<p>That said, to the average person*, it seems that the biggest names are Harvard and Oxford (~tied), followed closely by MIT and Stanford (~tied).</p>
<p>*Average person in the United States, in the various places I have spent large amounts of time in. Prestige is pretty much dependent on the views of the average people, not those who know a lot about colleges. Princeton and Yale, while just as good as Harvard, don’t seem to have quite the same name-reaction. Same for Cambridge and Oxford (at least in the US amongst regular people).</p>
<p>But again, prestige is subjective, and should not be used to decide your college choice.</p>
<p>As for the hardest… well, I really have no clue.</p>
<p>Absolutely true, except for the fact that Cambridge is really on the same level as Harvard and Oxford as far as prestige is concerned. Hence the portmanteau “Oxbridge”.</p>
<p>Honestly, I had never heard “Oxbridge” before coming on CC, and I would reason to think that most Americans haven’t, either. Obviously, Cambridge and Oxford are peer schools, I just don’t think many people in the US know that; “Oxford” seems to carry a lot more weight, I don’t know why.</p>
<p>no one can compare univ on the basis of statistics when they haven’t been there or have studied there. as far as the graduates are concerned , everyone likes to brag about their own univ. until and unless u have studied there , you won’t know…and one more thing getting in iit is not so tough nor it is the play of brains… IIT don’t test the brains or intelligence but the potential of hard work a student has… if u want to study in IIT you should know the meaning of hard work and dedication and thats exactly what IITJEE(joint entrance examination) tests…to crack IITJEE, no , TO top IITJEE one just needs 1 year… its the truth… IIT ROCKS>>>>></p>
<p>Take SAT 2 and the IIT Entrance Exam. Compared to the IIT-JEE, the SAT and other ACT exams etc are WAY BELOW STANDARDS!!!
The questions are so tough that even Newton and Einstein will need a year of hard work to crack it. IITs might not have the same advanced technology as in MIT or CalTech or Georgia tech. or something…But, its the best in Indian Standards. There are so many ass holes from India who think that IITs are dumb and have gone to places like Brown Univ etc. But i just want them to know that they are simply INCOMPETENT…Just because you cant crack it doesnt mean its dumb!! The IITJEE is undoubtedly the toughest exam in the world. MIT and Stanford just wait to get their hands on these guys!! They do wonders with nothing. Given the technology and resources american students have, they will blow them away, just like that…
India is not so rich a country. Money is in the hands of few dirty politicians. They spend nothing on education, so india still stays behind all these top institutes. I want you guys to try those IIT-JEE questions to realise the standards…</p>
<p>It’s all relative to the field of study… Sometimes MIT, Brown, or even Juilliard can beat out Harvard in certain areas, if judged by the factors mentioned when posted. Making a broad or general statement would be making an inaccurate one here. And arguing about the intelligence of Indian students versus the intelligence of Caucasian students is another area in which my previous statement rings true. Surprise surprise. It’s also quite pointless, in my virtually worthless opinion.</p>
<p>In most cases, I would assume the most prestigious school is Harvard, especially since I live in the US. Difficulty is subjective and is harder to judge due to grade inflation at top colleges.</p>
<p>For U.S. Students many foreign universities would prove most difficult because they often select and teach students in a very different way.</p>
<p>In most Asian and many European countries colleges are MUCH more concerned with your knowledge/expertise (i.e. rote recall tests, and high grades) then in the U.S. and don’t even consider the person as a whole in terms of what they do outside the classroom. In fact many prefer you didn’t DO anything outside the classroom and study 16 hours a day instead. This isn’t always true, but it often is.</p>
<p>Conversely students from those countries would be lost when it comes to the U.S. emphasis on creativity, critical thinking, leadership and initiative etc.</p>
<p>Prestigious doesn’t mean hard to get into or smart student body, prestige is about recognition.</p>
<p>This is why I will say Harvard. I’m thinking if you poll a bunch of random people about universities they are familiar with/think are good, that Harvard will be the most recognized.</p>
<p>The most prestigious university in the world would have to be Harvard. Everybody knows Harvard. I’m not sure that could be said of any other university.</p>
<p>As for the hardest, University of Chicago? I mean, it is where fun goes to die. :P</p>
<p>I don’t think UChicago is that torturous, based on discussions with friends who go there. Also, don’t they have that one huge scavenger hunt thing every year?</p>
<p>oh please, i cant believe this thread has gone 14 pages. harvard ftw.
iit has a ridiculously low acceptance rate because there are a billion freaking indians applying.</p>