<p>Overrated: VANDERBILT, Tufts, WUSTL, Berkeley (undergrad), Notre Dame</p>
<p>Underrated: Cornell, Emory, Dartmouth, Rice</p>
<p>it is possible for schools to be over/under rated, kk..</p>
<p>I do not disagree with this. I would like to see reasoning behind what people say, however.</p>
<p>And what's wrong with Oregon?</p>
<p>overrated: WUSTL</p>
<p>underrated: USMA (West Point), USNA (Annapolis)</p>
<p>Just wondering...why do so many people say WUSTL is overrated? It seems like a really good school, is among the top in many rankings, most people who go there love it, etc etc...</p>
<p>finally Case Western getting some love :-D</p>
<p>i think they're underrated</p>
<p>WUSTL slightly overrated</p>
<p>WUSTL is not overrated. They are finding their niche now, and apparently some people think that their efforts to improve the quality of their student body and academic reputation makes them "overrated".</p>
<p>Like was mentioned in the supporting thread, "Why is WUSTL overrated", every high-ranking school has to get aggressive at some point if it wants to change. WUSTL is doing that now.</p>
<p>It's a fabulous school that attracts some of the best students in the country. Their retention rate is 96%. Their ACT average is 30-33, higher than Brown. It is NOT overrated.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks for replying, renin! I was starting to have doubts about applying there (which would just be silly, since I love everything about the school.)</p>
<p>As do I. I will be applying RD this year. Just sent in my pre-app data sheet and payment today, actually!</p>
<p>
Since you have posted your own stats numerous times on CC, why would you say this, knowing your own SAT verbal score is comfortably within this range? By the way, your SATs were terrific, you just don't seem to think they are.</p>
<p>Don't personally attack bball, he was merely making a general statement.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
School X is overrated because I say so.
School Y is underrated because I want to attend it.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>hmmm I think its the other way around. I think many people, including me, say schools are OVERrated because they want to attend it, but they know they cant get in. Although I do feel stanford is slightly overrated, I know in my heart that part of it is because I'm jelous of people that get in and that I will never get in. Similarly, I feel other schools that people know they'll get into are underrated because it makes them feel important.</p>
<p>ugh... so much hate. </p>
<p>Overrated: Harvard, Duke, Columbia, Dartmouth a little.... the don't even know how to host a proper mun conference <em>eyeroll</em>. Where I live: Bowdoin, and University of Southern Maine... haha.</p>
<p>Underrated: Colby, Bates, Bowdoin (for rest of the country) Macalester, Reed... (see question), Middlebury, McGill (Cdn), Weslyan, Vassar, Davidson, The Claremonts... etc. (yes... many of my top choices)</p>
<p>Is reed quite as... grungy as I've seen (U.S. News, random articles)? I'm into the strong education part, and the funky part.... but are the "myths" true?</p>
<p>Underrated: Harvey Mudd
Overrated: I don't know</p>
<p>they are. i visited. i saw a lot of "enlightened" wack jobs walking around who were either high or about to get high. most with odd haircuts, independent/ led zeppelin/ pink floyd/ _________ (enter hot topic graphic)/ "im a free thinker" t-shirts who try to save whales, hug trees, and bring down "the corporations" (= evil) all at the same time. reed. wow.</p>
<p>Northeastern is the most underrated school on the planet.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
Northeastern is the most underrated school on the planet.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Yes, which is why their the 4th most applied to private institution in the country, beating out all Ivies and the UMass system.</p>
<p>Severely underrated? Give me a break!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yes, which is why their the 4th most applied to private institution in the country, beating out all Ivies and the UMass system.</p>
<p>Severely underrated? Give me a break!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Maybe a lot of people applied to it as a safety, while it is good enough to be a top contender.</p>
<p>While Northeastern did move up 17 spots in the rankings this year and 52 spots since 2001, it should still be ranked significantly higher. Here’s why:</p>
<p>The U.S. News methodology is flawed because it assumes that all colleges are following a traditional academic curriculum (i.e. comparing apples to apples). But Northeastern does things quite differently. It is one of only a handful of schools to have a fully integrated co-op program (i.e. it is an orange). For example, the way the current methodology works, the rankings make it appear as if Northeastern has a higher than average student/faculty ratio. But this is only because U.S. News assumes that all NEU students are on campus taking classes at the same time. This is far from the case; nearly half of the upper-class students are off campus interning at companies (unlike most schools, Northeastern upper-class students follow rotations where they alternate semesters of academics with semester long internships related to their major). Anyone who knows Northeastern knows that class sizes are actually on the small side. The amount of money spent per student and faculty resources rank also seem low in comparison to other schools in the top 60, but again this is only because U.S. News assumes that all students are on campus at the same time using resources. Students who are on co-op should be excluded because they do not pay tuition while they’re interning. Northeastern really has more money to spend on the students who are on campus taking classes. Again, anyone who has visited Northeastern recently knows that the school has plenty of money. All the facilities are new and the professors, administrators, etc. are earning top dollar. </p>
<p>Another flaw in the U.S. News rankings methodology is the use of a six year graduation retention rate. Again, U.S. News assumes that all schools are following a traditional four year academic model. But again, Northeastern does things differently. A very large number of NEU students choose the five year co-op program (a four year program is available but for some reason it is less popular). Northeastern also offers a six year PharmD program. Obviously, Northeastern's graduation stats would be significantly higher if U.S. News factored this into the rankings, but they don't.</p>
<p>Still, even with its nontraditional curriculum, Northeastern has been climbing in the rankings. This is primarily because the university has made significant gains in selectivity and research expenditures. Northeastern should continue to rise as it becomes more nationally known. This year, the university received 6500 EA apps out of a total of 27,100 apps which is a new record. The university is also in the process of hiring 100 new star faculty. The new faculty will significantly lower the university's student/faculty ratio (this should make up for the shortfall in the rankings).</p>
<p>As a side note, the university administration has been lobbying U.S. News to make some changes to their rankings methodology so that it takes into account the university’s nontraditional academic curriculum. Rumor has it that U.S. News will be making some changes to their methodology next year to account for recent changes in the Carnegie Classifications (the data that U.S. News currently uses to tabulate the ranking is now several years old). The changes should be result in a boost for Northeastern since research spending has nearly doubled since the classification.</p>