<p>Northeastern University
"Northeastern “is all about mixing classroom-based instruction with real-world experience” via a robust, justly renowned co-op program (which places students in real-life major-related internships and jobs for up to 18 months) that provides “meaningful work and life experience” to nearly all undergraduates. While some may quibble that co-op “isn’t the best thing for all majors, only those oriented toward business, journalism, communications, engineering, some sciences, and architecture,” most here insist that “the co-op program is Northeastern’s bragging right” and “without any doubt the school’s greatest strength.” As one student explains, “Experiences on co-op lead to better discussion and learning in the classroom as professors tackle real-world applications of their subjects with the knowledge that we have been there before, rather than stay in the theoretical realm.” As an added bonus, “Northeastern students have some of the strongest post-college resumes in the nation” as a result of their co-op experiences. As you might expect, Northeastern’s strengths lie in such solidly pre-professional programs as business, health services, engineering, and computer and information sciences. Students caution that it’s the type of school “where you get in what you put out…if you sit around and complain about not getting a good job and not having much help from advisers or professors, it’s probably because you didn’t try very hard. If you put in the effort, you will find many, many people are willing to do a great deal to help you succeed and doors will fly open to ensure your success, and you’ll meet a lot of great people (classmates and faculty) and make a lot of friends along the way.”" "“Because of our highly attractive location, there is no ‘typical’ Northeastern student,” undergrads here insist, informing us that “Students come from the local Boston neighborhoods, ivy towns in Connecticut, countries around the world and cities across the country.” The university’s “wide range of courses to study” further ensures “a wide range of students” on campus. Finally, the school’s large population practically ensures a diverse mix, as evidenced by the “250 or so clubs ranging from anime to the Caribbean Student Organization, from fraternities to a gay/lesbian/transsexual organization. You find virtually every race/gender/religious/political type of people here and they all fit in and generally get along.” The enticement of co-op, of course, means that most everyone here is “looking to obtain a solid education and prepare themselves for the working world.” You won’t find a lot of ivory-tower intellectuals here." "“There is always something to do, either on campus or around the city” at Northeastern, and understandably so; the school is located in Boston, perhaps the nation’s preeminent college town. Boston affords “unlimited amounts of things to do like shopping, walking around, movies, etc.” Boston is especially accommodating to those over 21, since “there are plenty of bars to enjoy” all over town. For sports fans, “Fenway Park and the TD Banknorth Garden are a short distance away for athletic games,” and “Matthews Arena, home of Husky hockey and the men’s basketball team,” are nearby. On campus, Greek life “is on the rise,” and “Greeks…are extremely involved on campus, planning service events, educational speakers or fun events, such as bringing former Red Sox players or popular comedians to campus.” Extracurricular clubs “including but not limited to sports, newspaper, religious groups, social awareness, diversity groups, and more” are widely available to students, and “The campus has much to offer as far as recreation from an ice rink to multiple gym facilities. It also has a large student center, multiple outdoor quads, and dorm activities. There is never a dull moment on campus, there is always something to do.”
Rank List</p>
<h1>1 Best Career/Job Placement Services</h1>
<h1>11 Great College Towns</h1>
<p>University Of Wisconsin - Madison</p>
<p>"“The resources are phenomenal” at University of Wisconsin—Madison. “If you are proactive, you basically have the means and resources to pursue any academic or creative feat,” promises a journalism major. “The liberal arts majors are fantastic.” However, Madison is mostly known as “an amazing research institution,” and the hard sciences and engineering programs get most of the pub. They iodized salt here, after all, and cultivated the first lab-based embryonic stem cells. The school of business is “excellent” as well and boasts “some of the best facilities on campus.” “Overall the school runs surprisingly smoothly” but “red tape” sometimes “makes you want to kill someone.” Courses can be large and “impersonal.” Class sizes “plummet” after the intro courses but never get intimate. “Even as an upperclassman, I rarely see lectures with less than 100 people,” observes a junior. The academic atmosphere is “challenging,” though. Madison “definitely makes you earn your grades.” “Some professors are amazing, and some suck.” Also, “a lot of the classes for the undergrads are taught by teaching assistants who are not so good.” “It becomes clear within the first few weeks which of your professors actually have lectures that are worthwhile for you to attend, which is probably about half,” suggests a first-year student." "Ethnic diversity at Madison is in the eye of the beholder. “If you’re from a big city, it’s pretty white,” proposes a sophomore. “But, then again, I’ve met people here who had one black person in their high school and had never met a Jewish person.” Without question, socioeconomic diversity flourishes. The majority of students are middle class Wisconsinites. “There is a prevalent rivalry between these students (sconnies) and the coasties who are generally wealthier and from the East or West Coast.” “People from the Midwest think people from the coasts are stuck up. People from the coasts think people from the Midwest are hicks.” Beyond that, it’s impossible to generalize. “All types of people make up the student body here, ranging from the peace-preaching grass-root activist, to the protein-shake-a-day jock, to the overly privileged coastie, to the studious bookworm, to the computer geek,” explains a first-year student. “There is a niche for everyone.” “There are a lot of atypical students, but that is what makes UW—Madison so special,” adds a senior. “Normal doesn’t exist on this campus.” Politically, “Madison is a hotbed for political and social debate.” “Many people are passionate about many things and it provides a great opportunity to see things from others’ points of view.” You’ll find conservatives but “leftwing, environmentally conscious nut jobs” who “stage protests” are more common." UW—Madison’s “reputation as a party school” is legendary. Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party are epic. “The weekend pretty much starts on Thursday night” as the streets of Madison “fill to the brim with drunk co-eds.” There are house parties and frat parties galore. “Getting up at 9:00 A.M.” to “bong a few beers for breakfast” before football games in the fall is common, and “nothing—absolutely nothing—can beat being in the student section at a Badger home football game.” “The stadium is usually full” for hockey games, too. However, “no one looks at you differently if you choose not to drink” or attend sporting events. And, for everyone, “if you don’t have a strong dedication to your education, you will slip up.” Beyond the party and sports scene, UW is “energetic” and mammoth. “No one’s going to hold your hand and point you to what it is you want.” At the same time, whoever you are, “there is a group for you and a ton of activities for you.” “Greek life is a big part of Madison.” Two daily student newspapers “serve as the penultimate example of free speech in action.” UW’s lakefront campus provides “gorgeous” scenery. Many of the buildings “aren’t that appealing,” though, and some dorms are “absolutely horrible.” Off-campus, “having the streets crawling with the homeless isn’t so great,” but Madison is teeming with culture, “live music,” “late-night coffee shops,” and “exceptional” chow from around the globe.
