My DD wants to avoid applying to most competitive top 25 "usual suspects" colleges - which LACs considered part of T'25?

[Anonymous]

Williams would place around 10-15, Amherst 15-20, Swarthmore / Pomona 25-30 and Bowdoin 50

[Anonymous]

For such a goal, it might make sense to avoid the most selective colleges. As a tool, this site provides Student Selectivity Ranks for colleges and universities together:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Swarthmore, for example, placed 19th nationally by selectivity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD has good stats (1500+ SAT, A/A- grades, top rigor) but doesn't want to compete for what she calls top 20-25. Is this the list to avoid? Where do LACs fit in?

Top 25 National Unis:

1 Princeton University
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3 Harvard University
4 Stanford University
4 Yale University
6 University of Chicago
7 Duke University
7 Johns Hopkins University
7 Northwestern University
7 University of Pennsylvania
11 California Institute of Technology
12 Cornell University
13 Brown University
13 Dartmouth College
15 Columbia University
15 University of California, Berkeley
17 Rice University
17 University of California, Los Angeles
17 Vanderbilt University
20 Carnegie Mellon University
20 University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
20 University of Notre Dame
20 Washington University in St. Louis
24 Emory University
24 Georgetown University

Top LACs:

1 Williams
2 Amherst
3 US Naval Academy
4 Swarthmore
5 US Air Force Academy
5 Bowdoin

Think of WASP-B as equivalent to top 10-15 (but higher than Chicago and Johns Hopkins, which are not the same caliber as the other top 10.

The above sentence is incorrect.

U Chicago & Johns Hopkins University are superior to Williams, Amherst, Pomona, & Bowdoin. Swarthmore has similarities to U Chicago.

If your daughter does not want a competitive school environment, that differs somewhat from competitive admissions.

If your daughter does not want to engage in competitive admissions, then just eliminated schools which accept 20% or fewer applicants.

If your daughter doesn't want a competitive academic environment, then avoid the Top 25 National Universities. LACs are in a different, less competitive league (although she might want to avoid Swarthmore & Harvey Mudd LACs).

So which is it ? Does your daughter want to avoid competitive admissions or competitive academic schools ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For such a goal, it might make sense to avoid the most selective colleges. As a tool, this site provides Student Selectivity Ranks for colleges and universities together:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Swarthmore, for example, placed 19th nationally by selectivity.

This list is crap. It does not factor in ED; it is just admit rates. The more the class is filled ED, the lower the admit rate. Chicago is 4 on this list; its ED admit rate is estimated at 40%. Just ask us what the admit rates mean; we’ll tell you. Once again, Swat is a way tougher admit than Chicago…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD has good stats (1500+ SAT, A/A- grades, top rigor) but doesn't want to compete for what she calls top 20-25. Is this the list to avoid? Where do LACs fit in?

Top 25 National Unis:

1 Princeton University
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3 Harvard University
4 Stanford University
4 Yale University
6 University of Chicago
7 Duke University
7 Johns Hopkins University
7 Northwestern University
7 University of Pennsylvania
11 California Institute of Technology
12 Cornell University
13 Brown University
13 Dartmouth College
15 Columbia University
15 University of California, Berkeley
17 Rice University
17 University of California, Los Angeles
17 Vanderbilt University
20 Carnegie Mellon University
20 University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
20 University of Notre Dame
20 Washington University in St. Louis
24 Emory University
24 Georgetown University

Top LACs:

1 Williams
2 Amherst
3 US Naval Academy
4 Swarthmore
5 US Air Force Academy
5 Bowdoin

Think of WASP-B as equivalent to top 10-15 (but higher than Chicago and Johns Hopkins, which are not the same caliber as the other top 10.

The above sentence is incorrect.

U Chicago & Johns Hopkins University are superior to Williams, Amherst, Pomona, & Bowdoin. Swarthmore has similarities to U Chicago.

If your daughter does not want a competitive school environment, that differs somewhat from competitive admissions.

If your daughter does not want to engage in competitive admissions, then just eliminated schools which accept 20% or fewer applicants.

If your daughter doesn't want a competitive academic environment, then avoid the Top 25 National Universities. LACs are in a different, less competitive league (although she might want to avoid Swarthmore & Harvey Mudd LACs).

So which is it ? Does your daughter want to avoid competitive admissions or competitive academic schools ?

Continuing: If your daughter wants to avoid both, then focus on the honors colleges at large public universities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD has good stats (1500+ SAT, A/A- grades, top rigor) but doesn't want to compete for what she calls top 20-25. Is this the list to avoid? Where do LACs fit in?

Top 25 National Unis:

1 Princeton University
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3 Harvard University
4 Stanford University
4 Yale University
6 University of Chicago
7 Duke University
7 Johns Hopkins University
7 Northwestern University
7 University of Pennsylvania
11 California Institute of Technology
12 Cornell University
13 Brown University
13 Dartmouth College
15 Columbia University
15 University of California, Berkeley
17 Rice University
17 University of California, Los Angeles
17 Vanderbilt University
20 Carnegie Mellon University
20 University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
20 University of Notre Dame
20 Washington University in St. Louis
24 Emory University
24 Georgetown University

Top LACs:

1 Williams
2 Amherst
3 US Naval Academy
4 Swarthmore
5 US Air Force Academy
5 Bowdoin

U Chicago & Johns Hopkins University are superior to Williams, Amherst, Pomona, & Bowdoin. Swarthmore has similarities to U Chicago.

