Top 10 schools with most stressful academics?

College Search & Selection
41

<p>right service academies have the most stressful time overall, but I highly doubt they have the most stressful academics. While reading through a college essay book from PR which lists stats along w/ essay and test scores, it seemed like every student that went to a service academy had considerably lower test scores than those that went to "civilian schools." Am I sayin all students at service academies score worse on SATs/lower GPA in high school? NO. But nearly all of them in that book did - unless Princeton Review was trying to put service academy hopefuls in a bad light. But when you look at collegeboard.com stats for a particular service academy, in the case of West Point:</p>

<p>Verbal: 570-670
Math: 600-690</p>

<p>Those are UT-Austin scores, not Harvard scores...so while these academies are far more stressful overall and I would not attend one b/c I probably couldn't handle the overall stress, it is important to give the top academic universities their due as well, since these students are overall higher scorers and get better grades.</p>

<p>Edit: Given this info, I'm pretty sure Harvard or other top unis wouldn't accept your typical West Point applicant either. They are completely different types of schools yet both offer excellent educations in their own way. </p>

<p>As for the most stressful academics, I think people are right when they say MIT or CIT.</p>

42

<p>I think schools with a lot of pre-med majors tend to be the most intense. At Rice the academic stress (NOT the quality of academics) differs significantly between pre-med and others. I have heard the same thing from students at other colleges. Agree that all the service academies are in a class of their own and I have the utmost admiration for anyone admitted and attending. They are the true superstars.</p>

43

<p>I think you are starting to see the Ivies look more and more at qualities other than having 1600 SAT scores. Perusing CC the last 2 years I have come across more and more posts of perfect SAT students that don't get into their first choice yet someone with a 1450 or 1300 does. West Point is interested in the "whole person" and so while they may or may not have a perfect SAT (and some do) they are also not "Sylvester Poindexter". Most have varsity letters, a large amount of extra-curriculars, are in great athletic and medical condition. The academies want people that will be able to think on their feet, who can make quality decisions under great stress and pressure. The service academies are actually concerned with the final product of the person that they produce, something I just don't see in a civilian school. What would happen if the honor code was announced, promoted, and enforced at Harvard, Yale, or Columbia? That may be one of the reason's the business community snaps them up in a heartbeat if they decide to leave the service.</p>

44

<p>“The service academies might be stressful, but thats becuase partying and destressing isn't allowed, not because their academics are top notch”</p>

<p>Gee TTP, how does one go about qualifying that kind of opinion? I think all the schools listed have stressful academics. They’ve all earned their reputations & respectability obviously. But to insinuate that service academy academics aren’t top notch is a little risky on your part considering some of the best professors in the world teach at these places just like they do at the Ivies. The engineering degrees earned at USMMA, for instance, won’t be what an MIT student has. The majors are different but no less revered in the real world. It’s a very different kind of education. Their lives are very different by being stressed in multiples. Kids who get into Ivies & kids who get into SA’s want different things. I’ve seen kids who had almost perfect SAT scores get kicked to the curb by SA’s. I’ve seen kids turn down SA’s to go to both Yale and Harvard.</p>

45

<p>I know the physical requirements of West Pt and I could certainly meet them. That doesn't say I could get in, but it does contradict the nerd stereotypes on this board. Simply being in cross country/track and being at the gym throughout high school can make the physical tests very passable. Hell, a cross country runner can easily beat their endurance tests! esp compared to the maggots that have never ran cross country.</p>

<p>Btw, let's not make his about who can take the most pain for the sake of pain. Not to diss the army, but I can stand naked outside all winter just to say I could but I think most people would opt not to.</p>

46

<p>Harvard had one Rhodes scholar last year...he received his BS from Annapolis. Incidently, the 18-20 hours most Midshipmen carry don't even include their Physical Ed classes which add another hour or two they would receive per semester at a "civilian" school. In most majors they need 140 hours plus the PE to graduate. </p>

<p>As a cross-country coach, I can honestly state that only half my team could pass the physical requirements. It isn't always that one could run and one could spend time in the gym, its that most potential Midshipmen (Cadets,etc.) did spend the time. Ninety percent of the USNA Class of 2010 were Varsity letter winners, many with mutliple letters in multiple sports. The kid from our town had 10 Varsity letters. I would assume that his SAT scores would have been higher had he not played varsity sports over four years. Just looking at the SAT scores is only a start. </p>

<p>They get to party but it isn't usually much more than knocking a few beers back their junior and senior year during the academic year and then when they're busy traveling over the summers. It certainly isn't easy and the rankings in the Princeton review change annually. Just a few years ago, Annapolis, West Point and the USAFA were all listed in the top ten. </p>

<p>And as for Parker's comment about being able to ward off hypothermia, it's one thing to think you can, it's another to actually try it, and a totally another accomplishment to get through it. That's why so few make it through Navy Seal training...the academy graduates have a very successful graduation rate at BUDS. </p>