Rank List</p>
<h1>6 Lots of Beer</h1>
<h1>9 Lots of Hard Liquor</h1>
<h1>16 Students Pack the Stadiums</h1>
<p>The University Of Texas At Austin
"Those who have the pleasure of spending four years on “the great forty acres” of The University of Texas at Austin will find the “perfect blend of challenging academics and a buzzing social atmosphere.” Boasting around 50,000 students, this “gigantic mix-and-match campus” offers every imaginable opportunity to its wide range of students, and the general attitude that permeates the campus is a positive one. Though some students are daunted by the sheer size of the system, it means that everyone has the chance at the same resources. “Speaking up in class, attending office hours, and choosing a small department where you really get to know people are a must—they really ‘shrink’ your UT experience to a manageable size,” says a senior. It’s a large college, so don’t expect anyone to hold your hand. “If you aren’t ‘old’ enough to be able to take care of your own college stuff, I wouldn’t go here,” says a freshman nursing student. What the school sacrifices in intimacy, it makes up for in variety of courses, majors, living arrangements, and kinds of people. Students say that academically, you walk away with what you earn. “You have to put in a lot of time here outside the classroom or you really will fail,” says a student. “You can make it into a great education or just a mediocre one,” says another. Academic advising can be hit or miss, and it can be “hard to get into the classes that you want,” especially with the oft-maligned registration process, but the classes themselves are helmed by “a lot of real experts with practical experience.” The professors “are not only extremely competent in their various areas, but all show extreme self interest in the success of their students,” and when numbers do play a factor in the amount of face time a teacher can put in, “the TAs are equipped to help students as much as possible, and are easily accessible.” The “rigid” administration isn’t as warmly received; as one can expect from a school this size, there is a lot of jumping through hoops and “waivers and requests and rubberstamps and red tape,” though students report that if you do manage to find a friendly face in the system, they’ll go to bat for you. In the end, there’s a great love for the school and all its manifestations. “You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t see our longhorn insignia and not immediately associate it with UT,” says a sophomore." In a school this size, there is bound to be immense variety, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at UT. Other than the understandable Texan quotient, there’s “a fairly substantial Greek population,” a “big sports following,” and then “hipsters, hippie co-op kids, Bible groups, a big musician community, bicycle kids, stoners, student government types, you name it.” Basically, playing these numbers, a social group awaits pretty much anyone, and “even the so-called weirdoes will find people similar to them.” As for fitting in, “whether you’re a Taiwanese poker-playing lesbian or a Latino tap-dancing Buddhist, you’re sure to find someone else who shares your interests!” The campus is extremely large, so “it’s not uncommon to see first-year students walking around with a map for the first few weeks.” Austin itself has quite the list of admirers, who love the “independent attitude” of the city, not to mention its live music, film festivals, “great outdoor attractions,” “brilliant and hilarious shows at the Alamo Drafthouse,” and “shopping on the Drag.” “It is impossible to be bored. There is always something to do,” says a junior. Football season is a huge deal at UT, and Saturdays in the fall are devoted entirely to watching the Longhorns play football, whether they are at home or away. Sororities and fraternities constitute the bulk of a lot of students’ social lives, and “alcohol accompanies all sporting events, parties, and weekends in general.” Whether you head downtown to the famous Sixth Street for the bar scene, tailgate on Game Day, or head to a campus blowout, “there’s constantly someone somewhere having a good time.” The school also has activities on tap, from “bowling or free movies at the Texas Union” to programs planned by RAs to frequent appearances by speakers such as Mo Rocca and the Dalai Lama."
Rank List</p>
<h1>4 Best Career/Job Placement Services</h1>
<h1>16 Best College Library</h1>
<h1>15 Best College Newspaper</h1>
<h1>9 Great College Towns</h1>
<h1>14 Lots of Beer</h1>
<h1>12 Lots of Hard Liquor</h1>
<h1>13 Most Politically Active Students</h1>
<h1>8 Party Schools</h1>
<h1>9 Students Pack the Stadiums</h1>
<h1>16 Students Study the Least</h1>
<h1>15 Best Athletic Facilities</h1>