<p>For MA, the article stumbled upon the right school - UMass Lowell.</p>
<p>Okay, For NJ, I’ll say Montclair State. I’ve known a lot of top students who’ve gone there and gotten great educations --their music and theater departments are top notch.</p>
<p>I’d love to see what people would suggest for Illinois. Definitely NOT UIUC, though. </p>
<p>Illinois? How about:</p>
<p>Illinois Institute of Technology? (but I have an engineering bias…) </p>
<p>^^^
Good one, Gator. </p>
<p>I’d have to nominate Wright-State for Ohio. They have outstanding programs in Musical Theater and engineering, with internships available at the large Air Force base nearby.</p>
<p>Any thoughts on Virginia?</p>
<p>The most over-rated college - the one that rejected me.</p>
<p>The most under-rated college - the one I attend.</p>
<p>I think for Virginia, Virginia Tech is right on, and I agree with NCSU for NC. In both these states, the state flagship is a superstar, yet Virginia Tech and NCSU are excellent schools in their own rights. Because the state flagships are so popular, the other schools tend to be shadowed, but if you look at them individually, they are strong schools that have some excellent programs. </p>
<p>So far we have:</p>
<p>Florida: New College of Florida
Illinois: Illinois Institute of Technology
MA: UMASS Lowell
Michigan: Michigan Tech
NC: NC State, UNC-Wilmington. UNC-Asheville
NJ: Montclair State
Ohio: Wright-State
Utah: Snow College
Virginia: Virginia Tech</p>
<p>NC State and Virginia Tech are well respected engineering schools, but based on being over shadowed by the state flagships, well keep them on our list. Any other Virginia schools we can add?</p>
<p>In Georgia I’d argue it’s Oxford College of Emory. Easily one of the most unique colleges in the country with excellent financial aid, high racial and geographic diversity, and academically at Emory Main campus’ level. Also much less selective than Emory’s main campus. Few people know of it even in Georgia. A strong, underrated GA public would likely be Georgia College and State University.</p>
<p>Oklahoma: Well I can’t think of any Oklahoma schools which are particularly under or overrated. Within the state, maybe the University of Tulsa although the liberal arts programs are not especially rigorous. Oklahoma State and University of Oklahoma are too highly regarded instate to be considered underrated. I’m not impressed by the academics of the other publics, including the state’s LAC.</p>
<p>@Marsian “UNC is not a safety school for anyone, including top students in NC. Plenty of valedictorians and other very high-achieving students do not get in. Anyone who depends on a UNC admission is not being realistic.”</p>
<p>Going to disagree with you here. If you’re in the top 1 or 2 of your high school class in one of the less populated counties in NC, with good scores, then UNC is a safety.</p>
<p>For Georgia, I don’t agree with University of North Georgia. First of all, it’s a new conglomeration of two older universities, so I’d wait a few years before I called it underrated. Second of all, though, it’s not all that excellent.</p>
<p>I’d actually say that the most underrated in the public system is probably Georgia College & State University. Students have above-average test scores and generally decent GPAs; it’s a public liberal arts college, so smaller classes and a smaller student body. But when I suggested it to my sister-in-law (who has her heart set on Southern but low test scores), she looked at me blankly. She hadn’t heard of it!</p>
<p>Also don’t necessarily agree with CSI - it’s not that great a school. I’m going to say City or Hunter Colleges (probably City College; most people would say Hunter is a good school). City also has a 10% acceptance rate!</p>
<p>^ When you say Southern, do you mean GA Southern?</p>
<p>keepittoyourself – I’ve known top students (ranked #1 and 2) in schools in less populated counties who did not get in UNC. It is no one’s safety.</p>
<p>I agree with several prior posters that NC State doesn’t get nearly as much respect as it should in the rankings. North Carolina residents, though, know better.</p>
<p>I second the notion that UNC-Ch is NOT a safety school for anyone. Elite flagship schools are no longer safeties, even for top students. UVa is not a “safety” school anymore for the students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Northern Va. (I’ve read complaints that TJ HS is too cryptic) This year, the acceptance rate at TJ for UVa fell below 50%.</p>
<p>I would argue that UNC-Greensboro and UNC-Wilmington are more underrated than NC State.
In Virginia, ODU and James Madison are often undershadowed by UVa and Va Tech.</p>
<p>Depends what</p>
<p>While Wright State in Ohio has good programs, I would nominate University of Cincinnati in Ohio. Good Engineering with mandatory co-ops, Medical programs and hospital, a top Architecture program and a Conservatory of Music all in a very compact campus. It’s always overshadowed by Ohio State and I think some of it’s programs (ie. the Conservatory and DAAP, architecture program)are superior to it’s big brother.</p>
<p>^ You make good points but I thought UC was pretty highly regarded while Wright-State is not known well at all. CCM, DAAP and the engineering coop program are pretty much known as among the best in the country. I didn’t know about the architecture.</p>
<p>Ohio’s mid sized schools each have their strengths. Kent State for fashion design, Toledo for engineering and pharmacy, Ohio U. for Communications, Akron for ChemE, Miami for Business, Bowling Green for teaching etc. I think Wright State is a terrific opportunity for those who live in the Dayton area to get a degree in specific types of engineering and musical theater. All in all Ohio has some very good universities for nearly any program one might be interested in. Unless you choose OSU or perhaps UC the best programs are spread out amongst it’s various universities.</p>
<p>UC’s Architecture program is part of the DAAP. The architecture of the campus is quite interesting as well. They put a ton of money into the campus in the first decade of this century. </p>