<p>CU-Boulder
Indiana
Penn State
San Diego St.
Arizona St.
Washington St.</p>
<p>Oh and don't just rank them by their academics......do it by overall experience (academics, students, social life, athletics, school spirit, campus, location, weather, etc.)</p>
<p>overall experience... hmmmm....</p>
<p>1) Indiana
2) Penn State
3) San Diego
4) Washington
5) Boulder
6) Arizona</p>
<p>OMHP, of course :P</p>
<p>All of the student bodies are very similar. You would be nitpicking to find differences, the SAT ranges of each school are within 50 points of each other. As for academics, Indiana, Penn State, and Colorado have good reputations, they are slightly better than WSU, ASU, and SDSU. All schools are great party schools with a good social life. Only SDSU isn't a Big 6 conference school, the only one lacking a bit in sports. ASU and SDSU have great weather. UC Boulder has a great location, because of all the skiing and snowboarding in the winter. Location is based on your own preference. ASU and SDSU are in big cities in warm environments. IU, WSU, PSU, and UC Boulder are all in colder environments. </p>
<p>I would rate them this way:</p>
<p>1) Indiana - Of course I rank this #1
2) Penn State - Wonderful football team, but town is boring and near nothing
3) UC Boulder - Lots of OOS students, in the mountains
4) WSU - Campus is boring and near nothing
5) ASU - Commuter campus would have me worried
6) SDSU - Don't like their sport environment, lots of commuters</p>
<p>I think PSU, IU, and UColorado are all great schools and could be ranked in any order, they separate themselves from the other schools.</p>
<p>"ASU and SDSU have great weather."</p>
<p>umm, what the hell? ASU has great weather? haha if you like it 110 degrees. ive never heard anyone say ASU has great weather. but i will agree San Diego has great weather, deffiantly nothing like ASU. But both ASU and SDSU have fun school environments, as does every school listed with the possible exception of WSU, although im sure some would debate this. Its hard to rate them as some are better overall academically, and some revolve more around sports, and others more around partying. </p>
<p>Best for Parties (in no particular order):
SDSU
Colorado-Boulder
ASU</p>
<p>Best for Sports (in no particular order):
Indiana
Penn State
ASU
Colorado-Boulder
ASU</p>
<p>Good for Academics (in no particular order):
Indiana
Penn State
Colorado-Boulder</p>
<p>Truth be told, I live in Michigan and go to school in Indiana. Anywhere with heat is fine by me :) I'll take a heat index of 110 over -30 wind chill.</p>
<p>And I greatly contest only listing those 3 schools as party schools. Penn State ranked 2nd overall in Princeton Review's top party school list. Indiana ranked 4th in Playboy's 2006 top party school list. They are top party schools and deserve recognition for it.</p>
<p>I've lived in arizona all my life, I love the weather! As long as you stay hydrated, and wear comfortable clothing, 110 is very bearable. I work at a day camp all day out in the sun, it's great!</p>
<p>"Good for Academics (in no particular order):
Indiana
Penn State
Colorado-Boulder"</p>
<p>Ok, I agree that Penn State and Indiana should definitely be on that list, but I think ASU has better academics than Colorado.</p>
<p>"I've lived in arizona all my life, I love the weather! As long as you stay hydrated, and wear comfortable clothing, 110 is very bearable."</p>
<p>-haha. bearable. i disagree, i think thats terrible. but thats beside the point. the other poster stated "good weather", and i dont think anyone can really argue or debate that the fact that 110 degrees is deffiantly not what most people would refer to as "good" weather. im sure we can debate if its bearable, but putting it in the same category as San Diego is not realistic.</p>
<p>"but I think ASU has better academics than Colorado."</p>
<p>-no way. colorado is a stronger overall academic institution than ASU. No doubt about it. Check US News, but im almost positive that Colorado is ranked substantially higher than ASU. I wouldnt even think they would be close. Not that rankings are everything, but i would imagine it pretty universally excepted that Colorado is a better academic university, as well as being signifcantly harder to get into. I wouldnt list ASU in the list of strong on academics. Im not saying its bad, cause it deffiantly is a good school with some strong departments, but probably isnt usually thought of as strong academic school. I deff wouldnt mind going out to ASU though, ive heard the campus is really nice and the people are beautiful, supposed to be the best looking in the country. and the parties are supposed to be insane. </p>
<p>"And I greatly contest only listing those 3 schools as party schools. Penn State ranked 2nd overall in Princeton Review's top party school list. Indiana ranked 4th in Playboy's 2006 top party school list. They are top party schools and deserve recognition for it."</p>
<p>-My bad, i know more about the academics and such than the parties. I didnt know penn state and indiana were such party schools, so include them in the party school list as well.</p>
<p>Would anyone else like to post their opinion?</p>
<p>Okay how would you rank IU, Penn State, and CU only?</p>
<p>It depends on what you're looking for, really.</p>
<p>CU Boulder, for example, is a great school, but it's very earthy and hippie. Be prepared for dreadlocks and weed. </p>
<p>Indiana and Penn State are probably stronger academically, but both are in tiny college towns, and have a slightly more conservative/traditional feel.</p>
<p>I would actually say that it's more about money - I wouldn't pay more money for one school over the other. I would say you have the best chance for money at IU, probably 5-7K/year. PSU is very stingy with aid, only a small percent get it and they are Honors College students. CU Boulder gives it out in very small amounts, average merit award being about 1500.</p>
<p>All are similar schools; large, in small cities, 2/3 in-state students, 1/3 live on-campus, 80% white, have solid academic reputations, student bodies are similar in terms of SAT scores, all are party schools. </p>
<p>Location and the focal point of the campus would be the main difference CU Boulder is a outdoor sports paradise, PSU is a football lover's paradise, IU is a basketball lover's paradise.</p>