A lot to unpack here. Let’s start with how you imply the matriculation choices of some of the most privileged kids in the world is the gold standard for the quality of a university. Also, don’t kid yourself. The average English major at Northwestern is not landing IB gigs at Goldman or consulting jobs at McKinsey. That is not even the case at Harvard.
Let’s also not forget that Michigan has schools that add fantastic value to our university community but do not really prioritize mainstream standardized test scores as much in admissions: Kinesiology, Nursing, Stamps, and SMTD. These bring the Michigan average down, but do not imply a lower quality of student body.
If you REALLY want to play the elitist game, go to the best ranking for that. The US News reputation ranks - which is based on how people in academia feel each school ought to be ranked:
@StanfordGSB00 “Do you really believe that any reputable employer (with the exception of a Washington-based one) would think more highly of a UWashington grad than the other schools?” I’m sorry, but, outside of the obsessive USANews ranking addicts, any person hiring a CS graduate will much prefer a UW graduate over a Dartmouth graduate any day, any time, and for almost any position. My wife has been in CS for 20 years, and hangs out with the top people in her field (well, she is considered one of the top people in her field), and has a bit more knowledge on hiring in her field and in other engineering fields.
As for the 25%-75% range? Michigan’s SAT range as of 2018: 1380-1540, SAT range: 31-34. Michigan has about 29,800 undergraduates, of which about 7,450 have SATs above 1540 or ACTs above 34. Northwestern’s entire undergraduate student population is about 8,350. of them, about 2090 have SATs above 1550 or ACTs above 35. That would mean that 3,140 or fewer have SATs above 1540 or ACTs above 34. For MOST people that would indicate that Michigan has a lot more smart people than Northwestern does.
Sorry, just because YOU are obsessed with prestige, especially prestige as feature in USANews rankings, does not mean that the rest of the USA shares your obsession.
If I needed a lawyer to argue my case, there is one well intentioned poster whom I would not hire.
Both are great universities offering students a notably different undergraduate experience.
One is private, the other public. One’s graduate students outnumber the undergraduate students, while the other has a massive undergraduate student body.
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