engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, is comprised of 18,000 pieces of wrought iron and cost the equivalent of $1.5 million to complete.

When it was built, the Eiffel Tower — which measures 1,063 feet — was the tallest building in the world.

Although it was meant to be a temporary structure (and would have been knocked down in 1909 if city officials hadn't realized its potential as a radiotelegraph station), la Tour Eiffel is now one of the most recognizable monuments in the world.

Today, the world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Measuring in at 2,716.5 feet tall, the Burj Khalifa — which was completed in 2009 after five years of construction — is almost triple the height of the Eiffel Tower. 

With the Fitbit Versa, Fitbit has created a near-perfect smartwatch.

The $200 Versa — available for preorder now and shipping in April — is Fitbit's second "true smartwatch." It has Fitbit's fitness tracking built in, along with a touchscreen that provides on-watch workouts, call, and text alerts, and in-depth fitness stats.

I tried Fitbit Versa for a little under a week, testing whether it held up to Fitbit's claims of four-day battery life (it did!) and whether it could be a more accessible, lower-cost option than the Apple Watch.

After several days of wearing Fitbit Versa nearly nonstop, I can say it's Fitbit's best wearable yet, and one of my favorite smartwatches I've ever tried.

Take a look at the Fitbit Versa, and why I like it more than the Apple Watch:

SEE ALSO: 6 reasons you should buy Samsung's new Galaxy S9 instead of the Galaxy Note 8

Fitbit says the Versa was designed with smaller wrists in mind, and it shows.

What immediately struck me about the Fitbit Versa was that I actually enjoyed wearing it. The watch is incredibly lightweight, so running with it or even wearing it to bed wasn't uncomfortable.

Typically, after wearing a watch on my wrist for long periods, it starts to feel constricting. When I come home at the end of the day, I can't wait to take it off. But I never felt that way while wearing Fitbit Versa. I slept with the watch on one night — something I never, ever do — and it was perfectly comfortable. 

And while you can't really tell from the photos, Fitbit Versa is smaller and better designed for thin wrists. I never felt like the watch overwhelmed my wrist or looked like I was wearing a man's watch. On the flip side, it's not overly feminine. I tried the black version of the Versa, and it would work just as well for men. 

The overall design does look ... familiar.

One thing that has to be said about the Fitbit Versa's design: It looks just like an Apple Watch at first glance. I know this because more than once while testing it, someone said, "Oh, you're using an Apple Watch?"

I feel conflicted about that similarity. On the one hand, it's smart thinking. Analysts estimate that Apple is the biggest watchmaker in the world, outselling Rolex, Omega, and Swatch combined. Why wouldn't Fitbit want a piece of that? (Plus, Fitbit's first watch — Fitbit Ionic— wasn't exactly great-looking, so the Versa is a welcome change.)

On the other hand, the design feels lazy. I've never loved the design of the Apple Watch to begin with, and Fitbit's version is only marginally better.

The band went a long way toward making Fitbit Versa feel more high end than its $200 price tag.

I tried the Fitbit Versa in black with a metal mesh band for everyday wear and a white classic band for working out.

The metal mesh band instantly elevated the watch. It didn't look so much like a fitness tracker, but rather a fashionable watch that I was happy to wear every day.

I was worried that Fitbit Versa would feel cheap, especially since it's so lightweight and reasonably priced. But the watch is sturdy and well made, and the stylish accessories helped it look and feel high end.

• There are some TV programs that seem almost too ridiculous to be real.

• From competitive beard growing to adult musical chairs, here are some of the quirkiest shows out there.

If your idea of a crazy binge watch session is the latest season of "Survivor," then it's time to up the ante immediately. There's plenty of truly insane television shows out there, many of which are — almost — too ridiculous to be real.

From a nude survivalist competition to a series involving Vanilla Ice and an Amish community, we rounded up the quirkiest TV series that you should probably (definitely) be watching.

OH SIT!

Remember when you were a kid and musical chairs was an incredibly intense, heart pounding after school activity? Well, take all that and up the stakes by about 1,000.

From 2012-2013 the reality show "OH SIT!" aired on the CW, featuring an adult version of musical chairs, complete with insane physical challenges and crazy obstacle courses. The person who nabbed the last chair went home with a cash prize — putting all of our earnest elementary school antics to shame.

