<p>You have just stated that the differences between alot of these schools are minimal, but then you go ahead and divide it into tiers, leaving out alot of schools and placing others where they should not be? Why are UVA, UNC, and UCLA and UCB tier 2 when ND doesn’t even make the list and vandy/g-town are tier 3?</p>
<p>“I really don’t see how you could even continue arguing with my logic unless you have none.”</p>
<p>^That’s ridiculously cocky.</p>
<p>And before I say anything else, have you sat in on a class at everyone of those institutions? No. You haven’t. I went’ to four of those schools during my prospective weeks in April and I sat in on classes at all four of them.</p>
<p>And while Hopkin’s international relations is getting better, I disagree with you that it beats Columbia’s or Chicago Internaional Studies programs at the moment. It could change in a couple years. </p>
<p>I’m not going to argue with you anymore, this is worthless. </p>
<p>To me the greatest distinction about Chicago and the rest of the schools was not a certain major, it was the attitude of the students at the schools. I found students at Columbia, Hopkins, Duke, etc very pre-professional. I found students at Chicago really there to learn for the sake of learning and receive an education that prepared them not for careers neccesarily, but rather life in general. It is a life of the mind school with amazingly passionate students. That’s why I personally chose Chicago. And I respect why you may have personally chosen Hopkins.</p>
<p>And your rankings…way too much generalizing.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Let me put my Berkeley cheerleader outfit on and address this one. In terms of faculty achievement, one school is vastly greater than any of the others in list #2. ;)</p>
<p>National Academy of Sciences Members:
Berkeley: 130</p>
<p>Columbia: 43
Chicago: 40
Cornell: 39
UCLA: 33
Penn: 29
Michigan: 23
Johns Hopkins: 22
Duke: 19
Northwestern: 16
WUSTL: 16
Brown: 11
UNC: 10
UVA: 4
Dartmouth: 2
[National</a> Academy of Sciences:](<a href=“http://www.nasonline.org/site/Dir?sid=1011&view=basic&pg=srch]National”>http://www.nasonline.org/site/Dir?sid=1011&view=basic&pg=srch)</p>
<p>National Academy of Engineering members:
Berkeley: 75</p>
<p>Cornell: 24
Michigan: 22
UCLA: 20
Northwestern: 19
Columbia: 16
UVA: 11
Penn: 9
Johns Hopkins: 9
UNC: 5
Brown: 3
Dartmouth: 3
Duke: 3
WUSTL: 2
Chicago: 1
[Members</a> By Parent Institution](<a href=“http://www.nae.edu/nae/naepub.nsf/members%20by%20parent%20institutionu?OpenView&Start=59]Members”>http://www.nae.edu/nae/naepub.nsf/members%20by%20parent%20institutionu?OpenView&Start=59)</p>
<p>if I wanted to lump based on something tangible, I would use peer assessment where JHU >>>>>>Duke for the past decade or so? (I’m not sure because I’m not a rankings freak).</p>
<p>and really, ring<em>of</em>fire, WUSTL = Duke in selectivity…so…I don’t get your point? I wasn’t ranking based on selectivity.</p>
<p>If we’re all going to pull out random lists, I should just pull out Chicago’s Nobel Laureate list…</p>
<p>This is pathetic. lol</p>
<p>ilovepeople:</p>
<p>Again, you are basing personal reasons for your ranking of Chicago as > JHU, Columbia, etc.
