Most OVERrated and or UNDERrated Colleges in your State ? - Page 4

Plainsman · 11-30-2009, 11:16 AM

Sorry, I have deep roots in 3 states:

New Jersey:

Overrated: every college and university except Princeton.
Underrated: None

Pennsylvania:

Overrated: every college and university except Swarthmore, Penn State, and U. of Penn
Underrated: None

Ohio:

Overrated: None
Underrated: Oberlin College and Kenyon College (two of the finest LACs anywhere)

doctorb · 11-30-2009, 11:22 AM

Virginia

Over- U Virginia

Under- William & Mary / Washington & Lee

Scarlett.B · 11-30-2009, 11:22 AM

Georgia

Most Overrated: Emory University-Because Of US News College Rankings.

[UGA is also a bit overrated]- Almost every Georgian I know thinks UGA is the best thing since sliced bread.

Some of the Underrated: Agnes Scott College, Mercer University, Georgia Southern

MirandaKH · 11-30-2009, 11:26 AM

Arizona (This will be hard...)

Overrated: ASU - everyone wants to go there since it's a great party school. I've been over to the campus and I hated it. Tempe at least has the most stuff to do in Arizona, but that's not saying much. All AZ really has is bars/restaurants. Most small music clubs are 21+ with the exception of a little gem called The Clubhouse, so you can't do that through most of college anyway.

Underrated: I'll say NAU, just because I've heard good things from people who go there, and no one in the valley ever really considers it. It's all about UofA or ASU. Plus, they actually have weather.

kevster1001 · 11-30-2009, 11:28 AM

MA

Over: BC, Tufts, Harvard
Under: Brandeis, WPI

hudsonvalley51 · 11-30-2009, 12:07 PM

New York State:

Overrated: NYU, Cornell, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Potsdam

Underrated: Vassar, Hamilton, Hobart & William Smith, University of Rochester

Sirensong · 11-30-2009, 12:18 PM

PA

Overrated: UPenn, Lehigh
Underrated: Swarthmore, Haverford, Shreyer's, Temple

romanigypsyeyes · 11-30-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

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)

Spot on, EXCEPT that I would add Wayne State to underrated if we're talking about their pre-med or theater programs. UMich is WAY overrated in our area.

atlgrl1234 · 11-30-2009, 12:34 PM

Virginia

Overrated: UVA & VaTech
Underrated: William & Mary

Cuse0507 · 11-30-2009, 12:38 PM

North Carolina

Overrated: UNC-Wilmington (at least in this state)

Underrated: Elon, Wake Forest, Appalachian State

pakjan6 · 11-30-2009, 12:42 PM

Maryland

Overrated - UMD-CP (its in a horrible part of maryland, PG county is actually scary)

Underrated- Towson (people I know love this school) and Saint Mary's (its the honors college and it has great teaching and a beautiful location)

other then that there is frostburg, which i know nothing about.

Umbc is for sciencey people, as is johns hopkins.

Amadeuic · 11-30-2009, 12:46 PM

Plainsman covered New Jersey for me.

Outside of Princeton, it's hard to name a college in New Jersey worth going to. Rutgers is alright, but nothing special in the flagship school realm; TCNJ can be a good value, but value is a deceitful term.

bclintonk · 11-30-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by proletariat2

Michigan

Overrated: University of Michigan (especially non-LSA)

You've got to be kidding me! Michigan's College of Engineering and Ross School of Business---both "non-LSA"---are among the nation's elite programs in their respective fields. If anything, they're stronger than LS&A. The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is also outstanding, widely (and rightly) considered one of the top schools of performing arts in the country.

My take:

Overrated: Michigan State (among state residents, many of whom regard it as a toss-up with Michigan when objectively it's not even close)

Underrated: University of Michigan LS&A Honors, as good an education as you'll get anywhere in the world

FallGirl · 11-30-2009, 01:29 PM

VA- underrated: Mary Washington University and Washington & Lee Univ.

IL-underrated: Bradley Univ and Illinois Wesleyan Univ

LHS11 · 11-30-2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

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.

So let me get this straight: UMiami is not overrated because it's conservative and conservatives feel welcome there? Not that I really care either way, but that's how I interpret your post and I don't really think that has anything to do with over/underrated (if anything, that would contribute to it being overrated).

Anyway, I'm from PA
Overrated: Penn State (Don't get me wrong, it's a good school, but a lot of people have this idea that it's the only good school in the state)
Underrated: Lafayette, Schreyer's (is truly a deal, if you can get in)