Excellent Schools That Aren't Exactly Intellectual

College Search & Selection
1

<p>What are some very highly ranked, well-respected colleges/unis that are known for being non-intellectual? I mean, which good schools have student bodies that seem to be more preoccupied with getting good grades than actually thinking and really learning? I've heard Duke especially is rather non-intellectual, though it is a very good school.</p>

<p>And on the reverse side, what are some not-so-highly ranked colleges that are considered "intellectual hotbeds"? I know Reed College in Oregon is a very liberal, intellectual school, but it's national ranking is pretty crappy.</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

2

<p>Unfortunately, I have that opinion of UCLA. Its student body, in my opinion, is very very smart, but just not very intellectual...too many people want to "graduate in a hurry and go to law school."</p>

<p>Bah.</p>

3

<p>There are several top "pre-professional" schools that certainly have the intellectual capacity as every other top school, but a lot of their graduates go on to professional schools and/or the working world. These schools include UPenn, Northwestern, Georgetown (to name a few).</p>

4

<p>i also think UCLA. despite the fact that most of UCLA's majors are not very professionally-oriented, most students here don't have their heads buried in books and don't discuss philosophy or recite shakespeare for fun. but that is not to say UCLA is on the extreme; many UCLA students still want to go onto grad school. </p>

<p>on the flip side, i would sat St. John's College fits the bill. not widely known, but highly intellectual. just look at their curriculum!
<a href="http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/asp/home.aspx%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/asp/home.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

5

<p>USC too. The intellectualism certainly exists and can definitely be found, but as is probably also the case with UCLA as well, there's just too much to do in Los Angeles and both schools have a strong social scene. It's also much more pre-professional oriented than liberal artsy.</p>

6

<p>Reed doesn't participate in providing information for the USNews & World Reports College rankings. That is the reason that their rank seems, as you put it, "kind of crappy." It has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of their educational program. Other schools that I'd call "intellectual hot beds" include the University of Chicago, St. John's College in Annapolis, Oberlin, Carleton, Columbia, but there are many others as well.</p>

7

<p>Yeah, Duke during bball season</p>

<p>Some say finance and management majors aren't intellectual, though I tend to disagree</p>

8

<p>In general, the highly selective LACs will be the intellectual hotbeds because their small size allows them to maintain a pervasive culture. Once a campus gets much beyond 2,000-3,000 it becomes hard to define a behavioral or attitudinal norm that accurately describes the majority of the university.</p>

9

<p>University of Pennsylvania definetly falls under that category. Everyone there is career minded, and it is known as the "social ivy."</p>