Naked and Afraid

"Naked and Afraid" immediately earns itself a spot in the Quirky Television Hall of Fame for the title alone, but let's dig in a little further. The reality show drops a man and a woman off in totally desolate location without any resources or (you guessed it) clothing. It's basically an intense, nude survivalist show and it lasts 21 days. This is both quirky and deeply, deeply terrifying.

Best Funeral Ever

Funerals aren't somber affairs at Golden Gate Funeral Home. In fact, they're kind of a party. “Best Funeral Ever” is a reality show that centers around the over-the-top, wild ceremonies that the Dallas-based undertakers throw for their clients. Past achievements include aHawaiian-themed funeral, a country music funeral, and a casket dipped in chocolate (the deceased loved candy).

• Order automation is sweeping the quick-service industry, with digital kiosks and mobile-ordering apps being introduced at major chains like McDonald's, Starbucks, and Panera.
• A recent MSN poll suggests that most Americans prefer cashiers over automated kiosks.
• But automated ordering can help wait times and improve order accuracy, and it doesn't negatively affect labor as much as popularly thought.

Gone are the heady days of cashiers asking if you want your order "supersized."

Not only has the infamous upgrade gone by the wayside, but cashiers at fast-food restaurants are becoming increasingly uncommon. McDonald's started rolling out ordering kiosks at its US locations in 2015, and the chain hasn't looked back since: by 2020, most of its 14,000 locations will have kiosks installed. 

Panera Bread has also committed to digital ordering. Admittedly, when I first tried it in 2015, I found it had decidedly dystopian vibes. But it ended up being a fairly pleasant and painless experience.

A recent poll conducted by Business Insider's partner MSN suggests that diners aren't big fans of automated kiosks: 78% of customers said they would be less inclined to go to a restaurant that has automated ordering kiosks. 

The popular narrative is that kiosks and mobile ordering are here to take jobs and hours away from underpaid cashiers, ultimately saving companies money in the face of rising labor costs — but the data suggests that isn't true. It may be true for some, but most chains are simply reallocating labor behind the scenes. And with such a tight labor market, many chains are struggling to hire and retain customer-facing employees. 

Americans don't seem too threatened by automation in general. Nationally, only 21% of responders to MSN's poll believe their job may one day be done by machines. And restaurants like automated ordering for its increased accuracy and efficiency as more chains look towards cashless options. 

But for now, a question remains: are kiosks, in fact, better for customers? I headed to a McDonald's to find out:

SEE ALSO: We ranked everything on McDonald's new Dollar Menu from worst to best

DON'T MISS: We tried the Costco pizza that people are crazy about — here's the verdict

The Chambers Street McDonald's near our office in New York City's Financial District now has kiosks and mobile ordering after undergoing an extensive renovation. There, by the grace of the Hamburglar, go I.

It's the middle of the lunch rush, so the place is packed. Luckily, the kiosks seem to be moving fairly quickly compared to the lengthening line at the registers.

Using the kiosks is straightforward and surprisingly user-friendly.

March 19 through March 25 was a particularly tumultuous week in a particularly tumultuous presidency — marked by more turnover at the White House, contentious words with China over trade policy, another Republican loss at the ballot box, a budget bill President Donald Trump hated and his base resented him for signing — capped by more revelations about Trump's personal behavior and developments in the investigation of his campaign.

The headlines themselves were eye-catching, but they have added weight in light of the current state of affairs in the US and abroad — producing what Ian Bremmer, president of geopolitical-risk firm Eurasia Group, called "the most significant and dangerous week of geopolitics" in the past 20 years.

"All the stuff that happened in the last week almost feels like politics as usual these days, but the ... environment in which it hit is so much more dangerous," Bremmer told Business Insider on Monday.

"The Americans start shooting all of these own goals and undermining our relationships and developing fights with the Russians, and the Chinese, and the North Koreans, and the Iranians — the implications of that for the global order are deeply significant," he said.

The consequences of three of the most important stories of the past week intertwine, according to Bremmer. Below you can see how they do and what they mean for the US and the world.

SEE ALSO: Countries in Asia are wary of China — and they're 'wondering exactly how far America would go'

A tipping point in relations between the US and China.

Ties between Washington and Beijing have been eroding for months, Bremmer wrote in an email newsletter Monday morning.

A growing consensus on more hawkish trade policy with Beijing, as well as a more widely held view that China presents a broader national security threat, have undercut the good spirits built up by Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate last year.

