Deciding Upon the "Best" School in the Nation, NCAA March Madness Style.

<p>Alright, I had this idea, we'll see how it works out. If it catches on I'll update it every week.</p>

<p>So here's the plan. Don't blame me for the seeding, I don't agree with a lot of it myself, but it's not my work. I've gone through the most recent USNews list of their best LACs and Unis. The top 32 from each have been separated into the four brackets, two LAC and 2 Uni brackets and seeded them in the same manner the selection committee would. Vote for the one that you think to be the "best" in each match-up.</p>

<p>Here's the fun part. "Best" means whatever you want it to, and you do not have to defend your picks. Whether it be academics, social life, athletics, or sheer name recognition, which in each match-up do you find to be the "Better" of the two schools.</p>

<p>Pick by rankings, pick by fit, pick because you or someone you know goes there, pick for chaos for all I care, just pick.</p>

<p>Here we go.</p>

<p>University Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Harvard University vs. #16 College of William and Mary</h1>

<h1>2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs. #15 Wake Forest University</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University vs. #14 Tufts University</h1>

<h1>4 Columbia University vs. #13 University of California-Los Angeles</h1>

<h1>5 Duke University vs. #12 University of Virginia</h1>

<h1>6 Northwestern University vs, #11 University of California-Berkeley</h1>

<h1>7 Washington University in St. Louis vs. #10 Vanderbilt University</h1>

<h1>8 Brown University vs. #9 Rice University</h1>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University vs. #16 Brandeis University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University vs. #15 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill</h1>

<h1>3 California Institute of Technology vs. #14 University of Southern California</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania vs. #13 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</h1>

<h1>5 University of Chicago vs. #12 Georgetown University</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College vs. #11 Carnegie Mellon University</h1>

<h1>7 Cornell University vs. #10 University of Notre Dame</h1>

<h1>8 Johns Hopkins University vs. #9 Emory University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College vs. #16 Kenyon College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College vs. #15 Scripps College</h1>

<h1>3 Middlebury College vs. #14 Mount Holyoke College</h1>

<h1>4 Carleton College vs. #13 Bates College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College vs. #12 Colby College</h1>

<h1>6 Vasser College vs. #11 Oberlin College</h1>

<h1>7 Wesleyan University vs. #10 Hamilton College</h1>

<h1>8 United States Military Academy-West Point vs. #9 Washington and Lee University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College vs. #16 Colorado College</h1>

<h1>2 Swathmore College vs. #15 Bucknell University</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College vs. #14 Bardnard College</h1>

<h1>4 Pomona College vs. #13 Macalester College</h1>

<h1>5 Haverford College vs. #12 Bryn Mawr College</h1>

<h1>6 Claremont McKenna College vs. #11 United States Naval Academy</h1>

<h1>7 Grinnell College vs. #10 Smith College</h1>

<h1>8 Harvey Mudd College vs. #9 Colgate University</h1>

<p>32 match-ups in round one, go to it.</p>

<p>Alright, I’ll start, from top to bottom, I’ll take:
Harvard
MIT
Stanford
Columbia
UVA
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
Brown
Princeton
Yale
CalTech
UPenn
Georgetown
Dartmouth
Cornell
Emory
Amherst
Wellesley
Middlebury
Carleton
Davidson
Vasser
Wesleyan
Washington and Lee
Williams
Swathmore
Bowdoin
Pomona
Haverford
Claremont McKenna
Grinnell
Harvey Mudd</p>

<p>I know this is all in fun, but I think the notion that there is a “best” college is a harmful one. Different schools are better for different subjects, different students, etc. Finding one single best school is like US News & World Report squared.</p>

<p>This will be based on 50% academics and 50% quality of life (upsets in bold)</p>

<p>University Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Harvard College</h1>

<h1>2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University</h1>

<h1>4 Columbia University</h1>

<p>**#12 University of Virginia</p>

<h1>11 University of California-Berkeley**</h1>

<h1>7 Washington University in St. Louis</h1>

<p>#9 Rice University</p>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University</h1>

<h1>3 California Institute of Technology</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania</h1>

<h1>5 University of Chicago</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College</h1>

<p>**#10 University of Notre Dame</p>

<h1>9 Emory University**</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College</h1>

<h1>3 Middlebury College</h1>

<h1>4 Carleton College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College</h1>

