Most overrated/underrated school on the USNWR?

[vasudevank]

<p>@Phead128 - I didn't know JHU had strong programs in the humanities. The Biomedical engineering, cell biology, etc make sense due to the strong number of people who aspire to go to JHU medical instead postpone with graduate programs. JHU's ranking seemed a little high compared with other schools such as UC Berkeley or Cornell being ranked very low.</p>

[Pizzagirl]

<p>
[quote]
johns hopkins is only good at pre-med if you had a ranking for pre med then it would be number 1, however this is an overall ranking. I doubt Johns Hopkins is world renowned in anything else.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Uh, creative writing? JHU is a powerhouse there too.</p>

[dilksy]

<p>I used to think Johns Hopkins was just a medical school. And for all intents and purposes, I still think of it that way. Well, I guess a med school with a lacrosse team.</p>

[Bescraze]

<p>
[quote]
Do you have something against NU? It seems as if every other post of yours comments on how underrated Brown is and how undeserving NU seems to be with its rank of #12.

[/quote]

No. I think that it deserves to be in the top 12-15 range with Wash U, Cornell and Hopkins. I do not believe it deserves to be any higher. In other words it is right where it is, but calling it underrated is ridiculous. </p>

<p>

@pizzagirl

So? Are only the highest qualified seniors allowed to weigh in on whether colleges are overrated or underrated? It's like the opinion of someone who isn't top-20 bound almost seems not to matter to you.

Precisely, but just to be fair its more like top-25 :)</p>

[kyledavid80]

<p>In the US News ranking, I'd say:</p>

<p>Overrated: Duke, WUStL, Princeton, Penn, Caltech, Rice, Emory, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Clemson, UC Riverside</p>

<p>Underrated: Stanford (in some cases, when it's ranked outside the top 4), Cornell, Brown, Berkeley, U Michigan, UVA, UCLA, UNC, Georgetown, UC Santa Cruz</p>

[ewho]

<p>Overrated: most private schools admitting more than 3500+ students.
Underrated: most large state flagship schools admitting more than 3500+ students.</p>

[swimguy112]

<p>Overrated: BROWN <--- this is a biggy, Princeton</p>

<p>Underrated: Rice, Berkeley, UVA, most state schools actually</p>

[kingofqueens]

<p>
[quote]
Overrated: BROWN

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Brown is #16, how is that overrated?</p>

[gradatgrad]

<p>

@Bescraze

Also just out of curiosity how is NU at 12th remotely underrated, are people joking? Even Cornell is a stretch, calling it underrated at 14? Forget Cornell for a second, can you name one university ranked above NU that is worse than it? I highly doubt it

I would put WUStL below NU. Maybe U of C as well, but probably just WUStL.</p>

[gradatgrad]

<p>

@Pizzagirl

No, there doesn't. For example, the Northeasterner thinks that Fordham is underrated. The Midwesterner thinks that Purdue is underrated. The Californian thinks that UC-Riverside is underrated. Now what? How is there majority opinion?

Because there exist people who will have an opinion on all three.</p>

[Bescraze]

<p>
[quote]
would put WUStL below NU

[/quote]

I wouldn't, NU has a much higher acceptance rate than Wash U and a weaker student body for one.</p>

[gradatgrad]

<p>

@Bescraze

I wouldn't, NU has a much higher acceptance rate than Wash U and a weaker student body for one.

Mostly a product of increased applications as a result of overaggressive marketing on the part of Wash U, and the school being smaller than NU, wouldn't you agree? In fact, the statistics bear this out. Northwestern's yield rate stands at 38% while Wash U's is 32%.</p>

<p>

@Bescraze

and a weaker student body for one.

</p>

<p>I would like to know how you come upon these assertions. The difference in test scores is miniscule and perhaps statistically insignificant. NU is certainly the more diverse campus. Unlike Wash U, NU does not feel the need to offer merit aid to attract top students.</p>

[noobcake]

<p>And NU does not have to give like a huge proportion of accepted students a free trip (with food and lodging included of course) to come and visit.</p>

<p>Besides NU is actually a very academically reputable school. I have yet to find out what WashU is good at (beside strong student body and strong medical school).</p>

[swimguy112]

<p>Yeah WUSTL is overrated. The only thing that truly stands out is their medical school</p>

[arbiter213]

<p>

@collegeboard.com]<br> [ul]<br> [<em>]<strong>Northwestern University</strong><br> [li]27% Accepted[/li][</em>]670 – 750 Reading<br> [<em>]680 – 770 Math<br> [</em>]660 – 750 Writing<br> [<em>]ACT Composite 30-34<br> [</em>

Undergrad Pop: 8,284 [/ul] [ul] [<em>]Washington University in St. Louis [li]17% Accepted[/li][</em>]680 – 750 Reading [<em>]690 – 780 Math [</em>]ACT Composite 30-33 [li]Undergrad Pop: 7,253[/li][/ul]

</p>

<p>Yes. Much stronger. Obviously. And I wont point out the differences in admissions policies and yield rates that have already been covered.</p>

[highopes]

<p>Georgetown is painfully underrated.</p>

<p>And on the topic of WUSTL..I dunno about overrated, but I refuse to apply there just for the amount of spam mail they send me. ;)</p>

[UCBChemEGrad]

<p>

@kyledavid

Stanford (in some cases, when it's ranked outside the top 4)

Well, no need to worry, buddy...if I recall, it's tied for 4th with MIT this year. It just looks underranked because USNews lists ties alphabetically...;)</p>

[gradatgrad]

<p>More schools I feel are underrated:</p>

<p>U Denver -- (arguably the best university in the Rockies? strong academic tradition)
Tulane -- (definitely the best university in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas)</p>

[aquamarinee]

<p>WUSTL waitlists almost every applicant it does not accept. THAT is why their yield rate is nearly as high as NU's. They try to appear to be highly selective. NU does not play such games.</p>

[swimguy112]

<p>hmm i wasn't aware that the 2009 version came out..</p>

<p>here it is for everyone else who didn't know</p>

<p>National</a> Universities Rankings - College - Education - US News and World Report</p>