A more assertive US attitude has also led to the Taiwan Travel Act, Bremmer wrote, which was "the first time in decades any major government has passed significant new legislation in Taiwan's favor; changing a US policy that's been in place since in 1979."

The significance of that legislation, which Trump signed earlier this month, was drowned out by other news in the West, Bremmer said Monday.

"But it was a very different story in Beijing, where it's as close to a red line as you get — they consider Taiwan a domestic issue, not foreign policy."

Uncertainty persists among US partners and others in Asia — both about their status with the US and their approaches to dealing with China.

"America's put all of its allies on notice in terms of these tariffs," Bremmer told Business Insider. That has led to lobbying for exceptions by US trade partners, who face the same problems the US does with China, like market access, lack of rule of law, or data localization, Bremmer said. 

But China is growing bigger, and the US has undercut itself by failing to follow through on policy issues as well as a diminished interest in spreading money around to foreign partners, Bremmer said. "The willingness of these countries to actually coordinate with the Americans on China policy is virtually zero at this point."

Trump himself has complicated things.

"Trump ... saying whatever is on his mind without being advised by experts around him and using that tactically to try to improve his negotiating deal does tend to undermine long-term relationships," Bremmer said. "That has just as much affect on American partners in Asia as it does on anywhere else."

Personnel changes at the White House indicate Trump may soon act with fewer restraints.

"Tillerson, Cohn and McMaster shared two significant traits: They mostly supported the maintenance of the status-quo foreign policy orientation, and they had no compunction in telling the president directly when they disagreed with him on a substantive issue," Bremmer wrote on Monday morning.

The men who will take over those jobs, Mike Pompeo, Larry Kudlow, and John Bolton, "share an important characteristic," Bremmer added in the email.  "All three are more likely than their predecessors to support the political instincts of Trump and focus on how to implement what he wants done."

Calm, a meditation and relaxation aid, is now worth $250 million, according to CNBC.

The San Francisco-based startup's new valuation comes after Insight Venture Partners announced the investment of more than $25 million on Monday.

It effectively bringing Calm's value up to match it's closest competitor, Headspace, which also was valued at $250 million as of January, 2018.

Calm, named the 2017 iPhone app of the year by Apple itelf, promises to help users sleep better, boost confidence and reduce stress and anxiety, all with the help of guided meditations, soothing music, and bedtime stories.

"A 2011 Harvard study showed that participating in a mindfulness meditation program made measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress," says a soothing woman's voice in Calm's recommended first session, as the sounds of gentle waves, a light breeze, and lakeside birds chirp on a loop in the background. "So the question is: How do we start practicing it?"

Here's how to get started with Calm. Just know in advance that while it's free to download, it costs $60/year after your free trial is up.

SEE ALSO: How to use the new-look Snapchat like a pro, whether you're new to the app or you've been using it for years

You'll get started on your meditation journey by downloading Calm in the App Store or Google Play Store.

The meditation aid is available for both iOS and Android operating systems, and has an Apple Watch version. 

You'll notice right away that the app has overwhelmingly positive reviews, which has landed it in the top spot for meditation apps on both the Play store and the App Store

Upon opening the app for the first time, Calm asks you to choose the top goals you want to accomplish via meditation. "Calm can change your life," it says.

Don't worry, you can choose more than one!

• Young people galvanized by the Valentine's Day school massacre in Parkland, Florida, are leading the movement against gun violence. 
• Here are some of the most prominent faces of the #NeverAgain movement. 

A group of Parkland shooting survivors led the charge in organizing Saturday's "March for Our Lives" in Washington — an event emulated in hundreds of cities and towns across the country and around the globe.

They were joined on stage by many others who've been touched by gun violence, including young people of color whose communities have been disproportionately impacted.

In the weeks since the massacre at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, some of the young activists have become targets for right-wing conspiracy theories and viciously attacked online by those, including sitting lawmakers, who disagree with their positions on gun regulation. 

Meet some of the young people leading the movement against gun violence: 

SEE ALSO: 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH': Hundreds of thousands descend on Washington and across the US for the 'March for Our Lives' rally against gun violence

Emma González

Emma González, an 18-year-old senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, has become one of the most prominent faces of the student-led movement. 

After the Valentine's Day massacre, González and other student survivors began working to contact politicians, advocate for legislative change, and organize the march on Washington.

"The people in the government who are voted into power are lying to us," González said on Saturday before leading several minutes of silence. "And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and are prepared to call B.S."