<h1>6 Vasser College</h1>

<h1>7 Wesleyan University</h1>

<h1>8 United States Military Academy-West Point</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College</h1>

<h1>2 Swathmore College</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College</h1>

<h1>4 Pomona College</h1>

<h1>5 Haverford College</h1>

<h1>6 Claremont McKenna College</h1>

<p>#10 Smith College</p>

<h1>8 Harvey Mudd College</h1>

<p>The results of this are so predictable.</p>

<p>Yes, I understand it is pretty impossible to come up with a “best” school, I just thought it would be fun.</p>

<p>And while you can predict pretty easily that a top 4 or 5 seed will win an NCAA tournament, they play the games anyway, so why not?</p>

<h1>1 Harvard University</h1>

<h1>2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University</h1>

<h1>4 Columbia University</h1>

<h1>5 Duke University</h1>

<h1>11 University of California-Berkeley</h1>

<h1>7 Washington University in St. Louis</h1>

<h1>8 Brown University</h1>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University</h1>

<h1>3 California Institute of Technology</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania</h1>

<h1>12 Georgetown University</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College</h1>

<h1>7 Cornell University</h1>

<h1>8 Johns Hopkins University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College</h1>

<h1>3 Middlebury College</h1>

<h1>4 Carleton College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College</h1>

<h1>11 Oberlin College</h1>

<h1>7 Wesleyan University</h1>

<h1>9 Washington and Lee University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College</h1>

<h1>2 Swathmore College</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College</h1>

<h1>4 Pomona College</h1>

<h1>5 Haverford College</h1>

<h1>6 Claremont McKenna College</h1>

<h1>7 Grinnell College</h1>

<h1>8 Harvey Mudd College</h1>

<p>[Tournament</a> Brackets](<a href=“http://www.bracketmaker.com/]Tournament”>http://www.bracketmaker.com/)</p>

<p>lets try this again</p>

<p>Each person make their own bracket and post it here for people to see…</p>

<h1>1 Harvard University</h1>

<h1>15 Wake Forest University</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University</h1>

<h1>4 Columbia University</h1>

<h1>12 University of Virginia</h1>

<h1>11 University of California-Berkeley</h1>

<h1>10 Vanderbilt University</h1>

<h1>8 Brown University</h1>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University</h1>

<h1>14 University of Southern California</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania</h1>

<h1>12 Georgetown University</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College</h1>

<h1>10 University of Notre Dame</h1>

<h1>8 Johns Hopkins University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College</h1>

<h1>3 Middlebury College</h1>

<h1>13 Bates College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College</h1>

<h1>6 Vasser College</h1>

<h1>7 Wesleyan University</h1>

<h1>8 United States Military Academy-West Point</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College</h1>

<h1>2 Swathmore College</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College</h1>

<h1>4 Pomona College</h1>

<h1>5 Haverford College</h1>

<h1>11 United States Naval Academy</h1>

<h1>7 Grinnell College</h1>

<h1>9 Colgate University</h1>

<h1>16 College of William and Mary</h1>

<h1>2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University</h1>

<h1>4 Columbia University</h1>

<h1>12 University of Virginia</h1>

<h1>11 University of California-Berkeley</h1>

<h1>10 Vanderbilt University</h1>

<h1>8 Brown University</h1>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University</h1>

<h1>14 University of Southern California</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania</h1>

<h1>5 University of Chicago</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College</h1>

<h1>7 Cornell University</h1>

<h1>8 Johns Hopkins University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College</h1>

<p>#14 Mount Holyoke College</p>

<h1>13 Bates College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College</h1>

<h1>6 Vasser College vs.</h1>

<h1>7 Wesleyan University</h1>

<h1>9 Washington and Lee University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College</h1>

<h1>2 Swathmore College</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College</h1>

<h1>13 Macalester College</h1>

<h1>12 Bryn Mawr College</h1>

<h1>6 Claremont McKenna College</h1>

<h1>10 Smith College</h1>

<h1>9 Colgate University</h1>

<p>University Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Harvard University</h1>

<h1>2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University</h1>

<h1>13 University of California-Los Angeles</h1>

<h1>12 University of Virginia</h1>

<h1>11 University of California-Berkeley</h1>

<h1>10 Vanderbilt University</h1>

<h1>9 Rice University</h1>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University</h1>