<p>It kills me every time I hear someone say, I could have gone to the academy or I could have been a Seal. I respect the people who tried.</p>

47

<p>Sports & pain aren't the issue. Not to kids who are training to be responsible for the lives of others. They are learning lessons from what they have to do. Yep, they have to be able to push their bodies beyond limitations to be able to endure what they must. They also learn that they have to be mentally sharpened and to think logically, on their feet, under extreme stress. Then comes classes.</p>

<p>My son's girlfriend is pre-med & I just stare at her in amazement. She's awesome to take on such a commitment. They argue alot over who has it tougher. Its funny to listen to. She complained once about being up all night memorizing pages & pages of text & my son responded, "yea, I did the same but did you have to do it while sleep deprived from the night before from standing a watch until 4am then attending classes, running five miles, scrubbing the deck of a training ship & doing 20 pages of paper work after doing inventory on supplies." Both lives are hard & stressful but they are completely different from what I can see. I reminded them its not a ****ing contest & told them to go get ice cream & enjoy life for a few minutes. :)</p>

48

<p>Lol, sounds like me and my premed Wellesley sister, Jamzmom...</p>

<p>Sister: I have three labs to do today and 5+ hours studying</p>

<p>Me: Did you have to complete your labs after doing dorm-to-dorm energy metering/surveying, monitoring pH levels at the Living Machine and scrubbing tanks, attending, make that running, three meetings (Student Gov, Peer Counseling, & Environ Cltn.), an away game at Hotchkiss, and putting the dorm to sleep since I'm the RA?</p>

<p>Sister: Well, organic chemistry is hard! And I did crew at 4:00 AM</p>

<p>Me:Did I mention I fed the sheep this morning?</p>

49

<p>I think the most underrated school as far as difficulty of academics is concerned is Harvey Mudd College. We don't have the name notority of Caltech or MIT, but believe me, it is very much possible and likely that we are just as hard.</p>

50

<p>I totally agree with Mvljog. My comment about sports & pain was to Peter, trying to explain that its not all about “Ooo-rah“. My kid’s sport in high school was precision rifle. They don’t want you to move during that one. LOL His sport was a “mind game”. He really had to train hard to be able to pass the physical test for an academy. He began with a 10 minute mile. Those days are gone and he runs 5 miles almost daily now at a good clip. My point is that the sports & physical challenges are needed to make the kids mentally sharpened in ways that the books can’t teach. Helps to keep them focused & use problem solving skills. The physical challenges aren’t just one test to pass. They must maintain these physical standards throughout. I just find it completely remarkable that these kids can constantly be studying, constantly maintaining a sport & constantly living a military lifestyle all at the same time & manage to pull it off.</p>

<p>Cre8tive1, I’m so glad I don’t live at your house. The competition must be fierce! LOL I’d be going for ice cream a lot. I dunno though. Your sister might have one up on you with organic chemistry. That stuff was created by Satan. UHGG. You have sheep? Cooool.</p>

51

<p>Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the endurance test for West Point something like running 1.5 miles in 9:00 or less? Basically a 6 min mile. Most of my cross country team could handle that.</p>

52

<p>Excellent; sign them up!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.usma.edu/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usma.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

53

<p>acceptance rates are extremely misleading when refering to the military academies. a better indicator would be the overall quality of the students who apply and who are accepted. in those areas the service academies fall very short when compared to the top academic schools in the country.</p>

54

<p>Just say thank you to those men and women who go to the academies.</p>

<p>So the average kid at Yale had better HS scores than the average kid at an academy. So what. </p>

<p>My guess is the top kids at all the academies and all the top academics are pretty much interchangable.</p>

<p>I just hope I can have the honor of going to an academy in a couple of years.</p>

<p>Also, I thought this was about stress.</p>

55

<p>
[QUOTE]
Sister: I have three labs to do today and 5+ hours studying</p>

<p>Me: Did you have to complete your labs after doing dorm-to-dorm energy metering/surveying, monitoring pH levels at the Living Machine and scrubbing tanks, attending, make that running, three meetings (Student Gov, Peer Counseling, & Environ Cltn.), an away game at Hotchkiss, and putting the dorm to sleep since I'm the RA?</p>

<p>Sister: Well, organic chemistry is hard! And I did crew at 4:00 AM</p>

<p>Me:Did I mention I fed the sheep this morning?

