How would you rank NESCACS academically?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know Amherst ranks well but I genuinely don't see how it's equally good as Williams when it comes to academics. If you go by raw academic stats (class sizes, student to faculty ratio, financial spending, etc.) Williams is the front runner. You have oxford style tutorials and some top notch academic centers at Williams too.

All the criteria you list are very similar between the two. In fact, Amherst has a higher per student endowment than Williams. Not sure how important Oxford-style tutorials are given such small classes at both. If it were so great, Oxford University would be so much better than top research universities in the US which is not the case.

Go to the Centennial Conference! Swarthmore has the best of both Williams and Amherst (a great seminar-based honors program and excellent academic stats) plus a better location close to a city and with better weather. It is also preferred to both Williams and Amherst head to head Parchment wise (probably in large part because of those comparative positives). Johns Hopkins is among the best research universities in the nation with more money than anyone in the NESCAC, and Haverford and Bryn Mawr continue to offer top-tier educations on beautiful campuses without having to go all the way to NE.

Johns Hopkins is not in Nescac

Hopkins is in the Centennial Conference, another high-academic eastern D3 conference, with Swarthmore and Haverford, which is why the poster had said "go to the Centennial Conference" to start the post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Fiske Guide To Colleges 2023 edition academic ratings:

Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, & Wesleyan = 5

Tufts, Hamilton,Middlebury, Colby, & Bates = 4.5

Conn College & Trinity College = 4

Based on prestige & academics:

Williams & Amherst

Bowdoin & Middlebury

Hamilton, Wesleyan, & Tufts

Colby

Bates

Trinity College & Conn College

I think Bowdoin is a clear step above Middlebury academically even though on paper they are sort of similar schools. Not to mention that Bowdoin's endowment per student (around $1M per student) is third after Wiliams ($1.45) and Amherst ($1.29), and the fourth school is Hamilton at less than $500k per kid. That's a big gap that has an effect over time.

Note that the "six college" liberal arts schools that do admissions stuff together are Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Swarthmore, Pomona, and Carleton. That's one way Willams and Amherst kind of shows which schools it thinks are its reasonable peers. I think Middlebury is sort of doing its own thing now, especially with admitted 80% of its class via ED.

Hamilton has a lot of money and is trying to use that to move up, but its location and campus is going to be a challenge for it. But a lot of kids are really happy when they go there. Wes is unique and the top of its class is impressive but it isn't that hard to get in comparatively. Tufts is not really NESCAC in feel but is probably the school below Bowdoin now.

All of the differences are small and a kid that is happy and does well at a "lower-ranked" school will likely do better post-college than a kid at a "higher-ranked" school who is unhappy and doesn't do well.

Williams
Amherst
Bowdoin
Tufts
Middlebury
Hamilton
Wesleyan
Colby
Bates
Trinity or Conn College

A+ both on this list and supporting points. Bravo.

Regarding Hamilton location --I was just there w/ my junior. While the town of Clinton is down a steep hill and extremely limited, (though very quaint and a great cider mill and gelato place) I will say the campus itself is very pretty. Lots of old traditional building with new buildings nicely incorporated. It's totally flat and the size is nice--very walkable but lots of green space. Campus buildings are all renovated and well maintained. Lots of dining options for a small school including a coffee cafe place, a pub, a diner as well as two main dining halls. What I was most suprised about is Utica is about 15 min away. Clearly, not a destination city but several upscale restaurants including a delicious farm to table restaurant with a great atmosphere that is moving to a larger space in the near future. There are many hotels, most are on the new side including a very nice Homewood suites only 10 min from campus. So my point is that yes, Hamilton has some location challenges but there are all the amenities that one needs. Also, it's any easy drive as right off rt 90 so no backroads.

[Anonymous]

Boy there are some wild Hamilton boosters here. I'm an academic and never heard of the school until my kid's college search. It seems like a nice place and I guess the musical gave its reputation a boost, but it's nowhere near the top tier of LACs or even just NESCACs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boy there are some wild Hamilton boosters here. I'm an academic and never heard of the school until my kid's college search. It seems like a nice place and I guess the musical gave its reputation a boost, but it's nowhere near the top tier of LACs or even just NESCACs.

