<p>So essentially this is a "rank schools in the order that you like them" kind of ranking? Because those are some of the most subjective factors that I've ever seen anyone try to rank. How are students at Wesleyan any more "grown-up" than students at Wellesley? How are students at Rice any more interesting than students at Vassar? Pomona students are more curious than Williams students? Hmmm. I didn't know that.</p>
<p>Yes, it looks like a beauty contest ranking. Students at other schools will just laugh. And there's a positive correlation between preppy and intelligence? ;)</p>
<p>well, here's how it goes.
everyone starts at a baseline. they get points for being at the top of various rankings (that's why most are in the running, at all) and then they get points added or subtracted on -- as you say -- sheer subjective criteria. But, it isn't like I'm making this stuff completely out of thin air. For example, why would I rank Rice so highly over over so many laudable LACs? Because it does manage to balance the proximity of a first-rate engineering school with a traditional arts&science-y campus feel. Not many places pull that off successfully -- or, as successfully. So, props to Rice. Same process applies to Pomona and Williams, except, if you'll notice, I've placed them in the same ranking this last go-round. And, I'm seriously thinking of deducting points from Vassar largely due to this colloquy on their MadsVassar blogsite: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7163367874466018179&postID=4914364400116697244%5B/url%5D">https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7163367874466018179&postID=4914364400116697244</a></p>
<p>And why bother at all to make a one-size-fits-none ranking? How is any ranking helpful without knowing something about the applicant?</p>
<p>you kind of have to read the OP's original subject heading.</p>
<p>Exactly, I did, and that's why I asked. Considering similar schools is excellent, but why rank them? What purpose does it serve?</p>
<p>Wow. I'm glad you guys questioned this because I didn't want to tangle with John Wesley. Seems completely bogus to me.</p>
<p>As for being grown up? My D, a Barnard/Columbia student (and from her perspective, and her perspective ALONE, but I realize this, Barnard students are more sophisticated than Columbia students) visits Yale all time because she has great guy friends there. She loves it, but finds the guys very silly and immature. (Not necessarily bad.) They watching very silly videos, played practical jokes with urine etc. etc. etc.</p>
<p>Some would consider Wes and Swat's in your face politics more mature; others, less.
Whatever one's perspective, these are all excellent schools. However, we can easily say that Swat and Vassar have more in common with Wes than let's say, Wake Forest and Dartmouth.</p>
<p>To me, Wes look alikes: Vassar, Brown, Swat, Sarah Lawrence, Oberlin. I mean this list to be complimentary.</p>
<p>vossron - I'm usually in agreement with that sentiment and, to your credit, I don't see you creating a lot of rankings threads. However, having said that, I've come to the conclusion that rankings are here to stay, and that the only way to fight fire is with fire.</p>
<p>mythmom - I hear you. Yale and Dartmouth are sort of in the same boat - heavy on the quirky personalities, with a high degree of what I would call harmless pranksterism associated with it. The two closely related traits cancel each other out in my book which, in effect, leaves them close to where they began (which was high to begin with.) When I included Columbia, I was thinking of Columbia students generically, so Barnard would certainly rank along with it.</p>
<p>No hippy/artsy/quirky list is complete without SUNY New Paltz!</p>
<p>This thread is hilarious because I wanted to get into Uchicago and never did (deferred/wl/reject). </p>
<p>Still a great thread idea!</p>
<p>This thread helps me so much. Thank you so much!</p>