What do people consider the most prestigious college in the Midwest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Washington University

I went to Washington University.

It's a great school, but I don't think it's nearly as well known to the general public as Notre Dame.

From the perspective of people who are into school prestige rankings, I don't think it has as much raw academic prestige as the University of Chicago. Maybe it's comparable to Northwestern.

Nobody knows what Wash U is. I only know now because I am in the throws of college applications with my DS and that one of his friends is going there. When the dad told me he was going to Wash U, I wasn't sure what that meant...a school in DC? Then he added, "in St. Louis." I went back and did some research, and yes it is a very good school. But it's sad that he had the specify the location to differentiate the school from the many schools in the DC area (or perhaps in the Northwest). My son isn't interested in Wash U for a number of reasons...but he sure is very excited to be an applicant at ND. No that's a school with some name recognition -- no explanation needed!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Washington University


I went to Washington University.

It's a great school, but I don't think it's nearly as well known to the general public as Notre Dame.

From the perspective of people who are into school prestige rankings, I don't think it has as much raw academic prestige as the University of Chicago. Maybe it's comparable to Northwestern.


Nobody knows what Wash U is. I only know now because I am in the throws of college applications with my DS and that one of his friends is going there. When the dad told me he was going to Wash U, I wasn't sure what that meant...a school in DC? Then he added, "in St. Louis." I went back and did some research, and yes it is a very good school. But it's sad that he had the specify the location to differentiate the school from the many schools in the DC area (or perhaps in the Northwest). My son isn't interested in Wash U for a number of reasons...but he sure is very excited to be an applicant at ND. No that's a school with some name recognition -- no explanation needed!!

So, just because YOU had never heard of it, no one else has, either?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chicago for sure.

Oberlin for small liberal arts undergrad.

Oberlin? Sorry, no. Carleton and Grinnell.

Carleton? Great school, but sorry, too cold. Former Minnesotan here. I prefer Oberlin.

Well, other's don't.

Oberlin: 28 percent acceptance rate; 1250-1450 SAT; 29-33 ACT
Grinnell: 20 percent acceptance rate; 1320-1530; 30-33 ACT
Carleton: 22 percent acceptance rate; 1320-1540; 31-33 ACT

Both Grinnell and Carleton are significantly more selective than Oberlin

Oberlin has a world-class conservatory. Relatively small number of conservatory students double major in the college (of arts and sciences) because the conservatory students generally have lower stats than the college (of arts of sciences) students do. I believe Oberlin's relatively lower stats (compared to Grinnell and Carleton) reflect the mix of both the college and the conservatory students.

[Anonymous]

Notre Dame undergrad -> UChicago Law School = tip top conservative bonafides

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s Notre Dame. Northwestern is full of coastal kids. And Chicago undergrad isn’t known to anyone unless they’re weirdos who study US News.

Notre Dame is a peer to Duke, but football instead of basketball.

This comparison does not help Norte Dame. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Notre Dame is very geographically diverse. 65% are from outside the Midwest and the median distance a student travels to ND is 750 miles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Washington University


I went to Washington University.

It's a great school, but I don't think it's nearly as well known to the general public as Notre Dame.

From the perspective of people who are into school prestige rankings, I don't think it has as much raw academic prestige as the University of Chicago. Maybe it's comparable to Northwestern.


Nobody knows what Wash U is. I only know now because I am in the throws of college applications with my DS and that one of his friends is going there. When the dad told me he was going to Wash U, I wasn't sure what that meant...a school in DC? Then he added, "in St. Louis." I went back and did some research, and yes it is a very good school. But it's sad that he had the specify the location to differentiate the school from the many schools in the DC area (or perhaps in the Northwest). My son isn't interested in Wash U for a number of reasons...but he sure is very excited to be an applicant at ND. No that's a school with some name recognition -- no explanation needed!!

So, just because YOU had never heard of it, no one else has, either?

NP - I hadn't either until a friend's daughter went there two years ago. Sorry - went SLAC and ivy law school and never encountered anyone who had gone there. No reason to be rude. There's no way an individual could be familiar with all 3500 institutions in the USA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Washington University


I went to Washington University.

It's a great school, but I don't think it's nearly as well known to the general public as Notre Dame.

From the perspective of people who are into school prestige rankings, I don't think it has as much raw academic prestige as the University of Chicago. Maybe it's comparable to Northwestern.


Nobody knows what Wash U is. I only know now because I am in the throws of college applications with my DS and that one of his friends is going there. When the dad told me he was going to Wash U, I wasn't sure what that meant...a school in DC? Then he added, "in St. Louis." I went back and did some research, and yes it is a very good school. But it's sad that he had the specify the location to differentiate the school from the many schools in the DC area (or perhaps in the Northwest). My son isn't interested in Wash U for a number of reasons...but he sure is very excited to be an applicant at ND. No that's a school with some name recognition -- no explanation needed!!

So, just because YOU had never heard of it, no one else has, either?

Wash U may not be the most prestigious but overall it's the best in the Midwest. I attended. I also went to NWU. Hard to rank really. They have different strengths. U of C is the best academically and that won't change; while NWU has big time sports and amazing location, plus Kellogg and Medill. But Wash U is an amazing fundraising machine, visionary planning and execution, best medical school and certain others, and the best campus life (good for long lasting connections). Very expensive, lots of wealthy attend, but also a lot of regional, great mix. Long term it will continue to rise in the rankings. If you plan to come back to DC, Maybe lean toward NWU or Chicago because there is some truth to the above. Though that will continue to change. Money talks and Wash U is heading for one of the country's biggest endowments. Size matters.

[Anonymous]

I think that anyone who refers to it as NWU is probably not someone to listen to on any college-related subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that anyone who refers to it as NWU is probably not someone to listen to on any college-related subject.

Let me guess...you know everything...as long as it happened after, say, 2005.

Because until that time (give or take a year), Northwestern was NWU.EDU.

[Anonymous]

LOL. Sent to bed without dinner.

[Anonymous]

Notre Dame...best overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame is very geographically diverse. 65% are from outside the Midwest and the median distance a student travels to ND is 750 miles.

Yeah but most of the students are UMC, white, Irish Catholics who seem like they all attended the same parish ES and diocese HS together. I was in the minority as an Italian Catholic who attended public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Notre Dame is very geographically diverse. 65% are from outside the Midwest and the median distance a student travels to ND is 750 miles.

Yeah but most of the students are UMC, white, Irish Catholics who seem like they all attended the same parish ES and diocese HS together. I was in the minority as an Italian Catholic who attended public school.

The majority of students at Notre Dame did not attend a Catholic high school.

[Anonymous]

Seeing how Harvard and Notre Dame are the most famous colleges in the country, it has to be ND.

Only a small, very particular subset of the population has heard of Chicago, and even fewer ever care about it.