<ol>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>UChicago</li>
<li>Northwestern</li>
<li>Georgetown</li>
<li>Johns Hopkins</li>
<li>WUSTL</li>
</ol>
<p>^ Swimguy, what sets Hopkins apart is the fact that without the Hopkins model, many of today’s leading schools like Stanford and Uchicago, etc would be VASTLY different. Even Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc would not be the same way that they are today, and would probably resemble Amherst/Williams a lot more.</p>
<p>Hopkins was the first school in the United States to teach through seminars in stead of just lecture. It was the first research-based university in the USA that emphasized pioneering and discovering knowledge rather than just teaching the textbook.
It was the Hopkins model that inspired the likes of UChicago and Stanford, WashU, etc, and trickled down to affect the policies of schools from Michigan, to Harvard to Berkeley.</p>
<p>In a matter of 20-30 years, Hopkins had built up comparable levels of esteem and prestige that schools like Harvard, Penn, Princeton, etc had spent hundreds of years building.
And the Hopkins medical school is not simply just “medicine.” Hopkins was the first medical school to emphasize UNDERGRADUATE studies. The first Co-EDUCATIONAL medical school in the US. The first hospital to use gloves in surgery, etc etc.
Sure, other schools have great programs in those areas too, but Hopkins is top 5 for International Studies, top 3 for Writing, #1 for BME, #1 for Public Health, etc. There are few schools that can boast so many top programs: certainly not Georgetown or WUSTL. </p>
<p>In academia, Hopkins is on about the same level as Uchicago, Cornell, Columbia, and Penn. It’s strength in professional and non-professional areas of study is what sets it apart, and its great affinity for drawing research dollars continues to set it apart from even the best of the best.</p>
<p>Actually Hope2getrice, although I agree with you on the quality and reputation of JHU, it is Michigan, not JHU, that started the seminar and German method in the US. JHU took it a step further, but Michigan was the originator. </p>
<p>“The University of Michigan has since expanded to become one of the top universities in the United States, with one of the largest research expenditures of any American university as well as one of the largest number of living alumni at 420,000. The university is also recognized for its history of student activism and was the first American university to use the seminar method of study.”</p>
<p>“A new state constitution was adopted in 1850, with two significant changes related to the university. The office of Regent was changed from an appointed one to an elected one, and the office of President of the University of Michigan was created, with the Regents directed to select one. In 1852, they chose Henry Philip Tappan as the university’s first president. Tappan modeled UM’s curriculum on the broad range of subjects taught at German universities (the so-called “research model”), rather than the classical models (the so-called “recitation model”). The German, or Humboldtian model, was conceived by Wilhelm von Humboldt and based on Friedrich Schleiermacher’s liberal ideas pertaining to the importance of freedom, seminars, and laboratories in universities. To that end, Tappan enlarged the library, and supported the development and establishment of laboratories, an art gallery, and the Detroit Observatory.[22] However, Tappan was dismissed in 1863 over conflicts with the Board of Regents concerning matters of policy and personality.”</p>
<p>Michigan modeled itselft after the German model in 1850 and JHU was not founded until 1875. The link below provides you with the entire article. </p>
<p>[History</a> of the University of Michigan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_University_of_Michigan]History”>History of the University of Michigan - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>^ Ah ok. I never learned of that, but thanks for the clarification, haha.
For what it’s worth, I think Michigan’s history indicates that they took slower steps to develop along the lines of the German model while Hopkins all out based their whole school on it. I think that is the primary difference, which is why Hopkins often claims to be the first school to do so. (which they were, to base it almost entirely off of it, though Michigan should get credit for adapting from it first)</p>
<ol>
<li>Cornell</li>
<li>UChicago</li>
<li>Northwestern</li>
<li>Hopkins</li>
<li>WUSTL</li>
<li>Georgetown</li>
</ol>
<p>I feel it’s only right that I continue to defend WashU since it seems to be getting pretty beat up in this thread 
I would go on to talk about how the actual college experience at WashU is probably on par or better than most of the colleges listed, but that would digress from the original point of this thread. </p>
<p>Side question: I know WashU used to be on the level of CMU, Emory, etc. maybe 10-15 years ago? is that right? I wasn’t keeping track of USNWR back then since I was only 5 years old, lol, but am i right that WashU has made significant improvement over the last 10 years? When do you think its prestige will catch up to the academic improvements it has made? and will it continue improving (not necessarily “pass/beat” schools in rankings, but overall just improving education)</p>
<p>Prestige usually takes decades to garner or change. WUSTL’s prestige amongst academia is most likely unchanged or just slightly better than it was 10-15 years ago, though it certainly is getting better and stronger with consistently positive advertising and rankings.</p>
<p>In terms of prestige, it still has a bit to go. It’s fighting for limelight amongst schools that have been getting attention for at least a hundred years (in the case of all the other schools here)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[The</a> Existing Models: The Gold Standard](<a href=“http://www.asu.edu/inauguration/address/b1.htm]The”>http://www.asu.edu/inauguration/address/b1.htm)</p>
<p>Phead, I have no doubt that Johns Hopkins is the largest contributor to the spread of the adoption of the German system by leading US universities in the late 19th century. And you know where I stand on Johns Hopkins as a university. I will always group it with the likes of Cal, Chicago, Columbia, Michigan, NU, Penn etc… As far as I am concerned, JHU’s peer assessment score of 4.5/5.0 (tied with Columbia, Cornell and Penn at #9) does all the talking. </p>
<p>However, from an historic context, chronologically speaking, Michigan was the first university to employ the German system. At that time, all other leading US universities followed the lecture-style, classics and literature-heavy British system and johns Hopkins University was not yet in existance. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that other universities started to modify their system to a more German style and that, I agree and fully admit, was primarily influenced by the Johns Hopkins University.</p>
<p>Ahh… I guess someone should modify the wiki page on JHU?</p>
<p>
</a></p>
<p>The link the the citation is broken. 
