Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 13:24     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Couldn't be just about a protest, weather or basketball, could it? The protest was shortlived, and the weather and basketball were always there, so why they suddenly more popular now?


None of that is a valid assessment of the quality of the students.

Duke is a stable T10 no rise or decline: solidly in the T10, only one year in the last 10 has been outside of it, and has the SAT scores (pre-TO) that rival the top-4 ivies and MIT.
Columbia is in a decline: falsified data led to a fake "T3" spot, and never reported SAT scores on the CDS, due to lower than the top 4 ivies with the large pool of GS students, then they had the extensive issues with the protests and now a gated campus. It remains a top school T11-15, it could go back up to T10 (And bump down JHU with its 2 rounds of ED) but not likely in the next 5 years.
UChicago: Stable but not really a T10, though not declining fro those that understand where it really sits. Like Columbia they never reported CDS, and have been TO for a while. Furthermore they have ED1 ED2 and EA and RD, now an ED0. They game the system too much to be T10, period. They are a stable T15 That gets ranked USN T10 due to gimmicks.
Vanderbilt: used to have one of the Top-7 SAT ranges in the country, now they take tons of TO, take hundreds in sophomore transfers, all TO and many quite low (1350s). They are not ascending they are moving from what used to be T12-15 to T18-22. Their fit over the USN rankings drop was illustrative. Act like you belong, don't whine. WashU has become more prestigious as far as talent of the student body than Vanderbilt.



Disagree. Has been T10 for years, even before ED. I'm not a Chicago lover but that's just the truth. And their SAT score averages also matched the upper Ivies and other T10s before TO.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 13:13     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:Columbia and Brown have much more in common.


How? Brown is open curriculum. Columbia has strict core curriculum. What thye overlap most is probably over-representation of private school kids from NYC.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 12:10     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Duke and Vandy are low classsssssssssssss. Good for DCUM ivy league rejects though.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 12:00     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
This is the one of the dumbest troll posts. Who exactly is saying that Columbia and UChicago are declining in prestige!?? You find a ranking that shows the schools not at the top and you equate that with declining prestige? You lack critical thinking skills to draw such a conclusion. There are countless other rankings that show either or both schools among the top so using rankings as a metric is just silly.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 11:56     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Columbia and Brown have much more in common.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 11:52     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Duke campus is not hilly. Nice try.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 11:45     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Columbia remains test optional which drives up applications and low acceptance rates. Unlike most of its peer schools which returned to testing required.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 10:03     Subject: Re:Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
They are all great schools, but as a local to the research triangle it does amuse me what rose colored glasses people have for Duke. I agree it checks a lot of boxes, but there are most definitely flaws. No school is perfect, not even Duke. If a less prestigious school was in same place with same cons it would be bashed regularly.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 09:51     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:I don't thinks it's an issue of prestige but rather an issue of desirability and fit. Duke and Vanderbilt tick a lot of boxes for super smart, social kids who want a fun collegiate experience with academics, sports, greek and mild weather. Unfortunately, too many top kids at our private think the same. So instead, my kid applied early to any ivy which is pretty social and had better predicted ed results vs duke/vandy. Funny enough, I went to columbia and dh went to chicago. My kid had absolutely no interest in those schools. I do think columbia's protest campus disruptions turned them off and they didn't like the restrictive core curriculum. Regarding chicago, they were turned off by the quarter system and grind reputation. Fit is equally or more important than prestige.


+1
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 09:03     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:Cold weather
Angry woke nonsense
No fun
Out of touch reputation
Smart and prestigious

Vs

Nice weather
Attractive students
Fun (Greek life, school spirit)
Down to earth reputation
Smart and prestigious


Comfortable late spring/early fall
Intellectual students
Fun (city life, professional sports)
Pinnacle of academic reputation
Smart and prestigious

Vs

Hot and humid late spring/early fall
MAGA dumb
Fun (embarrassing rushtok)
Second-tier institutions
Smart and prestigious
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 08:23     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:Cold weather
Angry woke nonsense
No fun
Out of touch reputation
Smart and prestigious

Vs

Nice weather
Attractive students
Fun (Greek life, school spirit)
Down to earth reputation
Smart and prestigious


This is soo stereotypical, come on now. All Duke and Vandy students are attractive? I beg to differ...
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 08:21     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Duke is the gold standard of collegiate experience









Not for my kid. She visited the campus and thought it was definitely not a place for her.


My kid too, he was turned off. Hilly, mix of old and new buildings, etc. Prefers the cold and more intellectual vibe of a UChicago, Northwestern, etc. Some kids don't like to sweat climbing up hills in humidity. Hot weather is not ideal for all.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 07:51     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Cold weather
Angry woke nonsense
No fun
Out of touch reputation
Smart and prestigious

Vs

Nice weather
Attractive students
Fun (Greek life, school spirit)
Down to earth reputation
Smart and prestigious
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 07:35     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
They are only descending with the DCUM trolls. Especially the Zionist trolls who hate protests and love "the sun" and are trying to promote Southern schools. Columbia's acceptance rate is an astounding 4%.

I give you some credit for picking Vanderbilt and Duke rather than Tennessee and Clemson like most of your troll friends.
Anonymous
Post 03/10/2026 01:08     Subject: Why are schools like Columbia and UChicago descending in prestige while schools like Duke and Vanderbilt ascending?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Couldn't be just about a protest, weather or basketball, could it? The protest was shortlived, and the weather and basketball were always there, so why they suddenly more popular now?


None of that is a valid assessment of the quality of the students.

Duke is a stable T10 no rise or decline: solidly in the T10, only one year in the last 10 has been outside of it, and has the SAT scores (pre-TO) that rival the top-4 ivies and MIT.
Columbia is in a decline: falsified data led to a fake "T3" spot, and never reported SAT scores on the CDS, due to lower than the top 4 ivies with the large pool of GS students, then they had the extensive issues with the protests and now a gated campus. It remains a top school T11-15, it could go back up to T10 (And bump down JHU with its 2 rounds of ED) but not likely in the next 5 years.
UChicago: Stable but not really a T10, though not declining fro those that understand where it really sits. Like Columbia they never reported CDS, and have been TO for a while. Furthermore they have ED1 ED2 and EA and RD, now an ED0. They game the system too much to be T10, period. They are a stable T15 That gets ranked USN T10 due to gimmicks.
Vanderbilt: used to have one of the Top-7 SAT ranges in the country, now they take tons of TO, take hundreds in sophomore transfers, all TO and many quite low (1350s). They are not ascending they are moving from what used to be T12-15 to T18-22. Their fit over the USN rankings drop was illustrative. Act like you belong, don't whine. WashU has become more prestigious as far as talent of the student body than Vanderbilt.


Washu takes just as many students TO. Although it is harder to get into as a transfer.