<p>Okay, so, yes, I know that these are both VERY different institutions, so let's please skip all that chit-chat.</p>
<p>Now, what I really want to know is which one is more academically rigorous. And, with this...I'm pretty sure we could also bring another never ending debate on how vastly different the typical academic curriculum is at both of these schools (eg Reed has hum 110 and senior thesis year; West Point has the non-elective full course load core curriculum the first two years...just to name a few differences).</p>
<p>I know both schools offer a very academically rigorous college experience, but right now I'm leaning towards Reed as being more rigorous academically.</p>
<p>I think that the fact they are both very different types of schools is important…with West Point, you juggle academics, athletics, and military oriented things, whereas at Reed, you don’t have early morning wake-up calls and 25 mile ruck marches. West Point is one of the top schools in the nation, definitely not a Harvard, but it is very rigorous, with great professors. Top students can take honors classes and do research. </p>
<p>West Point is ranked 18th for National Liberal Arts colleges, Reed is ranked 75th under the same category, but you can take rankings with a grain of salt. </p>
<p>Also, consider the fact that everyone spends time as an officer in the army upon graduation from West Point, as it is a service academy…Reed is a regular college. What are you looking for exactly?</p>
<p>Aside from that, I’m guessing you’re a class of 2018 applicant, in which case you still have to get into West Point first, which is a very tough thing to do.</p>
<p>I would also think that West Point is a very authoritarian environment, just the opposite of Reed. I am surprised that someone would be considering both of these schools. They seem like opposites.</p>
<p>“Since 1995 Reed College has refused to participate in the U.S. News and World Report “best colleges” rankings. Several times Reed’s stance on the rankings has put the college in the national spotlight, most prominently in a Rolling Stone magazine article that raised serious concerns about the U.S. News best colleges issue.”</p>
Well, what I mainly meant by that was to not be re-reminded how a thousand times different both schools are…mainly focusing this thread on the topic of academic rigor. But, I guess this was foolish of me…since the non-academic side of daily life at both schools really does affect the academic side.</p>
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Well, I’m sort of an oddball… Plus, I’m gravitating towards both schools for many different reasons.</p>
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I want a really, really, really, profoundly rigorous academic experience in college. I’m familiar with the general colleges that truly offer this (eg. Reed, Marlboro, New College of Florida… and many more) but I’ve come to believe that Reed is the one that offers this, but on a totally different post-human level. What really attracted me was when a Reedie alumnus described the mental aspect of her college experience comparable to psychological aspect of a “Navy SEAL’s training,” and then of course another alumnus unequivocally agreed with her. Figures. :p</p>
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I also want to volunteer in the military, at some point in my life. 'Tis why West Point is on the list.</p>
<p>With Reed, I could just go do ROTC at the Uni of Portland, which is like 20 mins away, I think. Then, national guard one weekend a month.</p>
<p>Generally, service academies require a lot of non-academic work. So, if you go to a school where you can focus on academics almost exclusively, I’d say you might enjoy that more (if really diving into academics is your goal). The service academies are well regarded for their academic programs, but that isn’t their sole purpose. There were several times at USAFA that I wished I had more time to really research some things, but my schedule limited my available time pretty significantly.</p>
<p>I think what you first need to get your priorities in order and decide whether or not you want a career in the military, that is the main reason many choose West Point. This isn’t something you do as a part time hobby. Trying to compare unrelated college programs on only ‘academic rigor’ is a waste of time.</p>
<p>At West Point you will be fully immersed in the military, it won’t be like ROTC, where you can have a “normal” college experience too. Sounds like you’d like ROTC better, if you ask me.</p>
So you’re doing 25 mile ruck marches at USMA? I didn’t go to USMA but I highly doubt that any commissioning source is doing 25 mile ruck marches for ALL cadets/candidates enrolled in that program with anything but helium air balloons inside their rucks.</p>
<p>That’s not even a requirement at IBOLC, but the ability to complete that would be expected that at courses such as RS or the Q course.</p>
<p>Sorry, but it is a fact that Reed is more rigorous academically, even though West Point is more rigorous in everything else. Most rankings simply do not measure academic rigor – not USNWR, and not Forbes. USNWR focuses largely on reputation and selectivity, while Forbes focuses on career success after graduation. Neither one can tell you how much you might learn at college.</p>
<p>You sound like you belong at Reed, except that Reed students generally are not interested in ROTC.</p>
<p>Well, for factual starters, only about half of the faculty at West Point has a Ph.D. This also happens to be the lowest among the service academies (USNA is highest with about 67%, and USAFA has about 60%). Reed College has more than 90% with a Ph.D – typical for most good colleges. Many West Point faculty are veteran Army officers who do, in fact, have extremely valuable professional experience, but who also have minimal teaching experience. Anyhow, that 90 to 50 percent gap is very hard to explain away.</p>
<p>Sadly, I have read complaints from USMA alums about getting a “community college” education. Certainly they overstate the case, but it also is a telling complaint.</p>
<p>I love West Point and have nothing but admiration for the cadets who attend. However, they attend USMA for reasons other than academics. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and I do not suggest correcting the situation. The job of West Point is to train future officers for the army. It is fantastic at accomplishing that mission.</p>
<p>By the way, USNWR ranks all three academies in the “National Liberal Arts” category. This is misleading. All are predominately technology schools, and all award only the Bachelor of Science, not Bachelor of Arts. If you cannot get a Bachelor of Arts at a college, then it is not a liberal arts school.</p>
There is something wrong if you are considering both of these schools. They are so opposite. Reed is sort of lieral and Bohemian. There are civilian colleges closer to West Point than Reed, such as engineering schools with a lot of ROTC or very intense competitive schools.
I didn’t go to a military academy, but my understanding is they are very intense, but there is emphasis on other things than academics.