So because you never heard of it we ignore all the objective data about the school (test scores, endowment etc) and put it at the bottom of the nescacs with Trinity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boy there are some wild Hamilton boosters here. I'm an academic and never heard of the school until my kid's college search. It seems like a nice place and I guess the musical gave its reputation a boost, but it's nowhere near the top tier of LACs or even just NESCACs.

Your ignorance is just ignorance, it doesn't make it so. I never heard of cal tech or Pomona until my kid started college search but that doesn't make them inferior institutions...it just exposes my ignorance of excellent western colleges

[Anonymous]

My DS went to Swarthmore and never took a class at Haverford, Bryan Mayr or U Penn. I often wonder who really takes advantage of this option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS went to Swarthmore and never took a class at Haverford, Bryan Mayr or U Penn. I often wonder who really takes advantage of this option.

Haverford and Bryn Mawr overlap a great deal being two miles apart (bi-co). Swarthmore is 20 mins away (tri-co) and naturally has less overlap

[Anonymous]

hamilton is just sooo mid

no one’s first choice entering the college process. yeah kids ed there after reality sets in

bottom of the nescac in my DC’s friend group - never really comes up with Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wes and Colby

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hamilton is just sooo mid

no one’s first choice entering the college process. yeah kids ed there after reality sets in

bottom of the nescac in my DC’s friend group - never really comes up with Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wes and Colby

what do they find appealing about Colby?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:hamilton is just sooo mid

no one’s first choice entering the college process. yeah kids ed there after reality sets in

bottom of the nescac in my DC’s friend group - never really comes up with Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wes and Colby

well if it the bottom of DCs friend group than mic drop. I mean that's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:hamilton is just sooo mid

no one’s first choice entering the college process. yeah kids ed there after reality sets in

bottom of the nescac in my DC’s friend group - never really comes up with Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wes and Colby

well if it the bottom of DCs friend group than mic drop. I mean that's it.

I think Hamilton is a much harder admit than Wes now. Wes is avoided because it’s filled with social justice weirdos. Most kids have no interest in that nonsense. Schools then become havens for it, the problem intensifies, and next thing you know Oberlin is ranked 39th.

[Anonymous]

This conversation is stupid. Same is the chronic dull as dishwater ranking threads that always pollute this area of DCUM. Which ivy ranks over which ivy? Which publics rank where? Lets rank the slacs ? If you like Wes or Hamilton or tufts or any of the others and you can actually admitted than that is great. Get yourself an education and good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is stupid. Same is the chronic dull as dishwater ranking threads that always pollute this area of DCUM. Which ivy ranks over which ivy? Which publics rank where? Lets rank the slacs ? If you like Wes or Hamilton or tufts or any of the others and you can actually admitted than that is great. Get yourself an education and good luck.

So why are you here? Because deep down inside you share the ranking addiction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is stupid. Same is the chronic dull as dishwater ranking threads that always pollute this area of DCUM. Which ivy ranks over which ivy? Which publics rank where? Lets rank the slacs ? If you like Wes or Hamilton or tufts or any of the others and you can actually admitted than that is great. Get yourself an education and good luck.

So why are you here? Because deep down inside you share the ranking addiction.

Not really. I am pretty solid in my analysis about why the one DC is chose is the best for DC. Coaching issue played into it which is not relevant academically other than if your kid is going to go forward with the time and energy required to play a nescac sport (which is already way more forgiving than any D1 commitment), having it not be a poor quality experience is important IMO. Actually avoided a higher "ranked" university for this reason and IMO it was a valid reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This conversation is stupid. Same is the chronic dull as dishwater ranking threads that always pollute this area of DCUM. Which ivy ranks over which ivy? Which publics rank where? Lets rank the slacs ? If you like Wes or Hamilton or tufts or any of the others and you can actually admitted than that is great. Get yourself an education and good luck.

So why are you here? Because deep down inside you share the ranking addiction.

Not really. I am pretty solid in my analysis about why the one DC is chose is the best for DC. Coaching issue played into it which is not relevant academically other than if your kid is going to go forward with the time and energy required to play a nescac sport (which is already way more forgiving than any D1 commitment), having it not be a poor quality experience is important IMO. Actually avoided a higher "ranked" university for this reason and IMO it was a valid reason.

No one is saying you must choose a higher ranked school over a lower one.