<p>I just think this is a pretty interesting topic, especially if you compare the Forbes and usnews rankings. I think two obvious ones for the overrated category are NYU and Duke while I think Uchicago is still understed despite being ranked 5. Anyone agree/disagree? Any other schools to add?</p>
<p>Schools* Someone already did something similar to this post. But just pointing out im not discouraging this type of debate.
I think NYU is a bit overrated as well, although its definitely a top 30 college in the us.
I think Grinnell is a very underrated college.</p>
<p>Underrated schools?</p>
<p>Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
Next 50 in USNews</p>
<p>Overrated?</p>
<p>Well, let’s stop the sarcasm. </p>
<p>Some might actually start arguing about the above list. Here is the reality. The same question has been asked many, many times in this forum. And the outcome will be the same, namely heaps of non-sense and silliness. Responders will simply reply with an “underrate” for schools they THINK they like for some reason, and overrate schools they do not care for, again for no real valid reasons or for the simplest of reasons … acceptances and rejections.</p>
<p>Yawn</p>
<p>Understed??</p>
<p>For those of us who are just starting the college search and who have not spent much time on this site, these sorts of questions are interesting and at least potentially useful. I don’t think that people with thoughts on the subject should be discouraged from posting by the fact that the same question has been asked in past years.</p>
<p>Good point nott… But for many, overrated schools are those that rejected them. underrated schools are those that accepted them.</p>
<p>underated* sorry. But i can see where some of you guys are coming from as far as opinions being biased but I do feel like this is a debate worth having. I think what I really mean by overrated is a school who’s public perception is much higher than what the actual quality of education reflect, including the various rankings (personally i feel forbes provides the best rankings as far as the actual quality of education received). For example, many people assume NYU is a top 20 school when in reality it is only top 40 according to USNWR and not even in the top 50 according to forbes. Similarly Duke is assumed by many to be on par with HPY when in reality it is again outside of the top 50 according to forbes. At the same time, UChicago is almost unanimously considered by the rankings to be a top 5 school, yet many people in the public have never heard of it or wrongly assume it isn’t a world class institution (at least it my area).
just so you guys know, i will be attending Northwestern in the fall (i feel they are right where they should be), was waitlisted by duke, didn’t apply to NYU, and was waitlisted by UC</p>
<p>Overrated: University of California-Berkeley and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</p>
<p>Underrated: Johns Hopkins University, Rice, and Northwestern</p>
<p>hmm interesting…i never really saw i guess i can see where your coming from although i never really thought of either of those as overrated.
i definitely agree with hopkins and rice as being underrated though. So few people realize just how good hopkins is in the humanities.</p>
<p>Berkeley’s undergrad is definitely overrated.</p>
<p>I would give zero credence to anyone who takes the bait and answers such a question, which is clearly just an invitation for people to display their naked biases.</p>
<p>I think Pepperdine and Lehigh are underrated</p>
<p>Look, don’t even start. There are pages of this exact same thread scattered across the forum and all of them devolve into needless butthurt, unfounded assertions, and bias.</p>
<p>Go find something else more productive to do with your time. I guarantee you that you will learn nothing useful from this.</p>
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<p>There are plenty of questions people who are just starting the process should ask --and are usually answered by an army of educated people on this forum. This is simply not one of the question people should obsess about, or even care. </p>
<p>And, fwiw, the people who are asking the silly question are rarely (if ever) interested in the answer because they no longer seek advice on admissions. If you had doubt my position, just read the additional post by the OP. </p>
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<p>…honestly i just thought this would be an interesting thing to discuss, clearly not everyone agrees…</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s interesting or necessary, but for what it’s worth, I think that most public universities are underrated.</p>
<p>“Similarly Duke is assumed by many to be on par with HPY …”</p>
<p>I never see anyone claim this. Can you produce evidence?</p>
<p>Overrated: basing a major life decision on ratings such as USNews and Forbes and all their sorry ilk. </p>
<p>Underrated: finding the most affordable college that offers the program(s) you’re interested in and that has an environment where you’ll fit in.</p>
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<p>It’s not interesting because it has already been done like a thousand times before:</p>
<p><a href=“most overrated schools college confidential - Google Search”>most overrated schools college confidential - Google Search;
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Says the guy going to a supposed #5 school. Haha!</p>