Early Reports USNews Best Colleges 2009

Parents Forum
1

<p>First column is 2009 and second column was last year’s: </p>

<li>Harvard >>>>> 1 Princeton University (NJ)</li>
<li>Princeton >>>>> 2 Harvard University (MA)</li>
<li>Yale >>>>> 3 Yale University (CT)</li>
<li>Stanford >>>>> 4 Stanford University (CA)</li>
<li>MIT>>>>> 5 University of Pennsylvania</li>
<li>Caltech >>>>> 5 California Institute of Technology</li>
<li>Penn >>>>> 7 Massachusetts Institute of Technology</li>
<li>Duke >>>>> 8 Duke University (NC)</li>
<li>Columbia >>>>> 9 Columbia University (NY)</li>
<li>Chicago >>>>> 9 University of Chicago</li>
<li>Dartmouth >>>>> 11 Dartmouth College (NH)</li>
<li>WUSTL >>>>> 12 Washington University in St. Louis</li>
<li>Northwestern>>>>> 12 Cornell University (NY)</li>
<li>Cornell >>>>> 14 Brown University (RI)</li>
<li>Johns Hopkins >>>>> 14 Northwestern University (IL)</li>
<li>Brown >>>>> 14 Johns Hopkins University (MD)</li>
<li>Rice >>>>> 17 Rice University (TX)</li>
<li>Emory >>>>> 17 Emory University (GA)</li>
<li>Vanderbilt >>>>> 19 Vanderbilt University (TN)</li>
<li>Notre Dame>>>>> 19 University of Notre Dame (IN)</li>
<li>Berkeley >>>>> 21 University of California—Berkeley *</li>
<li>Carnegie Mellon >>>>> 22 Carnegie Mellon University ¶</li>
<li>UVA >>>>> 23 University of Virginia *</li>
<li>Georgetown>>>>> 23 Georgetown University (DC)</li>
<li>UCLA >>>>> 25 University of California—Los Angeles *</li>
<li>Michigan >>>>> 25 University of Michigan—Ann Arbor *</li>
</ol>

2

<p>1.Amherst >>>>> 1 Williams College (MA)
1. Williams >>>>> 2 Amherst College (MA)
3. Swarthmore >>>>> 3 Swarthmore College (PA)
4.Wellesley >>>>> 4 Wellesley College (MA)
5. Middlebury >>>>> 5 Carleton College (MN)
6. Bowdoin >>>>> 5 Middlebury College (VT)
6. Pomona >>>>> 7 Pomona College (CA)
8. Carleton >>>>> 7 Bowdoin College (ME)
9. Davidson >>>>> 9 Davidson College (NC)
10. Haverford >>>>> 10 Haverford College (PA)
11. Claremont McKenna >>>>> 11 Claremont McKenna College (CA)
11. Vassar >>>>> 11 Wesleyan University (CT)
13. Wesleyan >>>>> 11 Grinnell College (IA)
14. Grinnell >>>>> 11 Vassar College (NY)
14. Harvey Mudd >>>>> 15 Harvey Mudd College (CA)
14. U.S. Military Academy >>>>> 15 Washington and Lee University (VA)
17. Washington & Lee >>>>> 17 Smith College (MA)
18. Colgate >>>>> 17 Hamilton College (NY)
18. Smith >>>>> 17 Colgate University (NY)
20. Hamilton >>>>> 20 United States Naval Academy (MD) 11*
20. Oberlin >>>>> 20 Oberlin College (OH)
22. U.S. Naval Academy >>>>> 22 Colby College (ME)
23. Bryn Mawr >>>>> 22 United States Military Academy (NY) 11*
23. Colby >>>>> 24 Bates College (ME)
25. Bates >>>>> 24 Bryn Mawr College (PA)
25. Macalester</p>

3

<p>Wish they'd stop putting Rice on that list! Would that only those of us in Texas knew about it!</p>

