The College Confidential Rankings

Applying to College
1

<p>We all live and die by the rankings (whether you admit to it or not), but I think it would have been a lot less stressful for college admissions if the rankings were done in tiers. That way, there would be more emphasis on finding the school that is the best fit rather than the one that is one spot higher on the rankings. I urge each member of cc to read over these rankings and adjust them as need be. </p>

<p>Here is what I have come up with: </p>

<ul>
<li>Best of the Best -</li>
</ul>

<p>California Institute of Technology
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
Harvard University
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology
Princeton University
Stanford University
University of Pennsylvania
Yale University </p>

<ul>
<li><p>Excellent -
Brown University
Cornell University
Emory University
Johns Hopkins University
Northwestern University
Rice University
University of California—Berkeley
Univ. of California—Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Washington University in St. Louis</p>

<ul>
<li>Very Good -</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

<p>Brandeis University
Carnegie Mellon University
College of William and Mary
Georgetown University
Tufts University
New York University
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
U. of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
Univ. of Southern California
Wake Forest University</p>

2

<p>Interesting first CC post. I wonder what ranking criteria you are using, and how you came to be such an expert?</p>

<p>Obviously, your list has no merit whatsoever because you ignored LACs ;) :-P</p>

3

<p>I also like the idea of tiers. When you get right down to it, the difference between the overall quality of the academics between #1 and #8 is not significant enough to be an important differentiating factor. Nothing jumps out as obviously wacky, but I agree that LAC's should really be added in. They always seem to get left when people are doing rankings.</p>

4

<p>Wayyy off! I'm not going to even try to correct it...you're going to feel the wrath soon enough. This list is pretty much the crap the USNews puts out.</p>

5

<p>I agree that tiers are much better, but you're doing it a bit too precisely. Basically, in my opinion, all top 25 or so schools are tier-1 schools. The difference between #2 and #22 is pretty insignificant, if even existent. Funny, though, that you put UPenn as a tier-1, while you put Cornell as tier-2 (they're often cited as being on level with one another).</p>

6

<p>"The difference between #2 and #22 is pretty insignificant, if even existent."</p>

<p>-So the difference between Harvard and say Carnegie Mellon or Berkeley is insignificant? ..... Absurd...</p>

7

<p>
[quote]
-So the difference between Harvard and say Carnegie Mellon or Berkeley is insignificant? ..... Absurd...

[/quote]

Let's ignore prestige and admission rates for a minute. What can a science student get at Harvard that he cannot get at Carnegie Mellon?
And what makes Berkeley different from Harvard in your opinion?</p>

8

<p>I hate to attack the sacred cow but it has to be said: I know numerous people who have either gone to, or taught at, Harvard and NONE of them have any desire to send their children there for undergrad. The actual education is just not that good at that level.</p>

9

<p>About right, but I would put Gtown in tier 2.</p>

10

<p>In terms of measuring student body quality, I think this is a pretty good list. That Top 10 is a pretty impressive group of schools and the students who go there. I would only make a couple of changes. </p>

<p>MOVE UP
U Chicago, Wash U and Rice to Tier 1 from Tier 2.
Notre Dame, Georgetown and W&M to Tier 2 from Tier 3.
Add Boston College to Tier 3.</p>

11

<p>I would say move up Brown to the "Best of the Best", Georgetown up to Tier 2 and add BC and you're good!</p>

12

<p>Move Tufts and Georgetown to Tier 2</p>

13

<p>one problem in it is that it lacks one group.
a tier between Best of Best and Excellent.
and the group probably should have Brown, Cornell, Washington University in St.Louis, and Northwestern.</p>

14

<p>i dont see any value in doing these rankings though</p>

15

<p>The value is that it's just a fun way to apply our obsessions with college.. :p</p>

16

<p>Hey, and uh guys... what about the LACs..... Williams, Amherst, Wellsely, Swarthmore, Carleton, Pomona???</p>

17

<p>The LAC's.. Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, and Pomona probably make the top five.</p>

18

<p>^ You can't say Pomona without talking about Carleton. And Welsley is definitely up there as well.</p>

19

<p>^^ It's Wellesley :)</p>

20

<p>^ My bad. [10 char]</p>