I agree with this quote with exception of Williams - which is a peer to UChicago and JHU at worst

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For such a goal, it might make sense to avoid the most selective colleges. As a tool, this site provides Student Selectivity Ranks for colleges and universities together:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Swarthmore, for example, placed 19th nationally by selectivity.

This list is crap. It does not factor in ED; it is just admit rates. The more the class is filled ED, the lower the admit rate. Chicago is 4 on this list; its ED admit rate is estimated at 40%. Just ask us what the admit rates mean; we’ll tell you. Once again, Swat is a way tougher admit than Chicago…

Your comments are crap.

The WalletHub methodology used 30 factors, not just overall admit rates.

U Chicago is a better school than Swarthmore because of the greater number of brilliant students and the presence of graduate students & programs. However, Swarthmore & U Chicago are similar in that they both encourage intellectualism among their students. Swarthmore is tiny, and that is a weakness due to fewer perspectives and less varied input.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For such a goal, it might make sense to avoid the most selective colleges. As a tool, this site provides Student Selectivity Ranks for colleges and universities together:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Swarthmore, for example, placed 19th nationally by selectivity.

This list is crap. It does not factor in ED; it is just admit rates. The more the class is filled ED, the lower the admit rate. Chicago is 4 on this list; its ED admit rate is estimated at 40%. Just ask us what the admit rates mean; we’ll tell you. Once again, Swat is a way tougher admit than Chicago…

Your comments are crap.

The WalletHub methodology used 30 factors, not just overall admit rates.

U Chicago is a better school than Swarthmore because of the greater number of brilliant students and the presence of graduate students & programs. However, Swarthmore & U Chicago are similar in that they both encourage intellectualism among their students. Swarthmore is tiny, and that is a weakness due to fewer perspectives and less varied input.

The “student selectivity rank” is solely admit rates. Look it up yourself, cite next time you post, and no need for an apology: I know you are trying your best.

[Anonymous]

Very odd that some LAC supporters criticize Johns Hopkins University. JHU has, by far, the largest research & development (R&D) budget of any US school and probably of any school in the world. There is no LAC that is even close to JHU or to any Top 15 university excluding Dartmouth College & Brown University--an other of which are over-rated.

If LACs were ranked with National Universities, none--according to the Wall Street Journal & The Times Higher Education published rankings, would fall among the top 20 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Williams would place around 10-15, Amherst 15-20, Swarthmore / Pomona 25-30 and Bowdoin 50

This is spot on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For such a goal, it might make sense to avoid the most selective colleges. As a tool, this site provides Student Selectivity Ranks for colleges and universities together:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Swarthmore, for example, placed 19th nationally by selectivity.

This list is crap. It does not factor in ED; it is just admit rates. The more the class is filled ED, the lower the admit rate. Chicago is 4 on this list; its ED admit rate is estimated at 40%. Just ask us what the admit rates mean; we’ll tell you. Once again, Swat is a way tougher admit than Chicago…

Your comments are crap.

The WalletHub methodology used 30 factors, not just overall admit rates.

U Chicago is a better school than Swarthmore because of the greater number of brilliant students and the presence of graduate students & programs. However, Swarthmore & U Chicago are similar in that they both encourage intellectualism among their students. Swarthmore is tiny, and that is a weakness due to fewer perspectives and less varied input.

The “student selectivity rank” is solely admit rates. Look it up yourself, cite next time you post, and no need for an apology: I know you are trying your best.

Why don't you offer a citation ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very odd that some LAC supporters criticize Johns Hopkins University. JHU has, by far, the largest research & development (R&D) budget of any US school and probably of any school in the world. There is no LAC that is even close to JHU or to any Top 15 university excluding Dartmouth College & Brown University--an other of which are over-rated.

If LACs were ranked with National Universities, none--according to the Wall Street Journal & The Times Higher Education published rankings, would fall among the top 20 schools.

Williams would 1000% - and probably higher than JHU, which some would say is a one trick pony

[Anonymous]

Or way to view LACs is that they are advanced high school. LACs can be excellent and offer one a great education, but cannot compare with National Universities due to the dramatic difference in resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very odd that some LAC supporters criticize Johns Hopkins University. JHU has, by far, the largest research & development (R&D) budget of any US school and probably of any school in the world. There is no LAC that is even close to JHU or to any Top 15 university excluding Dartmouth College & Brown University--an other of which are over-rated.

If LACs were ranked with National Universities, none--according to the Wall Street Journal & The Times Higher Education published rankings, would fall among the top 20 schools.

Why are you, from England? We are not talking about grad school rankings.

Both Brown and Dartmouth are far superior for undergrad. You may disagree; but applicants don’t. 80% choose Brown over Hopkins:
https://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-cross-admit-comparison.php?compare=Brown+University&with=Johns+Hopkins+University
72% choose Dartmouth over Hopkins:
https://www.parchment.com/c/college/tools/college-cross-admit-comparison.php?compare=Brown+University&with=Johns+Hopkins+University
Stop digging your hole.

[Anonymous]

This ranking of LACs and their methodology is interesting:

https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-colleges-in-the-us-ranking/40748