<p>However, every top school is unique in its own ways, and this can certainly be said for USC. Although I consider the above schools to be "most comparable", they all differ from USC in important aspects also.</p>
<p>Hey, I am a huge fan of the school, as my dad is an alumnus, but USC has completely made over its image in a short period of time, starting in the mid-90's. USC was pretty much a joke when Sample took over as president in 1991. </p>
<p>Miami has an average SAT of about 1200 and is ranked 54th in the current US News ranking... it isn't like there is THAT big of a glaring difference between the two schools.</p>
<p>Art, if you want to talk history, then I whole-heartedly agree that USC was a fairly marginal (and very regional) school prior to Sample's arrival in '91. So was Miami. And Miami isn't far above that level even today.</p>
<p>I'm aware of Miami's ranking, and I'm sure you're aware of USC's ranking at 27, which has certainly climbed in the past decade. However, even back in 1996, USC was ranked 44th. U Miami has never broken the Top 50. Today, USC has multiple programs that are the best in the country (such as the film school, and smaller programs such as physical therapy), and dozens of others that are Top 10 level. Miami has very few programs that are even near this level.</p>
<p>My initial argrument wasn't that Miami is a bad school, but that it isn't really a "comparable" to USC, and there is almost no overlap between the schools' applicant pools. Earlier in this thread, a number of posters commented that it was absurd to mention USC and Stanford as comparable. I don't believe USC and Stanford are comparable, but there is just as large a drop off between Stanford and USC, as there is between USC and Miami.</p>
<p>"I don't believe USC and Stanford are comparable, but there is just as large a drop off between Stanford and USC, as there is between USC and Miami."</p>
<p>-No way. USC is deffiantly a signifcantly better university than U of Miami. However, it deffiantly is not closer to Stanford than to U of Miami. No way. It falls some where in between, but if anything it is closer to U of Miami. Its not even close to Stanford. Come on.</p>
<p>-No way, your dreaming. USC is not comparable to Michigan and UC Berkeley academically across the board. That is ridiculous. I agree NYU would be comparable. And I do believe USC is a better University than NYU and way better than BC. But by naming a couple of programs, such as physical therapy, and saying USC is the equivalent to UC Berkeley and Michigan is a bit ridiculous. USC is very good at what its good at (film, journalism, engineering etc.) but its no where even close to as good as the schools you mentioned across the board. Not even close.</p>
<p>ucchris, you do a pretty good of crying foul everytime anyone compares USC to any other top program, without ever providing any substance to your argument. USC is comparable to UCB/UCLA in selectivity and undergraduate rankings.</p>
a while ago ucchris and i had a similar argument. you don't even have to go beyond the first page to see how comically defensive the argument gets. and defensive almost without substance except for "this rank, that rank." unless there's some indisputably empirical way to substantiate prestige (of which, to be sure, there isn't...before you pull the "peer assessment card" i'd hardly call that indisputable), there's little reason be so brashly confident about such "large gaps" about prestige.</p>
<p>its funny how the only people on this thread agreeing with the usc comparable to stanford and michigan and berkeley are either usc students or usc parents. have you not noticed this. i have never said usc is not a fine institution. ive said that over and over, and also said it is rising in the rankings and catching up to ucla, as your article posting states. i said that numerous times as well. i gave plenty of proof that usc is not on the level across the board of stanford, michigan or berkeley. check out departmental rankings if you dont believe me and want proof. across the board these schools have far far more top programs than usc. hopefully that is enough proof on the academics at these schools vs usc. again, i stated that usc does have some very good programs (engineering, journalism, film, etc). But its not exactly like im the only one stating these that usc is not on these schools levels. everyone else on the post other than usc students and parents has stated the same, many being much tougher than i have on usc. usc is a great institution which is quite difficult on the undergraduate level to get into, i would be proud to attend such a fine institution. hell my father did his undergraduate studies there. i deff have nothing against it. but lets not get carried away in what schools you compare it to academically. stanford, berkeley, and michigan have some of the best departments in the country across the board. being good at a few areas does not qualify usc to be at the same level as these universities. if you dont agree with me, fine. believe what you want to believe. but as you can see from this post and the majority of the posters, comparing usc academically with stanford, berkeley and michigan is a stretch.</p>
<p>"a while ago ucchris and i had a similar argument. you don't even have to go beyond the first page to see how comically defensive the argument gets. and defensive almost without substance"</p>
<p>Im defensive? why would i be defensive. you are the ones whining how usc is not getting enough respect. i didnt go there, why would i be defensive? that makes so sense. talk about without substance. you blast me for quoting rankings to show the difference in academic quality between usc and other universities, and then state it is without substance and you dont like me quoting this ranking and that. so if rankings are completely irrelevent, i guess san jose state could be as good as yale. this is ridiculous. stop being so defensive about your school and embrace reality. it is a very good school, rising fast, but still not on the level of stanford, berkeley, michigan. of course, as you stated, i could use peer assesment to prove that this is the common conception, however you have already stated you dont agree with those either. which doesnt surprise me, since anything that shows usc as somehow being below any other institution you blast. however, peer assesment just further backs up the consensus that i have been argueing for.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Im defensive? why would i be defensive. you are the ones whining how usc is not getting enough respect. i didnt go there, why would i be defensive?
[/quote]
case closed. the language says it all.</p>
<p>we understand that USC doesn't have the history of academic prestige of the schools you always mention....we really do. hell, i go to USC and i understand that. but you always seem to present your case as though you were giving absolute, immutable fact to the ignorant....and neither case is true. you may not intend it that way, but your language says that. and frankly, despite your claim that you mean no disrespect, i can't help but think you really have some intent of belittlement...and apparently i'm not the only one who feels this way.</p>