[/QUOTE]
</p>

<p>On note of that, no I don't live on a farm. My school is on a mountainside in the Adirondacks, so we are pretty earthy-crunchy in old-fashion way (tapping trees for maple syrup & sheep barn next to my dorm) and in some futuristic way (are school has a student run plant that processes all the school's waste and releases the water back into the wild).</p>

<p>But Jamzmom, I come from just an (un)fortunately over-doing family.</p>

<p>Both parents Stanford alum, but mom did UC-Berkeley undegrad CLASH!!!</p>

<p>Sis is at Wellesley and I'll be at Amherst CLASH</p>

<p>So yes, with two cars and overload of slef-centeredness ("Who's schedule is the most tiring...whose break is priority) Yeah, we clash a lot, but I'm used to it.</p>

56

<p>Can we just notice something. Why is it that the people who are going to civ colleges have to walk on egg shells here. You military parents and kids are being really aggressive and need to realize what you are doing (mostly the parents...lol I know your proud...). Yes Harvard kids have better academics and ON AVERAGE smarter kids than military academies. Period. (I mean don't take offense here...I know I'm not going to Harvard and I don't take offense, so please just don't) THERE IS NO ARGUMENT, PERIOD! Military Academies are more stressful than most colleges/universities. NO ARGUMENT, PERIOD. You guys are comparing apples with oranges. Also service people need to cut civilian people slack. You act like people who go to top schools aren't athletic (and well rounded...which isn't even an argument now-a-days because everyone has to be lol). But anyways, back to athletics...I was captain of two sports and competed in states (hurdles, woo woo)...as well as a LOT of other people going to schools similar to me (The 3 people I know that are going to Ivies are all varsity in their sports (at least 2 were captains...not sure about the other one) and one is ranked 16th in the nation). </p>

<p>These are two different lives we are talking about and respect needs to go to both sides [mutual respect]. Thank you</p>

57

<p>"29%"</p>

<p>ps Cornell had a 24% acceptance rate this year (with a large student body, which makes a big difference in percentage when you have to fill a lot of spots)</p>

58

<p>Well- not counting the military academies ;)
While some who are considering a military career, may also be looking at other top colleges, I think it is safe to say that most of those looking at top colleges, are not also looking at military academies.- my nephew for example- the only one that I know who recently applied to a military school ( Co Springs), ended up graduating from UCo -Boulder-in aeronautical engineering- he learned what he needed to start at $60,000 a year, but I wouldn't say that Boulder had stressful academics.</p>

<p>I would agree with putting Reed in the top 10 schools with the most rigorous academics from my observations
Hum 110 for example- everyone must take this class freshman year- ( other schools also have core classics curriculum- I acknowledge- & I believe Uchicagos, may even be more demanding than Reeds- at Reed they have 18 books required just for fall semester but they don't always get through all of every text- from what I hear at UChicago, they do)
AS well as the intense writing and discussion, and the junior year qualifying exam- the senior thesis, is also required for every student to graduate from Reed.
Of course some may prefer a school where daily showers are not only available- but encouraged- even during finals :D</p>

59

<p>This whole thread is becoming increasingly futile. The academic experiences within every school vary greatly. For example, at the Naval Academy, a school where you get a bachelor of science in history, the stress and workload between that of an engineer and anyone taking humanities majors varies greatly, especially in the last two years. Therefore, it would make sense that the academic programs within the top colleges, including the service academies, differ greatly depending on majors. To judge entire colleges and universities based on their academics just makes no sense.</p>

60

<p>Figgy wrote, "Can we just notice something. Why is it that the people who are going to civ colleges have to walk on egg shells here. You military parents and kids are being really aggressive and need to realize what you are doing (mostly the parents...lol I know your proud...)."</p>

<p>"Really aggressive"! H e l l yeah we're aggressive, we're from military schools for goodness sakes!</p>

<p>All kidding aside Figgy, I think part of the problem is that the service academies are kind of a black hole for information. If you haven't applied, haven't gone, or aren't very close to someone who's attending a service academy it's very unlikely you really have any idea what they're about, what kind of student applies, and what their academic life is like. It’s not a criticism, and I'm not sure why that is, but it seems to be the case.</p>

<p>In fact my son, after a week at West Point wrote home to say, “nothing I’ve read and nothing anyone’s told me can even come close to what happens here at West Point. It’s just so much more extreme here than is portrayed to the public that you really have no idea at all what it’s like unless you’ve been here and been through it.” And that's coming from a young man that spent the better part of a year trying to get in to West Point.</p>

<p>So when someone who has no idea what they're talking about says something like "acceptance rates are extremely misleading when referring to the military academies. a better indicator would be the overall quality of the students who apply and who are accepted. in those areas the service academies fall very short when compared to the top academic schools in the country", and we know that to be completely and utterly wrong, we speak up.</p>

<p>Some of what we (I) write may seen aggressive, and perhaps it is, but the majority of what we write are simply the facts, verifiable, and frequently backed by statistics. So when LFWB dad says his son's service academy is harder than my son's service academy, and cites reasons why it is so, and he's not making it up, I listen. When someone else pops into the conversation, says something they don't nor possibly can back up, we'll, that's different.</p>

<p>So try not to look at it as aggressive, but instead consider that your statements will be carefully and fully evaluated and you will be held fully accountable, just like the kids at the SA's. If someone’s taken personal offense at what I’ve written, please accept my sincerest apologies.</p>

<p>Go Army, Beat Navy!</p>