collegeorbust10

Florida

Overrated: University of Florida
Underrated: University of South Florida, Rollins College, Florida Southern College

noreally

Florida

Overrated: University of Florida
Underrated: New College of Florida

sciencefrenchie

Ohio

Overrated: Miami University
It's not bad, but it's not anywhere near as good as people make it out to be.

Underrated: Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin College

proletariat2

Michigan

Overrated: University of Michigan (especially non-LSA), Wayne State University
Underrated: Michigan State University, Kalamazoo College, some of the small religious liberal arts colleges (and of course, you don't have to follow those religions to go there)

pacheight

less: cal
more: usc
less: harvard
more: stanford
california!

hopter

Overrated: Cal, UCLA, USC, Stanford
Underrated: Claremont Colleges, Chapman, Occidental, Pacific

STV

Texas

Overrated: Baylor, SMU, TCU (all overpriced! Baylor only good for medicine, SMU only good for business!)
Underrated: Texas A&M College Station, Trinity University (considered the best Master's University in the West by USNWR)

glassesarechic

People have got NC fairly well covered, but:

Overrated: UNC (by middle-of-the-road students)

Underrated: UNC (for top students who use it as a safety), NC State (it has some pretty good programs, design especially), App, Wake Forest

Davidson I think is treated with its due weight; of course, I live near the college, so it's a lot more well-known (and so are its merit scholarships) in my area than elsewhere in the state. I also think Duke is pretty fairly viewed, though a lot of people at my school can't afford it and would pick Chapel Hill instead anyday.

rocket6louise

PA

Overrated-Haverford, Penn State and UPenn

Underrated: Bryn Mawr, Susquehanna, and Pitt

collegefreak779

Overrated would be NYU for sure. it's a fine school, but it's nothing special

underrated would be all the suny schools and cornell. some the the suny schools are actually really good, but no one in my school would ever consider going there because of the suny moniker. and cornell is an AMAZING school, but people at my school look at it as "the easiest ivy to get into" and that makes it a piece of crap (even though it is one of the best schools in the country)

Xargon42

CA:
overrated:USC
underrated: Claremont Consortium

debrockman

Frenchie, Here's what is so great about Miami. Conservative kids can go there and not be belittled and demeaned for their religious beliefs and/or political leanings. So a lot of smart suburban kids are happy there. For a large state university, it has a decidedly private atmosphere with all of the offerings of a big school. In that regard, it is a very unique school. The other schools you mention are excellent, but Miami is too....and it is public. None of the publics in Indiana have that feel....so a lot of folks from Indiana choose it as well. You can hardly go to a public school (other than Purdue) in Indiana unless you are a liberal and feel comfortable. IU is very liberal. Miami also offers great scholarships to smart out-of-staters. They pull in a lot of brainy conservative kids from out of state. It may not be for you, but it is definitely not overrated.

cx1055121526

Illinois

Overrated: U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Underrated: Northwestern?

pacheight

clarification:
under: usc
over: call
under: stanford
over: harvard

uskoolfish

Don't think NYU is particularly overrated in the rankings, however it IS probably overrated in school popularity polls--ie, dream schools. D loves it, but it is certainly not for everyone.