Jaclyn Corin

Jaclyn Corin, the 17-year-old junior-class president at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, has said that her way of coping with the tragedy is to distract herself "with work and helping people."

On Saturday, she affirmed the Parkland students' commitment to shedding light on the daily gun violence that disproportionately affects communities of color, but doesn't receive as much attention as mass shootings. 

"We recognize that Parkland received more attention because of its affluence," Corin said during her speech in Washington. "But we share this stage today and forever with those communities who have always stared down the barrel of a gun."

After the president tweeted on Monday that despite all the "fake news, "our country is doing great!" Corin responded, "96 deaths by firearm every day is not what I call great." 

David Hogg

David Hogg, a 17-year-old student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, has also become a national face of the anti-gun violence movement. Hogg has given multiple national media interviews and spoken at several events in the wake of the shooting. 

On Saturday, Hogg encouraged the crowd to take action and vote. 

"We're going to make sure the best people get in our elections to run not as politicians, but as Americans. Because this — this — is not cutting it," he said. 

Some of President Donald Trump's most fervent supporters, gun rights activists, and alt-right bots have attacked Hogg, along with other Parkland survivors, online. High profile members of the conservative media, who disagaree with Hogg's support for gun control, have called him an "extremist" and a "useful idiot." 

China's school-bus-size Tiangong-1 modular space station is expected to fall to Earth in a fiery blaze on or around Easter Sunday.

The US government is tracking the orbit of Tiangong-1 and about 23,000 other human-made objects larger than a softball. These satellites and chunks of debris zip around the planet at more than 17,500 mph — roughly 10 times the speed of a bullet.

However, there are millions of smaller pieces of space junk orbiting Earth, too.

"There's lots of smaller stuff we can see but can't put an orbit, a track on it," Jesse Gossner, an orbital-mechanics engineer who teaches at the US Air Force's Advanced Space Operations School, told Business Insider.

As companies and government agencies launch more spacecraft, concerns are growing about the likelihood of a "Kessler syndrome" event: a cascading series of orbital collisions that may curtail human access to space for hundreds of years.

Here's who is keeping tracking of space junk, how satellite collisions are avoided, and what is being done to prevent disaster on the final frontier.

SEE ALSO: A spacecraft graveyard exists in the middle of the ocean — here's what's down there

DON'T MISS: Elon Musk's plan to blanket Earth in high-speed internet may face a big threat: China

Thousands of launches since the dawn of the Space Race have led to a growing field of space debris. Most space junk is found in two zones: low-Earth orbit, which is about 250 miles up, and geostationary orbit, about 22,300 miles up.

In addition to 23,000 objects the size of a softball or larger — like rocket stages, satellites, and even old spacesuits — there are more than 650,000 objects that are softball-to-fingernail-size.

Another 170 million bits of debris as small as a pencil tip may also exist — including things like explosive bolts and paint flecks.

Source: ESA

Countless pieces of tiny debris were added to orbit in 2007, when China intentionally smashed one of its old satellites with a "kill vehicle." Then in 2009, an old Russian satellite and US satellite collided, adding even more dangerous junk.

• The best colleges appeal to students and parents alike.
• The Princeton Review asked thousands of college applicants and parents to name their "dream schools."
• Their answers didn't always overlap, but there was consensus on the No. 1 college: Stanford.

Applying for colleges is a significant milestone in any young person's life.

But when it comes to choosing the best college, prospective students and their parents don't always see eye to eye.

The Princeton Review released the results of its annual "College Hopes and Worries" survey on Tuesday, and it included a ranking of the top 10 "dream schools" for students and parents alike.

The survey asked more than 9,000 college applicants which school they wished they could attend if acceptance or cost weren't an issue. It also surveyed more than 1,600 parents of college applicants to ask which school they wished their child would attend under the same circumstances, and compared the results. More than 800 schools got votes, the Princeton Review said in a statement.

Among the top 10, there's plenty of overlap — including the No. 1 rank, Stanford University — and plenty of disagreement, too.

Read on to see what students and parents considered the best colleges in the country, listed roughly in order of least to most desirable:

SEE ALSO: 15 best college campuses in America

DON'T MISS: The states where Americans have the best quality of life, ranked

Cornell University

Students' rank: Unranked

Parents' rank: 10

University of Southern California

Students' rank: 10

Parents' rank: unranked

University of California, Berkeley

Students' rank: 9

Parents' rank: unranked

Spooky apparitions, spectral children, and wraithlike women in white have long been the subjects of traditional ghost lore told around the hearth — but we all know those are just fables. Right?

