Top ten dream schools 2025

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is pretty good research on this topic by Harvard, U Penn and Boston College professors.

A Revealed Preference Ranking of U.S. Colleges and Universities.

https://www.nber.org/papers/w10803

That was 20 years ago. Too outdated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:replace UCLA with USC

Especially true for the smart kids with $

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:replace UCLA with USC

Absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is pretty good research on this topic by Harvard, U Penn and Boston College professors.

A Revealed Preference Ranking of U.S. Colleges and Universities.

https://www.nber.org/papers/w10803

That was 20 years ago. Too outdated.

still, I thought it was really interesting. Thanks for link, PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about uc berkley. That’s probably the best in terms of academics and intellectual vitality.

No. Overcrowded. Too many homeless on campus. Huge classes.

UC-Berkeley is great for grad students, but not-so-great for undergraduates.

[Anonymous]

Survey data must be a few years old as Columbia is not on anyone's Top 10 list anymore.

[Anonymous]

Notre Dame. End of story

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/college-hopefuls-have-a-new-ultimate-dream-school-its-not-harvard.html

Top 10 'dream' colleges and universities in 2025
As named by students applying to college

The list shows the top 10 dream schools as named by students applying to college in 2025.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Harvard College Mass.
3. Stanford University Calif.
4. Princeton University N.J.
5. Yale University Conn.
6. Columbia University N.Y.
7. New York University
8. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. University of California–Los Angeles

Source: The Princeton Review’s 2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey
CNBC

Wow, shocked. Most average kids I know want a big rah rah school. Michigan is the only one here that has that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/college-hopefuls-have-a-new-ultimate-dream-school-its-not-harvard.html

Top 10 'dream' colleges and universities in 2025
As named by students applying to college

The list shows the top 10 dream schools as named by students applying to college in 2025.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Harvard College Mass.
3. Stanford University Calif.
4. Princeton University N.J.
5. Yale University Conn.
6. Columbia University N.Y.
7. New York University
8. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. University of California–Los Angeles

Source: The Princeton Review’s 2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey
CNBC

Wow, shocked. Most average kids I know want a big rah rah school. Michigan is the only one here that has that.

If "big rah rah" means a lot of school spirit and sports, UCLA has a ton of it too. DD graduated last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about uc berkley. That’s probably the best in terms of academics and intellectual vitality.

No. Overcrowded. Too many homeless on campus. Huge classes.

UC-Berkeley is great for grad students, but not-so-great for undergraduates.

I have been near UC-Berkeley a few months back and the homelessness is just unbelievable. If you want to smoke cannabis, you just have to walk along the sidewalks, no need to buy yourself. It is full of smoke and you cannot escape inhaling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern? Bucknell?

Northeastern has 6% acceptance rate and a lot of students ED. So it's obviously a dream school for many high stat kids but just didn't make top 10.

[Anonymous]

University of Florida! Go Gators!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/college-hopefuls-have-a-new-ultimate-dream-school-its-not-harvard.html

Top 10 'dream' colleges and universities in 2025
As named by students applying to college

The list shows the top 10 dream schools as named by students applying to college in 2025.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Harvard College Mass.
3. Stanford University Calif.
4. Princeton University N.J.
5. Yale University Conn.
6. Columbia University N.Y.
7. New York University
8. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. University of California–Los Angeles

Source: The Princeton Review’s 2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey
CNBC

Wow, shocked. Most average kids I know want a big rah rah school. Michigan is the only one here that has that.

If "big rah rah" means a lot of school spirit and sports, UCLA has a ton of it too. DD graduated last year.

Winning sports. UCLA doesn't really have that for the major sports, unless you are counting women's basketball.

[Anonymous]

None of those are my children's dream schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern? Bucknell?

Northeastern has 6% acceptance rate and a lot of students ED. So it's obviously a dream school for many high stat kids but just didn't make top 10.

Northeastern gets everyone and their cat to apply. Acceptance rate tells nothing about this particular university. It is a T50-60 school on par with Case Western at best.