Schools with Rigorous Academics and Big Sports Culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These schools do not have a big sports culture -

Northwestern
Vanderbilt
UCLA
Cal
Stanford
Duke
UNC

Rallying around one sport like Duke and UNC does not qualify as a big sports culture. Northwestern and Vanderbilt are solely in their conferences so their commissioners can say they care are about academics. The Pac-12 is the conference of champions of sports nobody cares about or actually watches. Pac-12 has not been relevant in major sports in years.

Most schools only rally around 1 sport. A few rally around 2. Even at great sports school, no one is tailgating a field hockey game. When people talk about sports culture, they are talking about football and basketball.

None of those schools above rally around football. Texas baseball or Michigan ice hockey will have more real fans (not paid attendance) than Duke football.

It’s not just about football. Duke or UNC basketball energize the entire campus (athletic identity/culture) are incredibly fun to experience as a student.

[Anonymous]

At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

The academics at Michigan are just as good as Duke and Northwestern, and certainly Notre Dame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

Probably could add Vanderbilt among private schools. They are in a Big 5 conferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

The academics at Michigan are just as good as Duke and Northwestern, and certainly Notre Dame.

Almost as good. Different experience with 30k undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

The academics at Michigan are just as good as Duke and Northwestern, and certainly Notre Dame.

Almost as good. Different experience with 30k undergrads.

Half of whom have to be from instate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Conservative SLAC. Hamilton.

Hamilton isn't conservative. It's pronoun central up there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

I have a feeling that you’ve never experienced a big time sports culture. Northwestern and Stanford do not have it. Stanford wins many championships in sports few people care about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

The academics at Michigan are just as good as Duke and Northwestern, and certainly Notre Dame.

Almost as good. Different experience with 30k undergrads.

PA scores from USNWR

Michigan. 4.5
Duke 4.5
Northwestern 4.4

Notre Dame 4.2

Just as good…..

[Anonymous]

Has Maryland been added?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has Maryland been added?

Maryland used to have a great atmosphere for BBall, then they went to the big 10 and even students stopped caring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

The academics at Michigan are just as good as Duke and Northwestern, and certainly Notre Dame.

Almost as good. Different experience with 30k undergrads.

Half of whom have to be from instate.

There is no law that 50% of Michigan undergraduates have to be from Michigan. The school just likes to keep it that way.

[Anonymous]

So many great schools listed here. Hard to get into, but if a kid wants academics and athletic spirit, can't go wrong with these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

I have a feeling that you’ve never experienced a big time sports culture. Northwestern and Stanford do not have it. Stanford wins many championships in sports few people care about.

+1

IMO, Michigan and Wisconsin are the two best that check these boxes, along with U-Texas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the elite level, Duke, Northwestern and Stanford probably give you the best balance of both top-tier academics and access to big time sports culture. You could arguably also throw ND in there, too.

The academics at Michigan are just as good as Duke and Northwestern, and certainly Notre Dame.

Almost as good. Different experience with 30k undergrads.

PA scores from USNWR

Michigan. 4.5
Duke 4.5
Northwestern 4.4

Notre Dame 4.2

Just as good…..

The most useless metric of all.