Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:56     Subject: Re:If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
In order:

Stanford
Harvard
MIT
Princeton
CIT
Yale
Duke
Williams
Amherst
Pomona
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 08:56     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
I actually laughed when I saw on page 1 of this thread someone had put "St Johns"

That college has more transfers OUT than most others and for good reason.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 07:29     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MIT
Princeton
Stanford
Rice
Berkeley
Michigan
Cornell
UCLA
Penn
Texas

Schools that aren't outstanding in engineering should not be on any list in 2025.


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

6) Northwestern, Duke, & U Penn

9) UC-Berkeley

10) Cornell & CMU


Duke and especially Yale aren’t outstanding in Engineering


Is the list of schools supposed to focus on engineering programs ?

My list which you referenced focused on overall academics and career opportunities.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2025 02:41     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MIT
Princeton
Stanford
Rice
Berkeley
Michigan
Cornell
UCLA
Penn
Texas

Schools that aren't outstanding in engineering should not be on any list in 2025.


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

6) Northwestern, Duke, & U Penn

9) UC-Berkeley

10) Cornell & CMU


Duke and especially Yale aren’t outstanding in Engineering
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 06:11     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Don’t most employers want students with strong leadership skills that have real world problem solving skills that aren’t snowflakes? West Point and Naval Academy should be at the top of any list.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 06:08     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Any test optional/test blind school cannot be a top 10 undergraduate.


HYPMS
Caltech
Penn
JHU
Cornell
Rice


Fair


This but JHU above Penn
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 06:07     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Caltech
MIT
Hopkins
Rice
Harvey Mudd
Chicago
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 06:05     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:1) Uchicago
2) CalTech
2) Reed
3) Princeton
4) Deep Springs (but it's not a 4-year), Swarthmore
5) Harvey Mudd
6) Amherst
7) Williams or Pomona
8) Pomona or Williams
9) Berkeley
10) St Johns

I tend to personally rank STEM-heavy colleges lower on the intellectual component, but even I can admit Caltech is deeply committed to science and progress in a way that most colleges with career-hungry stem students aren't.

My main criteria is an intellectual atmosphere that emphasizes rigor aka ... a college.


I would rank STEM heavy a lot higher. We all know they are harder and the careers they lead to are much more lucrative than a philosophy degree.
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 06:03     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Who is this question asked every day?
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 05:40     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:I think it is a false distinction. You cannot and should not attempt to rank colleges in a linnear fashion.



Ok, how’s this?

Chicago MIT
Princeton

Williams. Caltech


Northwestern

Michigan Hopkins

Stanford
Rice
Anonymous
Post 11/25/2025 02:24     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:1) Uchicago
2) CalTech
2) Reed
3) Princeton
4) Deep Springs (but it's not a 4-year), Swarthmore
5) Harvey Mudd
6) Amherst
7) Williams or Pomona
8) Pomona or Williams
9) Berkeley
10) St Johns

I tend to personally rank STEM-heavy colleges lower on the intellectual component, but even I can admit Caltech is deeply committed to science and progress in a way that most colleges with career-hungry stem students aren't.

My main criteria is an intellectual atmosphere that emphasizes rigor aka ... a college.


St John's???
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 23:29     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Caltech
MIT
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Stanford
Cal
UChicago
Hopkins
Williams
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 23:24     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:Caltech
Princeton
MIT
Harvard
Yale
Stanford
Reed
Berkeley
UChicago
Williams


Weed?
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 22:38     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Anonymous wrote:Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Stanford
Dartmouth
UChicago


dartmouth alum much?
Anonymous
Post 11/24/2025 22:35     Subject: If the Ivy label never existed, what are the true top 10 best U.S. colleges in your mind?
Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Stanford
Dartmouth
UChicago