<p>^ lockn, I remember seeing a more current Gallup poll.</p>
<p>And his post reflected that. One line per tenth.</p>
<p>Here’s one from 2003:
[Harvard</a> Number One University in Eyes of Public](<a href=“http://www.gallup.com/poll/9109/Harvard-Number-One-University-Eyes-Public.aspx]Harvard”>Harvard Number One University in Eyes of Public)</p>
<p>Bigger numbers, and Berkeley is clearly the top public according to the general population.</p>
<p>UCLA above UT, UT tied with UNC.</p>
<p>Exactly Pizzagirl. That’s EXACTLY what I wanted to get to with this thread.</p>
<p>Don’t forget Michigan Lockn. ;)</p>
<p>According to the general population means nothing though since the general population is basing it on familiarity/ubiquity which isn’t the same thing as excellence.</p>
<p>superpippo,</p>
<p>from the 2003 Gallup poll…interesting find:</p>
<p>
A&M over UT?</p>
<p>Put another way, it’s like asking the average joe what the nicest watch is. They’ll say Rolex because that’s what they know as “best watch”. A true watch collector might rattle off a dozen other brands that are better. Who cares what the masses think? Only someone insecure. I’d rather go to a better school that only those in the know are aware of than worry about the masses.</p>
<p>Clearly, having “Texas” in your name is a benefit, not a drag.</p>
<p>Of course the gallup poll is useless, I brought it up because hippo keeps saying that UT is more well-known. I’d rather go to Swarthmore than any of these.</p>
<p>
Good point pizzagirl, Gallup realized that and came up with this:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Most academics are liberals so schools from more traditionally conservatives states (like Texas) are at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>If that is the case, I wouldn’t want to go to a school that the best academics refuse to teach at. Or, maybe academics don’t care about sports so they just mention the schools that are actually superior (of course, larger schools have an advantage in that survey).</p>
<p>
Bang up job! You’ve certainly given me a billion times more reason to dislike people from Texas. I’ll stick with the leftist kool-aid drinkers here any day over the hate-filled bigoted likes of you over there.</p>
<p>I didn’t say best. I said most.</p>
<p>Gerhard Casper seems to agree exactly with the Gallup Poll conducted on educated people. He said that Cal and Michigan were arguably among the top half dozen universities in the US. Naaaahhh, that’s probably just a coincidence.</p>
<p>Stick with it in your broke liberal state of California.</p>
<p>
I really like the IWC Grande Complication…but I don’t have $250k to drop on a “timepiece”. ;)</p>
<p>
The survey in question was not necessarily of academics, just of college grads.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Nor am I aware that your point has anything to do with Berkeley’s reputation in 1880, which is the topic of contention.</p>
<p>Superpippo:</p>
<p>You’re making it sound like everyone here is bashing UT and the South itself. No one here is doing that. No one doubts that UT is a great school. It is a reputable institution with many strong programs. USNews is not “liberal BIASed” or South hater. In case you didn’t notice, UVA, Duke, UNC, and Rice, among others, are ranked in USNWR’s top 30 schools. </p>
<p>The fact is, however, that schools in the Northeast are ON AVERAGE older than those in the South or West. I’m not saying that a school’s age directly has an influence on a school’s academic quality, but there is definitely a correlation between the two (just look at the ivies). And as usual, California is an exception.</p>
<p>Top publics like Michigan, UVA and UCB didn’t become world-renowned by chance (e.g. athletic success). The strength of their programs (whether it be Business, Law, or even Art History… it doesn’t matter) consistently draws top applicants who want to study under the best academics in their field.</p>
<p>And as I said before, good sports teams do not make a school prestigious. Well… at least not to people who matter at least. Academics couldn’t care less, and surely a top student will not choose his/her school based on its football team’s record.</p>
<p>Anyways, your fragmented logic, rash generalizations and pointless bashing of wonderful cities is just exacerbating my negative views of the South as a place full of bitter, ignorant people.</p>