Which schools are the hardest academically?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really question Duke’s academics being characterized as grueling and I wonder if JHU feels that way if you’re not in a STEM field (or maybe specifically premed). Great school for an academically-inclined undergrad in humanities/social sciences, imo.

Princeton has the potential for rigor (if that’s what you’re looking for) — mandatory junior paper and senior thesis can be challenging. But Princeton, like Harvard, has lots of faculty who typically grade on a truncated scale so you have to do something pretty egregious to get a C (in a non-STEM field).

I want to Hopkins a long time ago (‘93) in social sciences and it was certainly a place it required a lot of work but I can’t imagine that much more so than other peer schools. Engineering/BME/premed kids had to work like crazy though and had to constantly deal with “the curve” which contributed to the grueling atmosphere of the place.

I taught there then, lol! Also soc sci and yeah workload was comparable to Princeton and Harvard. Wasn’t worse. But STEM looked different from the outside.

Fun! If you don’t mind sharing which department were you in?

[Anonymous]

University of Chicago
Penn

[Anonymous]

Berkeley

[Anonymous]

Major matters far, far more than school.

[Anonymous]

I can tell those who are mentioning MIT have never attended.

For one, their first year is P/F.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really question Duke’s academics being characterized as grueling and I wonder if JHU feels that way if you’re not in a STEM field (or maybe specifically premed). Great school for an academically-inclined undergrad in humanities/social sciences, imo.

Princeton has the potential for rigor (if that’s what you’re looking for) — mandatory junior paper and senior thesis can be challenging. But Princeton, like Harvard, has lots of faculty who typically grade on a truncated scale so you have to do something pretty egregious to get a C (in a non-STEM field).

I want to Hopkins a long time ago (‘93) in social sciences and it was certainly a place it required a lot of work but I can’t imagine that much more so than other peer schools. Engineering/BME/premed kids had to work like crazy though and had to constantly deal with “the curve” which contributed to the grueling atmosphere of the place.

I taught there then, lol! Also soc sci and yeah workload was comparable to Princeton and Harvard. Wasn’t worse. But STEM looked different from the outside.

Fun! If you don’t mind sharing which department were you in?

Poli Sci. And you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can tell those who are mentioning MIT have never attended.

For one, their first year is P/F.

First year universal P/F enables a school to impose a rigorous curriculum. Undergrads from a variety of different backgrounds get to re-equilibrate to new/higher academic standards without being driven out of an elite college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can tell those who are mentioning MIT have never attended.

For one, their first year is P/F.

It was the first semester only until recently. My DC did though.
Even P/F is not easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is tracked pretty well at gradeinflation.com

Not really — workload is a separate question from grading and distribution of grades may reflect distribution of ability. Same prof can teach at two different schools, assign same work, employ same grading standards, get very distribution. Or may change demands (e.g. when moving between schools where typical courseloads and/or calendar are different) or standards to keep distribution similar.

+1, college professor who has taught at UMD, Hopkins, Vassar and NYU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Cornell, NYU and Duke, and in my experience, NYU was the most rigorous, by a wide margin. Had a great experience at each school, though.

I think we need to know what you took at each.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you even asking this question. It seems pointless. And like someone already said - it is very major dependent. You can be an English major at MIT and it probably isn’t especially grueling compared to some other schools

Well, it would be grueling if you weren’t a good writer. Any major is hard if you’re not good at that subject.

It is probably still hard because there are science requirements to get out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can tell those who are mentioning MIT have never attended.

For one, their first year is P/F.

well, could depend on how many fail, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really question Duke’s academics being characterized as grueling and I wonder if JHU feels that way if you’re not in a STEM field (or maybe specifically premed). Great school for an academically-inclined undergrad in humanities/social sciences, imo.

Princeton has the potential for rigor (if that’s what you’re looking for) — mandatory junior paper and senior thesis can be challenging. But Princeton, like Harvard, has lots of faculty who typically grade on a truncated scale so you have to do something pretty egregious to get a C (in a non-STEM field).

I want to Hopkins a long time ago (‘93) in social sciences and it was certainly a place it required a lot of work but I can’t imagine that much more so than other peer schools. Engineering/BME/premed kids had to work like crazy though and had to constantly deal with “the curve” which contributed to the grueling atmosphere of the place.

I taught there then, lol! Also soc sci and yeah workload was comparable to Princeton and Harvard. Wasn’t worse. But STEM looked different from the outside.

Fun! If you don’t mind sharing which department were you in?

Poli Sci. And you?

Same! Well poli sci/IR. Trying to remember the name of my advisor a lovely Australian guy I think but I’m blanking on his name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can tell those who are mentioning MIT have never attended.

For one, their first year is P/F.

well, could depend on how many fail, no?

Yeah, I failed my 1st Calc test 4 times (the same test). I think they pity-passed me on the 5th try. So even P/F wasn't a breeze.

Ended up taking 5 calc courses (as an engineer) and it never got easier.

[Anonymous]

My female friend dropped out of MIT first semester. Went to Rutgers instead and did really well. Burnt out young and now lives off the grid, no idea how she makes a living, but she has a couple kids