4

<p>Schools that gained spots</p>

<ol>
<li>MIT 7 4 3</li>
<li>Northwestern 14 12 2</li>
<li>Harvard 2 1 1</li>
<li>Notre Dame 19 18 1</li>
<li>Vanderbilt 19 18 1</li>
<li>Columbia 9 8 1</li>
<li><p>Chicago 9 8 1</p></li>
<li><p>U.S. Military Academy 22 14 8
1.Amherst 2 1 1</p></li>
<li><p>Bowdoin 7 6 1</p></li>
<li><p>Pomona 7 6 1</p></li>
<li><p>Harvey Mudd 15 14 1</p></li>
<li><p>Bryn Mawr 24 23 1</p></li>
<li><p>Macalester 26 25 1</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Schools that lost spots
15. Johns Hopkins 14 15 -1
18. Emory 17 18 -1
2. Princeton 1 2 -1
6. Caltech 5 6 -1
6. Penn 5 6 -1
14. Cornell 12 14 -2
16. Brown 14 16 -2</p>

<ol>
<li>Colgate 17 18 -1</li>
<li>Smith 17 18 -1</li>
<li>Colby 22 23 -1</li>
<li>Bates 24 25 -1</li>
<li>Wesleyan 11 13 -2</li>
<li>Washington & Lee 15 17 -2</li>
<li>Carleton 5 8 -3</li>
<li>Grinnell 11 14 -3</li>
<li>Hamilton 17 20 -3</li>
</ol>

5

<p>I assume Xiggi got those lists from what I posted at <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/553348-usnwr-rankings-out-friday-august-22-2009-all-ranking-obsessed-out-there-4.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/553348-usnwr-rankings-out-friday-august-22-2009-all-ranking-obsessed-out-there-4.html&lt;/a> -- I picked up a copy of the new issue at a newsstand at Grand Central Station earlier this afternoon, on the way back from a court appearance in Brooklyn. I know I shouldn't really care anymore, since (thank goodness) my son doesn't have to be concerned with any of that now, but I was curious.</p>

<p>Are there ever any major changes from year to year in these rankings?</p>

<p>Donna</p>

<p>PS: U of Michigan is # 26 this year.</p>

6

<p>So which schools are on the "Up and Coming" list?</p>

7

<p>Anyone have the "masters university" lists? Those are not LAC's and they are not universities. They are universities that do not grant doctoral degrees. I only ask because schools like my daughter's (Santa Clara University) do not appear on the lists already posted here....different "type" of school that seems to fly under the radar screen. Too bad as there are some terrific schools in this category.</p>

8

<p>anyone know about michigan state university? did it move up, down or stay where it was at?</p>

<p>i mean in the rankings i believe it was 71</p>

9

<p>I'm laughing hard that WUSTL didn't move up despite killing all those trees!</p>

10

<p>How about West Point gaining 8 spots? Too cool. :)</p>

11

<p>MSU is still #71. And Santa Clara is #2 on the list of best "Master's Universities" in the West (they have a separate list for each region). #1 in that region is Trinity U. in Texas; the #1's in the other regions are Villanova, Rollins, and Creighton.</p>

12

<p>Its been bugging me for a long time, so I've got to say it: Why is CalTech even on that list? Compared to every other school in the top 25, it offers such limited appeal. 900 students; 6% URM; 2/3 men; 5% non-math/science majors; no football and minimal NCAA sports scene. As high as it is rated, it would never, ever be considered as a viable for option for the majority of American college-bound students.</p>

13

<p>I don't think athletics factor into the rankings!</p>

14

<p>^^Funny, but probably true! Yes, I know athletics doesn't factor in directly, but shouldn't there be a "quality of life" or variety of interest offerings type of rating.</p>

15

<p>^^ then you end up with something as flawed and ridiculous as the Princeton Review.</p>

16

<p>Actually, I think there were fewer changes this year than I've ever seen. They seem to have kept the formula consistent, and lo and behold it produced the same results, pretty much.</p>

17

<p>where's UW-Madison?</p>

18

<p>H back on top.</p>

19

<p>What rank is St. Olaf on the list (LAC)?</p>

20

<br>


<br>

<p>Why pick on Caltech? Look at the list. Single digit acceptance rates galore. None of the top ten schools is a viable option for the majority of American college-bound students. Because a large majority of college-bound students do not have the stats to put them anywhere near getting accepted by any of those schools</p>