<h1>14 University of Southern California</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania</h1>

<h1>12 Georgetown University</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College</h1>

<h1>7 Cornell University</h1>

<h1>9 Emory University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College</h1>

<h1>3 Middlebury College</h1>

<h1>4 Carleton College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College</h1>

<h1>6 Vasser College</h1>

<h1>7 Wesleyan University</h1>

<h1>9 Washington and Lee University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College</h1>

<h1>2 Swathmore College</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College</h1>

<h1>4 Pomona College</h1>

<h1>5 Haverford College</h1>

<h1>6 Claremont McKenna College</h1>

<h1>10 Smith College</h1>

<h1>9 Colgate University</h1>

<p>I’m working on a BCS-style ranking based on the “college war” thread. You have your playoffs, I’ll have my spreadsheets.</p>

<p>Sounds epic.</p>

<p>I am definitely looking forward to seeing what “the computers” have to say. What will your formula be?</p>

<p>Upon seeing the number of responses so far (very encouraging), I think I’ll post results and the Round of 32 at the end of Thursday/beginning of Friday. A week is too long I think, figure a round of 32, 26, 8, 4, 2 will take more than a month that way.</p>

<p>Also, If I wasn’t clear, the winner of University Bracket A will play the winner of LAC Bracket B in the final four, and LAC A will play Uni B. That way there can be 1 Uni, 1 LAC, 2 unis, or 2 LACs in the “championship” game. Leaves it more wide open that way.</p>

<p>Comments?</p>

<p>Current top 10 (first 6 pages)</p>

<ol>
<li>Yale</li>
<li>Harvard</li>
<li>MIT</li>
<li>Princeton</li>
<li>Stanford</li>
<li>Berkeley</li>
<li>Brown</li>
<li>Duke</li>
<li>Johns Hopkins</li>
<li>Amherst</li>
</ol>

<p>Many colleges do not qualify yet, haven’t been compared enough.</p>

<p>Formula: [Wilson</a> Performance Ratings](<a href=“College of Engineering | University of Wisconsin-Madison”>http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/index.shtml)</p>

<p>Now I’ll have to complete this faster.</p>

<p>Yale wins this easily. Its similar to taking a college for current NBA players and giving them a spot in the real NCAA tournament. They aren’t going to lose, even if they don’t try. A fun exercise, but one that is ultimately predictable in its results. I do have to commend Harvard and Princeton for their efforts, even if they fell a bit short of glory.</p>

<p>I just based it off which school I would prefer to go to.
University Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Harvard University</h1>

<h1>15 Wake Forest University</h1>

<h1>3 Stanford University</h1>

<h1>4 Columbia University</h1>

<h1>5 Duke University</h1>

<h1>6 Northwestern University</h1>

<h1>10 Vanderbilt University</h1>

<h1>8 Brown University</h1>

<p>University Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Princeton University</h1>

<h1>2 Yale University</h1>

<h1>14 University of Southern California</h1>

<h1>4 University of Pennsylvania</h1>

<h1>5 University of Chicago</h1>

<h1>6 Dartmouth College</h1>

<h1>10 University of Notre Dame</h1>

<h1>8 Johns Hopkins University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket A:</p>

<h1>1 Amherst College</h1>

<h1>2 Wellesley College</h1>

<h1>3 Middlebury College</h1>

<h1>4 Carleton College</h1>

<h1>5 Davidson College</h1>

<h1>6 Vasser College</h1>

<h1>10 Hamilton College</h1>

<h1>9 Washington and Lee University</h1>

<p>Liberal Arts College Bracket B:</p>

<h1>1 Williams College</h1>

<h1>15 Bucknell University</h1>

<h1>3 Bowdoin College</h1>

<h1>4 Pomona College</h1>

<h1>5 Haverford College</h1>

<h1>6 Claremont McKenna College</h1>

<h1>7 Grinnell College</h1>

<h1>9 Colgate University</h1>

<p>can someone give reasons why one would pick Vanderbilt over Washington U. St. Louis?
Please try to remain objective (prestige doesn’t count either)</p>

<p>I’m working on a 128 team bracket based on US News National University rankings :p</p>

<p>It’s really a toss up but I would pick WUSTL over Vanderbilt because students report they are happier at WUSTL</p>