<p>Just to stir up some debate:
Which school is the best in the country? And by best, I mean superior academics, atmosphere, sports, location, job placement, alumni, endowment, student body (take it how you please), dating, housing..... essentially everything the school has to offer. </p>
<p>Go.</p>
<p>Rice.</p>
<p>Thread over.</p>
<p>Michigan .</p>
<p>No, no, didn’t you see? I expressed my opinion, and mine is the only one that matters.</p>
<p>Berkeley .</p>
<p>(e) None of the Above.</p>
<p>based on the criteria specified:
Stanford
Duke</p>
<p>university of Utah :P</p>
<p>Princeton is tops in many of those</p>
<p>ok Palo Alto was nominated for TitleTown USA on sports center and Stanford is one of the elite academic powerhouses in the nation.</p>
<p>Judging by the criteria you mentioned, definitely Stanford.</p>
<p>
Dating at Stanford: let’s go take a walk thru some technology office parks and eat at a strip mall…:rolleyes:</p>
<p>So, for the OP’s question on the “Best College in the Country”</p>
<ol>
<li><p>ACADEMICS: Likely among the USNWR Top 50 National Universities and USNWR Top 20 LACs. (I’d be interested if anyone wanted to make the case that it’s a school outside of this group.)</p></li>
<li><p>ATMOSPHERE: Hard to say as different strokes (location, weather, etc.) will appeal to different folks. </p></li>
<li><p>SPORTS: This is a major differentiator in the college (and alumni) life of these colleges. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Note: For students who want the best of both worlds (play directly and watch great and nationally-relevant sports), look closest at Division I scholarship awarding colleges for football and basketball and that also provide active club and intramural programs. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>JOB PLACEMENT: This very regional factor can be importantly influenced by the prominence of a college in a single field, eg, engineering. Having a national brand will help somewhat. The most highly ranked colleges likely are best, but top public universities and prominent privates can be very powerful in their own backyards. </p></li>
<li><p>ALUMNI: This can be a powerful factor when it comes time to job hunt and is important in staying connected to the school for decades after graduation. </p></li>
<li><p>ENDOWMENT: A college with high per capita endowment will be most able to provide the resources that a student will need and/or can benefit from. </p></li>
<li><p>STUDENT BODY: Very important factor as you want to have talented classmates that you can learn from in the classroom, enjoy a beverage with in your “fun” time, and network with after you graduate.</p></li>
<li><p>DATING/SOCIAL LIFE: All work and no play makes Jill and Jack very boring girls and boys. Look for a campus that can give you a variety of enjoyable social options and where the students lead balanced lives. </p></li>
<li><p>HOUSING: Living in nice surroundings is always a pleasure. </p></li>
<li><p>OVERALL CAMPUS BEAUTY (my addition): Doing all of the above on a campus that you adore is ideal. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>So, which colleges best offer the above ten qualities for undergraduate students? Here is my list:</p>
<p>PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES
The Top 5: Stanford, Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame</p>
<p>The Next 10: Princeton, U Penn, Cornell, Northwestern, Georgetown, USC, Wake Forest, Boston College, Tulane, U Miami</p>
<p>PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
The Top 5: UC Berkeley, U Virginia, UCLA, U Michigan, U North Carolina</p>
<p>The Next 10: W&M, Georgia Tech, U Illinois, U Wisconsin, U Washington, U Texas, Penn State, U Florida, Texas A&M, U Georgia</p>
<p>Stanford. Easily.</p>
<p>u of chicago is the best university in the country. actually, the world. if you care for anyone else’s opinions, just read all 80 pages of the thread “top 15 most prestigious universities.”</p>
<p>It’s entirely subjective, because some people like an urban campus and some like rural, some people love a big lecture class while some people need small seminars. There’s definately no single correct answer</p>
<p>UCLA 10char</p>
<p>Too subjective, didn’t read.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Haha, there goes the UCB bias again…</p>
<p>Stanford… Its nice but its campus is way too huge. You have to bike around =-O</p>
<p>Where do you guys lock up your bikes? I kinda see them lying around…unguarded :-0</p>
<p>Thats cool.</p>