They say the truth is stranger than fiction, and these 10 creepy photos will have you second-guessing whether they're real or not. Check them out below.

Sybell Corbet's 1891 photo of the Combermere Abbey Library in Cheshire, England, seems to depict the ghost of the late Lord Combermere, sitting in his chair.

Amateur photographer Corbet allegedly set up her camera and took this hour-long exposure while the funeral of her brother-in-law, Lord Combermere, was taking place four miles from the home. Interestingly, the apparition that appears to be sitting in the deceased Lord's chair is suggested to be Lord Combermere himself. 

This group portrait, taken in 1919, is of Sir Victor Goddard's Royal Air Force squadron, and seems to feature the face of a mechanic who died two days earlier.

This group portrait of Goddard's squadron, which had served in World War I at the HMS Daedalus training facility, is said to feature the ghostly face of Freddy Jackson, a mechanic who had been accidentally killed by an airplane propeller two days earlier. His face is said to be visible behind the airman in the top row, fourth from the left.

The photo was allegedly taken on the day of Jackson's funeral.

The photo on the right was said to show the spirit of a deceased terrier reuniting with his canine best friend.

According to a 1939 print of LIFE Magazine, the terrier in the left photograph was the beloved playmate of the big dog, pictured right. After the terrier died, the dog on the right was heartbroken.

The above right photo was snapped by a psychic photographer of the big dog with its owner, and allegedly shows the spirit of the small terrier hovering directly over the big dog's backside.

• Costco food court menus tend to be fairly static in terms of offerings and pricing.

• But there are a few international and regional differences.

• From Japanese bulgogi bakes to French ham and cheese croissants, here are menu items you can only order in certain Costco food courts around the world.

Costco food courts have quite a following, and it's pretty obvious why.

SEE ALSO: Costco employees share their best food court secrets and hacks

DON'T MISS: 11 insider facts about shopping at Costco only employees know

In the United States, cheeseburgers are reportedly on the menu at some Costcos in the Chicago area and the state of Georgia.

Source: Food Beast

The food court at France's single Costco warehouse sells "melty ham and cheese croissants with mustard," as well as chicken tenders and fries.

Source: The Kitchn, The Atlantic

In the UK, Costco food courts offer up stuffed baked potatoes — also called jacket potatoes. A Costco in Cardiff, Wales, also offered cottage pies, which are meat pies filled with ground beef with a crust of mashed potato. In terms of pizza, they hawk barbecue chicken, five-cheese, and pepperoni varieties.

Source: The Kitchn, Cruising Costco, Imgur, Reddit

Some life lessons cost more than others. 

From breaking brand-new Apple products to getting married to fix a relationship, hundreds of people on Reddit responded to the question, "What's the most expensive 'life lesson' you ever had?" 

14 Reddit users opened up about the most upsetting, embarrassing or just downright sad ways they lost money — but learned valuable lessons.

1. Getting married to save a relationship

"Marriage and children DO NOT fix relationship problems. They only amplify whatever's already there. And if whatever's already there is not good, the marriage and kids will only make everything even worse." - Zer0_Karma

2. Lending money to a "friend"

"Three years later and I'm still waiting for this a--hole 'friend' to pay me back $450. Close to taking him to small claims court over it." - Ballandchain1998

3. Getting too close to nature

"Don't get super drunk, outside, while nowhere near any bathroom and wipe yourself with a leaf. Near the ground. I was so so stupid. Hospital bills for that plus the swelling and pain... Oh god never again." -  __Rick__Sanchez__

Ever since Tiffany Haddish spoke to GQ and stated that an actress bit Beyoncé at an after-party for one of Jay-Z's concerts in December 2017, people have been scrambling to determine who allegedly bit the singer. 

Several names have floated around the internet, from Lena Dunham and Sanaa Lathan to Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Lawrence.  

Though all of this should be taken with a huge grain of salt — biting another person is a serious offense and INSIDER is by no means saying one of these celebrities is responsible — the internet was quick to try and figure out who the alleged culprit could be. Here are their best guesses.

7. Jennifer Lawrence wasn't even in the same city.

People were quick to suggest Lawrence because of her history of being wild at events, but the actress was photographed in New York City around the time of Jay-Z's Los Angeles concert and after-party, ruling her out as a suspect. 