Would you like to do the honors Michigan clearly was the first U.S. university to apply the German University Model developed by Wilhelm von Humboldt. JHU merely popularized it.</p>
<p>Actually, it’s pretty accurate Phead.
UMich was the first to adapt it, but Hopkins applied it in all of its policies.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to see that people are placing Georgetown so high, as personally I view it as the bottom of the heap. How does Georgetown manage to have such a high reputation, despite its relatively weak programs? It has a strong student body, to be sure, but so do other top universities. </p>
<p>In particular, two posts on another thread intrigued me.
</p>
<ol>
<li>University of Chicago</li>
<li>Everything else</li>
</ol>
<p>Chicago is known for being extremely rigorous and its well-rounded curriculum surpasses those of HYP. The only reason it is not ivy is that it is not old enough.</p>
<p>^ Individual opinions are only opinions :)</p>
<p>Everyone who puts Georgetown above WashU is just showing their bias.</p>
<p>And I don’t even like WashU.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m wrong but from what I know and have read from these forums, Georgetown’s lay prestige surpasses Wash U’s but Wash U is the better academic school. Georgetown, like NYU, is over-reputed (is that a word?) despite being relatively academically weaker than some others who share similar prestige.</p>
<p>Lawls. We dug up another ancient thread. But IMO:</p>
<p>Cornell
Johns Hopkins
Chicago
Georgetown
Washington U@STL</p>
<p>Im looking at this purely from my scientifically oriented opinion.</p>
<p>Btw, just for kicks, wanna add it Berkeley? :)</p>
<p>Now that is 2012, I’m going to revive this ancient thread again!
People search up these things pretty easily on google, and we might as well make it accurate to date.
WashU in St. Louis is still gaining in prestige :). I was surprised it was usu last/sometimes last with georgetown. MidWest schools in general are starting to get more recognition from East Coasters/everywhere I think. ex. UChicago, Northwestern, and WashU are now reallyyy high up there for competitive students. UChicago/Northwestern/WashU are now slightly more prestigious than cornell and georgetown here where I live. The opposite was true before.</p>
<p>So yup, I’m a New Englander.</p>
<p>—RANKINGS----</p>
<ol>
<li>UChicago (very highly regarded, great undergrad for everything, best econ for grad in the nation)</li>
<li>Northwestern (all top students seem to aim for this school now)</li>
<li>Johns Hopkins (better than the lower ivies, great for premed and med)</li>
<li>WashU in St. Louis (well rounded, continually rising in prestige, great for premed and med)</li>
<li>Cornell (continually moving down in prestige, it’s kind of sad. It used to be my dream school)</li>
<li>Georgetown (ppl here only know it for it’s good IR, which is cause its in DC. good location!) </li>
</ol>
<p>But then again! They are all great schools! The difference in prestige isn’t much.</p>
<p>wow this is an interesting old thread:
Here is my list of prestige schools when I think of them</p>
<p>1.UoChicago (I can only think about the mile high library ceilings and Milton Friedman, I feel like everyone that goes here considers getting a doctorate in something, I would rather go here than most other schools except an amazing b-school like wharton or harvard, that is about it)
2.Georgetown(You think of lawyers and politicians when you think of Georgetown, it is a well known brand)
3.Johns Hopkins (Again, an intellectual learning center)
4.Cornell
5. Northwestern</p>
<p>Amongst academic people:</p>
<ol>
<li>Chicago
2./3./4. Northwestern / Cornell / Johns Hopkins</li>
<li>Georgetown</li>
<li>Washington University in St. Louis</li>
</ol>
<p>Amongst employers:
1.-5. Northwestern/Chicago/Cornell/JHU/Georgetown
6. Washington University in St. Louis</p>
<p>
Peer Assessment scores:</li>
</ol>
<p>4.6 Chicago & Cornell & Johns Hopkins
4.4 Northwestern
4.1 WUStL
4.0 Georgetown</p>