<p>cre8tive1-your post was barely legible. While Bennington has many students that are artists, or at least dabble in some artistic endeavour, I wouldn't call it " a(sic) art-dominated school". Princeton Review lists the most popular majors as English Language and Literature, Social Sciences, and THEN Visual and Performing Arts. Languages are another strength and you should check out the new Democracy project. As far as intellectual students-- Bennington is consistently listed in the top 50 schools for Phd output in ALL areas (not just art) placed above much larger and more "prestigious" schools such as Northwestern and William and Mary. Marlboro isn't even in the top 100 as far as I can see.</p>
<p>Over half of Bennington students are art majors (51% in viewbook, 53% on Collegeboard), and I am very familiar with the school. A tenth of our school were Bennington art majors.</p>
<p>2nd, I'd love to see these output rankings, if they are proportional, that hold little water with me to compare the output of a school of 600 students. If you're referring to Weighted Baccalaureate Origins Study, do you honestly believe those rankings make for a superior institution? And by the way, Marlboro makes three top ten appearances in those same rankings.</p>
<p>The fact that Hampshire, Shimer, Bennington, AND Marlboro (check top PhD output for Area studies, ethnic studies, and philosophy) top HPYS and even Williams & Amherst in all categories for proportional PhD output does not once make me think they're superior institutions.</p>
<p>Really read any review of Marlboro (including my old one) and you'll here boundless speaking of their very-unique academic program especially for Global Studies. That's why I put above, were it not for that, I'd say Marlboro is in a three-way tie with Bennington and Castelton.</p>
<p>WAKE IS NOT BETTER THAN DAVIDSON! i refuse to accept this.</p>
<p>^^ Hard to compare them...</p>
<p>Wow...this is the most stupid thread I came across...</p>
<p>I thought this thread would have died by now...ha.</p>
<p>LACs:</p>
<p>Lawrence
Beloit
Ripon</p>
<p>Universities:</p>
<p>Wisconsin
UW-Milwaukee
UW-LaCrosse</p>
<p>Alabama:
Auburn University
Samford University
University of Montevallo</p>
<p>what's better: Amherst or Williams? I know they are similar, but is one generally more highly regarded?</p>
<p>There's no such thing of which is better between Williams and Amherst. They are basically equal and is just a matter of personal fit. If I had to guess, Amherst has been #1 on USNWR more times (for what that's worth, not much). I think in recent times, Amherst's SAT has been higher, but acceptance rate is higher too, so is a little more self-selecting, especially given its somewhat smaller size. I get the impression that the personality of Amherst is more like Princeton, while the personality of Williams is more like Dartmouth.</p>
<p>It's hard to fairly compare b/c as institutions alone, they are pretty on par, however Amherst has a mass more of resources and of college life b/c of Northhampton and the Five Colleges.</p>
<p>A good example, one of Williams relatively weak areas is foreign languages, with Amherst, b/c of the Five Colleges World Language Center, Amherst students have access to over 30 languages programs in addition to acoordinated International Relations program between the five schools. </p>
<p>It one reason why future politicians may opt for Amherst over Williams, resources in perticular.</p>
<p>The reason Williams is ranked over Amherst, noted by their office are two:
1) Larger endowment (even though both school have over $1 billion)
2) Williams Tutorial Program (special academic course where two students have full attention of a professor)</p>
<p>Academically, both on par, but if you put a gun to my head and say which one is better, I'd say Amherst has the whole package b/c of it choice location in Happy Valley.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
I get the impression that the personality of Amherst is more like Princeton, while the personality of Williams is more like Dartmouth.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Aghhhhhh, tha.t comparison urks me...</p>
<p>Okay, let me flesh this out like I did before:
The main issue I have with that comparison is the way Princeton runs their curriculum and classes. The school offers very little breadth for students' study and I'd say if you do not know exactly what you want to do when you attend then it is not the school for you. There is no double majoring or minoring, studying outside of your field (humanities/sciences/social sciences) is made difficult and the office makes it sound next to impossible for non-art majors to at all take advantage of the dance and music programs. And the overall atmosphere to me is rather pompous with many people putting up walls.</p>
<p>Princeton's curriculum is basically the exact opposite of the breadth, freedom, and trust that Amherst puts into it's students (i.e. no core curriculum and triple majoring is not rare) </p>
<p>Of all the Ivies, I'd connect Amherst closest with Brown. Also, for some reason, I've seen Amherst as having a much more visible and reach out alumni network, much in the way of Wellesley. Though no LAC competes with the strength of Wellesley's network, I've heard often heard comments like Amherst is like coed Wellesley or Wellesley with a weenie to give people a picture of Amherst academics/college type.</p>
<p>Michigan</p>
<ol>
<li>MSU</li>
<li>Michigan</li>
<li>Western Michigan</li>
</ol>
<p>Go State! We must shorten the gap between MSU and michigan. I dont have anything against people going to michigan, I know 2 people in my school that are going there and they are the coolest, funniest, smartest people.</p>
<p>Cre8tive, didn't mean to irk you. I meant the comparison more socially than academically. Brown was the other school I was going to use in the analogy instead of Princeton, except that from the impression I get from all the people I know from Amherst, it doesn't seem to have the hippy, liberal bent that is associated with Brown.</p>
<p>Idaho:
University of Idaho
Boise State University
Albertson College of Idaho</p>
<p>Oregon:
Reed College
Lewis and Clark College
University of Oregon</p>
<p>Nevada:
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Reno
Nevada State College</p>
<p>Utah:
Brigham Young University-Provo
University of Utah
Westminster College</p>
<p>Wyoming:
University of Wyoming
Casper College
Wyoming College</p>
<p>Colorado:
The Air Force Academy
The Colorado College
Colorado School of Mines</p>
<p>New Mexico:
University of New Mexico
New Mexico State University
St. Johns College</p>
<p>KAL:</p>
<p>Stanford
Berkley
CALTech</p>
<p>Michigan</p>
<ol>
<li>U of M</li>
<li>Kalamazoo<br></li>
<li>Michigan Tech</li>
</ol>
<p>Kalamazoo is, statistically, by far the best LAC in the state. There is no close second.</p>
<p>Albion isnt really that far behind</p>
<p>SBDad--Agreed about K College. Trumps all the other LAC's.<br>
Drew--Albion has a bit of an identity problem as it gets lumped into the "A" school pile...Albion, Adrian, Alma, Aquinas...most people can't distinguish one from another.</p>
<p>True, but academically Albion is the clear number 2 in Michigan (LAC-wise)</p>
<p>Minnesota:
Carleton
University of Minnesota TC
Macalaster</p>
<p>(in no specific order)</p>