I sat in on Uchicago classes too. In fact, I took a whole summer semester there seeing as I live so close. The classes aren’t amazing or much different JHU imho, just as they weren’t different when I spent time at Columbia and even Harvard.</p>
<p>The point is that there is no possible way you can assertively say that any one of those schools is outright greater than the other. There will always be an argument, and as long as there IS an argument, the fact is notwithstanding. You don’t see ANYONE arguing with HArvard > Chicago or Harvard > JHU. But the fact that I can argue here with you about JHU < Chicago means that it is not a solidified fact ;). You should take some debating classes and philosphy courses. I hear they’re really good at Uchicago ;)</p>
<p>I’m finished with this argument. There’s no need for me to waste my valuable time arguing with people who are too blindsided to accept that their school is not the best blah blah. I’m not trying to argue JHU > Chicago. I’m arguing that their equal. </p>
<p>and as per International Relations/Studies, the top schools in that field are Princeton Woodrow Wilson, Georgetown, Tufts, and JHU for undergrad. For graduate, Columbia appears on that list as well.</p>
<p>Chicago doesn’t.</p>
<p>I will post my tiers.</p>
<p>Tier 1:
-HYPSM</p>
<p>Tier 2:
-Caltech, UPENN, Columbia, Chicago, Duke, Darthmouth, WUSTL, JHU, Cornell, NW, Brown</p>
<p>Tier 3:
Emory, Rice, Vanderbilt, ND, UCB, CMU, georgetown, UCLA, UVA, USC, UM, tufts, UNC, BC, NYU</p>
<p>The differences between alot of these universities within the tiers are minimal. Each has their own strengths/weaknesses.</p>
<p>That’s fine. Since you said you’re done arguing. I’ll say my last point.</p>
<p>In all your points, when were you not being biased towards Hopkins? Seriously, speak for yourself before you attack others.</p>
<p>^ please point out where I WAS biased towards Hopkins?</p>
<p>Selectivity and professional reputation should be the only things that matter when ranking universities. Hopkins have much weaker students and Chicago has slightly weaker students than Duke based on SAT scores. Duke has better placement in the top professional schools than Chicago or Hopkins. In addition, Duke has much better connections to the top investment banks and consulting firms in the country than either Chicago or Hopkins.</p>
<p>Without PA, Duke>Chicago>JHU. Duke is the most undergraduate focused school out of the three. Even a good friend of mien who goes to UChicago told me that Chicago doesn’t really care about its undergrads that much.</p>
<p>ring<em>of</em>fire, you may think what you like, but when you go to the real world, you will see how little and nonexistent these differences are.
As I mentioned in another thread, I, a rising-junior at JHU, was hired by a large law firm for a summer job over a Duke graduate with honors in political science and history.
Do I brag about it as though JHU>Duke? nope.
I just note how similar they are and move on 
It’s not like they would take some average Duke student over an above-average JHU student and vice versa.</p>
<p>Duke=Chicago=JHU (with the little squiggly equal signs meaning approximately) now stop bickering. </p>
<p>It’s not like if you go to one you will end up at McDonalds and if you go to the other you will end up a CEO. Chill, college is mostly what you make of it anyways.</p>
<p>soccer:
that’s what I’ve been saying the WHOLE time.</p>
<p>Well, I was accepted to all three and I chose Chicago.</p>
<p>Chicago is a much more rigorous and academically demanding school than Duke, and frankly I think you get a better education there. </p>
<p>Duke has always benefitted from the prestige it wallows in since back in the day. </p>
<p>Just this year, the students from my school who are going to Chicago and Hopkins took more demanding classes, had higher SAT scores, and much better extracurriculars than the two girls who went to Duke. There was no question at all. </p>
<p>This is completely factual:</p>
<p>Chicago Bound (I’m not using myself for the data, but instead another chicago bound student): 1520/1600; 10 AP courses in high school; ranked in the top ten percent
Duke Bound: 1380/1600; 2 AP courses in high school; not ranked in the top ten percent
Hopkins Bound: 1430/1600; 7 AP courses in high school; ranked in the top ten percent</p>
<p>But regardless, they’re all good schools. So who cares.</p>
<p>And if you’re not considering academia, and just looking at everyday America. Then I agree Duke and even Hopkins have more respect than Chicago.</p>
<p>ilovepeople:</p>
<p>I was accepted to all three as well, with better financial aid at Duke and Chicago.</p>
<p>And I agree. Both Hopkins and Chicago seem more intellectual than Duke, but I think that just might be my bias talking ;)</p>
<p>Upenn shouldn’t be in 4th, but rather tied for 6th or in 7th. But US News is accurate, placing Upenn ahead of Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth and Cornell. </p>
<p>Happymedstudent is butt hurt that Upenn was ranked so high. ;)</p>
<p>Penn is very pre-professsional. I hate that. No matter how high it’s ranked, I’m more attracted to the other ivies. </p>
<p>Of course, I’m Chicago bound, so I definitely have a bias.</p>
<p>“happymedstudent might actually still be in high school. For sure not a “happy med student”. I guess Duke didn’t want him, either.”</p>
<p>MomofWildChild:</p>
<p>I love how you keep accusing me of being rejected from schools to which I never applied.</p>
<p>Are you sure you’re remembering correctly? Usually Duke rejects end up at Rice or Vandy, but I don’t go to either school.</p>
<p>Stop flaming me for saying Penn is overranked when everyone else in this thread is saying the same thing.</p>
<p>Yes, I’ve criticized Duke in the past. But that doesn’t mean I have a personal agenda. Lots and lots of CC posters rightfully trash Duke and most of them have never applied to Duke, let alone were rejected there.</p>
<p>If I were really a high school student, then what does that say about you? Why are you engaging in a verbal war with someone who would at most be one-third of your age, not to mention, younger than your own children.</p>
<p>Based upon their behavior, I totally believe that ring<em>of</em>fire and MichLawHopeful are Duke students!</p>