Notre Dame/Vanderbilt/Emory Tied at 18th In Rankings?!?!?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Notre Dame
1

<p>Bare with me here ya'll...I need some input! These three schools have been pretty close the last few years (with this year being a dead heat). The thing I want some feedback about is how this is?!?! I don't take the US News rankings as gospel but it is compelling. Just look at the average stats for each school (compiled from the reliable collegeboard.com)...</p>

<p>Notre Dame
SAT - 1405
ACT - 32.5
Acceptance rate - 24%</p>

<p>Vanderbilt
SAT - 1390
ACT - 31.5
Acceptance Rate - 33%</p>

<p>Emory
SAT - 1385
ACT - 31
Acceptance Rate - 27%</p>

<p>Although lacking a social life (a determinant that is NOT considered in the rankings, thank goodness) Notre Dame is more impressive. </p>

<p>The other schools are great but can someone tell me how they are tied???</p>

2

<p>Peer evaluations...nobody likes the Catholics, and since when are we lacking a social life?</p>

3

<p>I believe we also win in categories like retention and graduation rates and endowment, but we get screwed in the peer evals. And we are definitely NOT lacking a social life.</p>

4

<p>No no, don't get me wrong...I had a great time at Notre Dame socially. What I am saying, though, is that it is not as conducive to partying and socializing as other schools. Granted, I am biased because I went to University of Michigan freshman year and did my graduate work at Arizona State University. It was an easy trade, though, to pick Notre Dame's less party-oriented scene...one that I will never regret!</p>

<p>But you are right...among non-LAC universities that people actually know of, Notre Dame is ranked first (ahead of all the Ivies) in graduation rate after 4 years (90%). Also, we are tied for #1 (with Yale, Princeton, etc...) in freshman retention rate (98%). Couple that with the incredible student athlete graduation rates, and we got ourselves a winner!</p>

<p>GO ND!!</p>

5

<p>I'm a Vandy person. </p>

<p>I think Vandy/ND/Emory peer grouping is apt. The schools are pretty much equal. The only yearly unbelievable part of the US News and World Distort annual ivy love fest is the over rank of Wash U. It makes you question their matrix.</p>

6

<p>I beg to differ...Wash U is a really good school with test averages that far exceed any of ours. That, coupled with the medical program, makes it a pretty darn good school. I'm still not a fan of the place, though.</p>

7

<p>Emory has more protestants, they win</p>

8

<p>gee why do everyone look at rankings... they are useless</p>

9

<p>They may be useless, but people make college decisions based upon them, hence they are very important. Higher rankings help recruit the best students. It is just unfortunate that many "smart" students don't spend the time to look into the methodology used.</p>

10

<p>i think % of students who are sexually active should be 20% of a school's overall ranking to account for "social life." that would solve all these ranking problems.</p>