<p>What are each schools basic things they're known for? I mean I know they are basically fantastic in all areas, but what do you guys think each one is outstanding in?</p>
<p>Anyone????</p>
<p>Cornell:
strengths generally things related to natural and physical sciences, engineering, asian studies, agriculture, hotel and food management, English, industrial and labor relations, animal science, medieval studies, political science</p>
<p>drama/theater
music
agriculture engineering
civil engineering
electrical engineering
engineering physics
materials science/engineering
mechanical engineering
Chinese
English
French
Linguistics
architecture
environmental design
hotel management
landscape architecture
operations research
urban planning
bacteriology/microbiology
biochemistry
chemistry
atmospheric science
astronomy/astrophysics
botany
computer sciernce
ecology/environmental studies
entomology
environmental science
genetics
marine science
meteorology
nutrition
physics
zoology
asian/oriental studies
east asian studies
southeast asian studies
history
international relations
anthropology
behavioral sciences
labor and industrial relations
medieval studies
political science
agricultural business
agricultural economics
agriculture
agronomy
animal science
dairy science
dietetics
farm/ranch management
food science
food services management
horticulture
natural resource management
ornamental horticulture
poultry science</p>
<p>weaknesses: art/art history, cell biology, American Studies, child psychology, psychology, sociology</p>
<p>WOW thanks... Cornell happens to be a favorite of mine! I didn't know they had hotel management. crazy.</p>
<p>cornell is the only Ivy with a hotel management school</p>
<p>and the hotel school offers the coolest classes in the ivy league - wine tasting, beer tasting, club management, and gambling.</p>
<p>Columbia - access to the world's most interesting city</p>
<p>Brown - Innovative and "new-age" approach to education</p>
<p>Princeton - Probably best overall undergrad experience of any school.</p>
<p>Dartmouth - Offers a small, highly intimate environment in a rural area. Honestly, I think Dartmouth should be classified as a LAC, because that's basically what it is. Think of it as an "Ivy-LAC"</p>
<p>UPenn - Excellent school for preparation for a business career, especially in banking.</p>
<p>Cornell - Already discussed above, but basically offers a large environment that is strong in a wide variety of areas. Cornell is basically an "Ivy-version" of one of those strong large public schools like Berkeley or Michigan.</p>
<p>Yale - Cross between Harvard and Princeton.</p>
<p>And then of course there is Harvard. Without a doubt unquestioned prestige, with all the things (both good and bad) that go with that.</p>
<p>Hmm thanks for the insight. Everyone of them has something that interests me. Such a difficult choice. Anyone know anybody who's applied to all before?</p>
<p>Actually, there's been people on CC who applied to all 8. </p>
<p>U Penn is obviously very strong in business, as well as the sciences and anthropology. :)</p>
<p>Charlotte, NC? I go to Myers Park HS in Charlotte, so just wondering.</p>
<p>Here are there academic highlights, including graduate programs:</p>
<p>Brown: Innovative and "new-age" approach to education. </p>
<p>Cornell: Engineering, Architecture, Hotel Management, vet school and a ton of miscellany like Human Ecology. </p>
<p>Columbia: Decent professional schools. Columbia has the most nobel prize winners in the Ivy league. Good all-round.</p>
<p>Dartmouth: LAC-like school with limited graduate programs compared to the rest.</p>
<p>Harvard: Strong in everything except Engineering. King of grad and professional schools. Grade inflation.</p>
<p>Penn: Business and Hummanities. Wharton school. Strong professional schools (Buisness, Law, Medicine). First university in the country. Penn is the best Ivy league if you ask me. ;)</p>
<p>Princeton: Strong in everything but does not have any professional schools (ie. Law, Medicine, Business, Education). Most undergrad focused. Woodrow Wilson school.</p>
<p>Yale: Academically Known for humanities and arts. Law school.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure that Penn is not the oldest university in the U.S. Harvard and W&M are 1+2, and I think Yale is 3rd.</p>
<p>Harvard's weaknesses (that I know of)</p>
<p>Harvard: grade inflation, "neglect" of undergrads, engineering not up there. (Weather's terrible as well... I lived up there for 6 years before moving to Maryland, where it's somewhat better)</p>
<p>--I recently spoke with a Harvard senior over Thanksgiving, he told me that about half the grades given out in his classes were typically B+ or higher--</p>
<p>...I challenge you to a duel Byerly! haha lol, j/k :p</p>
<p>Penn is recognized as America's first university.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Harvard: grade inflation, "neglect" of undergrads, engineering not up there. (Weather's terrible as well... I lived up there for 6 years before moving to Maryland, where it's somewhat better)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think these weaknesses need to be put in proper perspective. </p>
<p>First off, I think the Harvard grade inflation aspect is greatly exaggerated. If you REALLY want to talk about grade inflation, you should be talking about Stanford. Or Brown.</p>
<p>And about engineering not being up there. Well, according to USNews, Harvard is ranked in the 20's. That's actually a great ranking when you consider that there are hundreds of engineering programs out there. Or even if you want to look at the Ivy League, Harvard is probably 3rd to 5th when it comes to engineering. Harvard engineering is worse than Cornell or Princeton, is about the same as Penn and Columbia, and is better than Yale, Brown, or Dartmouth. </p>
<p>And about the 'neglect' of undergrads, and about bad weather, I would argue that this is at least as true at Cornell (especially the bad weather) as it is at Harvard.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm pretty sure that Penn is not the oldest university in the U.S. Harvard and W&M are 1+2, and I think Yale is 3rd.
[/quote]
One way to put it is that Harvard is the oldest college and Penn is the oldest University.</p>
<p>Recently 90% of Harvard's graduating class graduated with honors. Sounds like a lot of grade inflation. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Harvard- the first college in the U.S.
W&M- the first <em>currently</em> public college
UNC Chapel Hill- the first <em>founded as such</em> public college
U Penn- the first college to have a med school and thus become a university
Johns Hopkins- the first full-scale research university with grad programs</p>
<p>Yes, warblersrule86, a little over 90% of Harvard graduating class graduated with honors, but that doesn't mean anything unless you say what Harvard defined honors as. To really make your point, you have to include this.</p>
<p>Dartmouth - intimate setting with professors that are devoted to teaching undergrads over doing research. Has the top business grad school in the country and top 50 engineering and med schools.</p>
<p>IBclass06, I don't really know much about Charlotte, my parents split a while ago, and my dad just moved out there. I don't live with him, but I visit every now and then, but I really just put Charlotte because its refreshing in comparison to where I actually live</p>
<p>"Has the top business grad school"</p>
<p>What does that mean? According to whom?</p>