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since the class rank and SAT are all that matters in admission
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<p>I have not adopted that reasoning. I have simply brought up several key factors, such as SAT, acceptance rate, and top 10% composition, to compare the schools. </p>
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The only way to truly compare selectivity is to compare the most alike schools.
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<p>That's fine, but the only way then to compare the schools would be to know the acceptance rate of WashU CAS - I don't know that one, and I know WashU is stingy with releasing data.</p>
<p>Acceptance rate or USNews rankings shouldn't be the deciding factor in choosing between two schools. Read some of the threads on manipulating data to improve rankings. WashU is known for terrific and widespread PR which increased its applications. That doesn't have anything to do with the undergraduate experience. Visiting the schools and finding out what it is like to be there on a day to day basis is more important than "selectivity" ratings.</p>
<p>Wash U should not be mentioned in the same breath as Cornell. Wash U is the perfect example of how easily and effectively a college can manipulate numbers in an effort to climb the US News rankings. This is well documented; do a search.</p>
<p>Hmm I understand WashU manipulates the rankings, but in that sense, many say the same thing about UPenn, UChi, Brown, etc. I think it's silly to argue that Cornell is better than WashU or that WashU shouldn't even be in the same sentence as Cornell. Definitely some die-hard fans here.</p>
<p>...and still has a lower yield. But Cornell also has the ivy league name - which is a lot more valuable than some people may be willing to admit.</p>
<p>it really is more than just a sports conference. </p>
<p>for instance, the Cornell paper consistently brings up "ivy only" topics and when comparing itself to another school, it's always an ivy. It's kind of weird. </p>
<p>Also, a nice perk of the ivy league is the interlibrary loan thing. 90,000,000 resources that can be exchanged in 2 business days. I've used this on numerous occasions.</p>
<p>Ten years ago, when Wash U was ranked in the 20s, I doubt many applicants would have applied to both Cornell and Wash U. Among many other factors, they are worlds apart geographically. Today, for a 17 or 18 year old high school applicant, it's only because they sit so closely in the US News ranking that he/she would apply to both.</p>
<p>Not sure I understand your reasoning. First you refer to 10 year old rankings with the implication that they count as to where people would apply. Then you disparage rankings as to why applicants would apply to a school. Which is it - can't have it both ways. Although you might have a point as to where people might have applied 10 years ago.</p>
<p>Then in a previous post you mention that these two schools should not even be mentioned in the same breath. You really should think things through and know a bit about your topic before posting.</p>
<p>the point is some schools fluctuate in the rankings - WUSL is experiencing their high, though many claim they've gotten there with number manipulation (janitors are faculty, right?). The real test should be on things like placement and program rankings - something that WUSL clearly lags based on the programs rankings provided by their very own website.</p>
<p>I am not so sure that WashU is experiencing their high. They were #9 a couple years ago and seem to have no problem holding their position, raising more money, improving the campus and undergrad experience, and certainly are getting their share of amazing applicants and accepting few. When and on what basis do you think they are going to drop back down? </p>
<p>Although I would like to see their placement for grad schools...I wasn't too impressed by their law placement stats at YLS and HLS.</p>
<p>Go back to datadriven's post on the first page. All of the junk since then is irrelevant. A couple of spots in the US News Rankings or a couple of percents in acceptance rates don't mean anything. There are far more important factors to think about (strength of program, location, cost, etc.)</p>
<p>ST2, I guess concepts have to be spoon-fed to you, one morsel at a time. You failed to make the inference. These schools were never considered applicant "overlaps" ten years ago, when they were ranked farther apart, and now the OP is deciding between them. They have almost nothing in common. So why now? Because they are ranked side by side. Now, here is what you should have inferred: a school does not change much in ten years, but in US News, a ranking does change, often dramatically and absurdly. Yet the OP obviously used these current rankings as part of his/her evaluation process, when he/she should be using anything but these. Only if one uses these rankings would Wash U be considered the equal of Cornell or Johns Hopkins or Chicago or any number of institutions it would like to consider its peers. To brand_182, Penn was never considered a crappy school by anyone's measure, but perhaps US News made it seem so to you. Is it that much better of a school today? Of course not. The whole point here is that applicants shouldn't use US News to judge where to go to college, or they will be misguided. Apart from all the obvious reasons, they might regret it when they check the rankings in 2017.</p>
What a silly thing to say. If you bother to read the OP's past posts, you'd see that his D also applied to Brandeis- because of US News, I suppose? Heaven forbid they might actually have evaluated the programs at each!</p>
<p>Gomestar, you can exchange books to other universities libraries at any school, some do charge a fee others not. My S borrowed books from Carnegie and MIT and as you said before, it took only two days.</p>
<p>Sorgirl, you said, ?it?s well documented?, where, here?</p>
<p>A questions for all, once you find your place in a college, does it matter if college B is better than C? For who? For you obviously not, or you would be attending the other college. Never ever chose a college for what US News or ?Knowallaboutcolleges? magazines said, do your own research thinking who you are, where you would like to be and what are your own plans for your life, a college could be the best in all rankings but it could not be your happy place. Every college has its own personality and it has to match your personality or you won?t fit there.</p>