<p>Sakky, I agree with most of what you say about Caltech. That is why I classify it as a "quasi LAC". It is a research universitiy with a faculty that primarily dedicates its time and effort to research, but it does share some charactreristics of a LAC. But one thing I must make clear, the "student camaraderie" at Michigan and other highly spirited research universities is also very tight. </p>
<p>As for comparing research universities with LACs, like I said, it is possible, but if we do that, we will most likely have a very controversial result. It is pretty clear that all in all, there are about 35-50 research universities, LACs and quasi LACs that make up the top universities in the nation. Depending on the criteria we use to rate the universities and colleges, the research universities will all end up either at the top of the ranking or at the bottom of the ranking, the LACs would end up either at the bottom of the ranking or at the top of the ranking and the "quasi LACs" would almost invariably end up in the middle of the ranking at all times. This will result in the LACs or the research universities feeling either vidicated or cheated and will almost certainly leave the quasi LACs feeling neither satisfied nor disatisfied.</p>
<p>And if we are to find a very wide-ranging group of criteria to rank universities, then you would probably have a a couple of universities at the top that are above the remaining universities and colleges, but the rest of the institutions will probably be so close to each other that it might as well be a tie.</p>
<p>Quite honestly, I favor the rating/grouping system. The top 10-15 research universities, the top 10-15 LACs and the top 10-15 quasi LACs all get ***** ratings. If I were to group them all togther, I would probably have three groups, with H,M,P,S and Y in one, the next 8 or 9 research universities, top 10 or so LACs and top 7 or 8 quasi LACs in the second group and the next 5 or so research universities, the next 5 or so LACs and the next 7 or 8 quasi LACs in the third group. All three goups would be practically equal.</p>