6. Sorry, internet sleuths, Taraji P. Henson isn't the biter, according to Haddish.

Henson's name was also suggested by some people on Twitter, but Haddish responded to one such tweet saying: "No it wasn't."

5. Sara Foster wishes she could get close enough to Beyoncé to bite her.

According to The Cut, Sara Foster "definitely" attended the party that Haddish has been referring to. In response to INSIDER's request for comment and speculation from people on Twitter,  the actress took to Instagram to say that it wasn't her.

• Weight loss requires adopting healthy eating habits that leave you feeling satisfied.
• Carbs and fat are not the enemy. Both have their place in a healthy weight loss plan.
• If you want to make weight loss easier, you need to move your body. Exercise is key.

Losing weight is no easy feat. With thousands of diets and fitness trends to choose from, it's no wonder many Americans struggle to drop the pounds and keep them off.

In order to get the real scoop on the weight loss tips that actually work, I spoke with two nutrition experts to see what they had to say about the best ways to transform your body and your health.

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Overcome carb confusion

Confusion about carbs is common when it comes to discussing weight loss.

"We often forget that fruits and vegetables are carbs too, but they are healthy complex carbs," Dr. Taz Bhatia, author of "Super Woman RX," told Business Insider. She recommends limiting your consumption of bread, pasta, and rice to one serving per day and increasing your complex carb consumption with foods like vegetables, oats, quinoa, lentils, or beans.

She also stressed the importance of paying attention to all sources of sugar. "Don't just think about added sugar, but fruit sugar, sugar in alcohol, and hidden sugars in sauces and dressings," Dr. Taz said. She said your total sugar budget should be under 40 grams per day.

Salt cravings

That bag of chips you polished off last night is not just full of empty calories (six chips can have over 100 calories) — it's also a salt trap. Dr. Taz said that salt, like sugar, can affect insulin resistance and cause weight gain, high blood pressure, migraines, and more.

Up your fat

Fat is not the enemy — rather, it's certain types of fat that causes problems. Research shows how the right balance of fat can actually prevent us from overeating, as Dr Taz points out. That's why you should drop the trans fat, go light on the saturated fats, and instead, opt for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Good sources of monounsaturated fat include olive oil and avocados, and sources of polyunsaturated fats (omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids) include salmon and flaxseeds.

Netflix's dark comedy "A Series of Unfortunate Events"— about a trio of orphans trying to escape the clutches of an evil failed actor who wants to steal their family fortune — is full of clever sleights of hand and outrageous outfits. The costume and set design create a world that's foreboding, a word which here means full of fear that something bad will happen at any moment. It takes a talented cast to pull it all together.

Led by three relative newcomers playing the Baudelaire orphans, Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf, and Patrick Warburton as authorial stand-in Lemony Snicket, much of the cast looks very different in the show compared to real life.

Here's what the cast of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" looks like in real life.

Lemony Snicket is the pen name for Daniel Handler, who wrote the books the show is based on.

In the show, he narrates the series.

He's played by Patrick Warburton.

Warburton's deep voice, capable of switching tones between funny and serious in an instant, is unmistakable. Though Handler himself does have at least one cameo in the series.

Violet Baudelaire is the eldest of the Baudelaire siblings.

She has a knack for inventing mechanical devices that get the orphans out of whatever predicament they're in.

On Tuesday, Apple finally made several of its Mac accessories available in its signature black-and-silver color combination known as "space gray."

An Apple spokesperson confirmed the news with Business Insider: "As we normally do with the input devices that we provide in-box, we are now offering the Space Gray Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, and Magic Trackpad 2 as standalone accessories on Apple.com.”

The introduction of the space-gray Mac accessories comes only a few months after the space-gray keyboard, mouse, and trackpad were being resold for as much as $1,525 on eBay, because Apple only offered them with the purchase of a Space Gray $5,000 iMac Pro, making them relatively rare.

Here's a first look at the new space-gray accessories you can buy:

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The Space Gray version of the Magic Keyboard has a numeric pad. The smaller Magic Keyboard, without the numeric pad, is not yet available in Space Gray.

Aside from the color, these accessories are the same as the standard silver-and-white models in every other way.

The new space gray accessories are $20 more expensive than their default counterparts, so the $129 keyboard costs $149 if you want it in space gray, the $79 Magic Mouse 2 costs $99 in space gray, and so on.