"Top 10" - what does that mean?

[Anonymous]

Harvard/Stanford
MIT/Yale/Princeton
Caltech/Columbia/Chicago/Penn
Northwestern/Duke/Dartmouth/Brown
Cornell/JHU

Not technically "10", but what a consider "elite"

[Anonymous]

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities

[Anonymous]

These ranking posts are funny
I'm assuming these are parents of juniors or younger
Those having been through the process at least once are just not interested in rankings anymore

[Anonymous]

There are about 12 schools or so that would be considered "Top 10", but I personally don't think Caltech should be considered. It's smaller than most high schools and caters to a very niche subset of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get all the love for Duke. What is it exactly stellar in that makes it a top ten school?

There's many Duke fan boys on this thread. Duke is borderline top 10 at best

Still above Columbia and Cornell

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don’t get all the love for Duke. What is it exactly stellar in that makes it a top ten school?

There's many Duke fan boys on this thread. Duke is borderline top 10 at best

Still above Columbia and Cornell

and Dartmouth and Brown

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Top 10" National Universities:

1) Princeton
2) Stanford
3) Harvard
4) MIT
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) Northwestern
8) Duke
9) Chicago
10) Columbia

Top 10 LACs

USNA-Annapolis
USMA--West Point
USAFA--Colorado Springs

1) Williams College
2) Amherst College
3) Swarthmore College
4) Pomona College
5) Claremont McKenna College

6) Bowdoin College
7) Carleton Colege
8) Wellesley College
9) Middlebury College
10) Davidson College

I agree with your national universities list, but no one considers SLACs to be part of the conversation when discussing T10 schools...

Do NOT agree with your list. You just made it up.

I and US News and many other sources seem to have "just made it up" with respect to the Top 10 list. Perhaps you are seeking a biblical reference as support ?

Wow, did you just put yourself and USNWR just below the Bible in terms of authority?

[Anonymous]

Top 10 is USNWR ranking - this is where people start, then they customize based on personal priorities.

50% of that ranking is academic reputation and faculty resources. 10% is admissions inputs (SATs, % top 10% of class in HS). About 10% is class size, and I think 15% is 6 year graduation rate and employed after graduation.

This seems like a reasonable set of weights to me.

Figure out what else is important to you in terms of priorities and go from there.

[Anonymous]

The stupidest aspect of this debate is best for what? Undergraduate computer science? Engineering? Nursing? Business? Humanities? Fine Arts? Music? Eg better to go to Carnegie Mellon or Gatech for engineering than most Ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The stupidest aspect of this debate is best for what? Undergraduate computer science? Engineering? Nursing? Business? Humanities? Fine Arts? Music? Eg better to go to Carnegie Mellon or Gatech for engineering than most Ivies.

Overall school ranking/prestige is just one of the many factors, but some people are too obsessed with that, and made it a hobby splitting hairs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, for the SLACs can we please make AWS happen? It is already an established name and has a nice ring to it! People just get confused by things that can mean multiple things like the little 3

No. No one cares about that dumb acronym, and people don’t consider LACs when talking about the top 10.

For undergrad LACs are definitely part of the conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When did Hopkins and Chicago become top ten schools? It’s been ages since I’ve applied to college, but I recall both schools being obtainable for a fair amount of students. I did a little research to make sure my memory wasn’t fuzzy. https://weilcollegeadvising.com/admission-rates-30-years-ago/ I’m just wondering what changed.

I feel like Chicago has always been incredibly respected. JHU and Northwestern seem like more recent initiations into this tier.

Northwestern was considered elite (not HYP-level, but still) when I applied to colleges over 30 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When did Hopkins and Chicago become top ten schools? It’s been ages since I’ve applied to college, but I recall both schools being obtainable for a fair amount of students. I did a little research to make sure my memory wasn’t fuzzy. https://weilcollegeadvising.com/admission-rates-30-years-ago/ I’m just wondering what changed.

I feel like Chicago has always been incredibly respected. JHU and Northwestern seem like more recent initiations into this tier.

Northwestern was considered elite (not HYP-level, but still) when I applied to colleges over 30 years ago.

it's mainly a school for rich white folks who major in communications, psychology, theatre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Top 10" National Universities:

1) Princeton
2) Stanford
3) Harvard
4) MIT
5) Yale

6) U Penn
7) Northwestern
8) Duke
9) Chicago
10) Columbia

Top 10 LACs

USNA-Annapolis
USMA--West Point
USAFA--Colorado Springs

1) Williams College
2) Amherst College
3) Swarthmore College
4) Pomona College
5) Claremont McKenna College

6) Bowdoin College
7) Carleton Colege
8) Wellesley College
9) Middlebury College
10) Davidson College

I agree with your national universities list, but no one considers SLACs to be part of the conversation when discussing T10 schools...

Do NOT agree with your list. You just made it up.

I and US News and many other sources seem to have "just made it up" with respect to the Top 10 list. Perhaps you are seeking a biblical reference as support ?

Wow, did you just put yourself and USNWR just below the Bible in terms of authority?

Clearly, reading comprehension is not one of your strengths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When did Hopkins and Chicago become top ten schools? It’s been ages since I’ve applied to college, but I recall both schools being obtainable for a fair amount of students. I did a little research to make sure my memory wasn’t fuzzy. https://weilcollegeadvising.com/admission-rates-30-years-ago/ I’m just wondering what changed.

I feel like Chicago has always been incredibly respected. JHU and Northwestern seem like more recent initiations into this tier.

Northwestern was considered elite (not HYP-level, but still) when I applied to colleges over 30 years ago.

it's mainly a school for rich white folks who major in communications, psychology, theatre.

You are unfamiliar with Northwestern. Lots of engineering & chemistry majors. Gets the highest academic rating from the Fiske Guide To Colleges 2023. Very diverse student body.

Nortwestern's campus: North campus is engineering & STEM, while the South campus is liberal arts, communications, music, & theater. Northwestern's Journalism School & theater are considered by many to each be the best in the nation.