<p>^ Well, when it was an all-male school (which it was until 1972), Notre Dame was a men’s college named after a woman. So I guess fair is fair.</p>
<p>Russell Sage is pretty darn bad. Sounds like a rejected name in a Simon & Garfunkel song. </p>
<p>I will be a contrarian on Harvey Mudd College. It is so bad, it’s great. Plus grads get to have a college pennant that says MUDD on it. So they have that going for them … which is nice.</p>
<p>Best- wellesley, vassar, bowdoin, dartmouth, bryn mawr, columbia, haverford… they all sound so classy.</p>
<p>Worst- agnes scott (wth?), mt. holyoke (love the school though… just a weird name), swarthmore (I think of the word “swarthy”), brown, cornell, bucknell… i don’t like the “ell” sound.</p>
<p>I’m very torn about Dartmouth. I like the way it sounds, but the way it’s spelled just looks like an dental procedure.</p>
<p>I used to hear so much about this prestigious liberal arts school, “Boden,” that I became somewhat interested in the college. I remember reading the next day or so in a newspaper (or online) of a school that I thought had the funniest pronounced name: Ba-doin? It sounds like a cartoonish sound effect! It wasn’t until later that I connected the two names.</p>
<p>FU … Furman University that is</p>
<p>Ball State University (B.S.U.)… yes, even the acronym is messed up!</p>
<p>I never liked the CUNY or SUNY names either… Sounds *very *community college like… lol.</p>
<p>I think Skidmore is pretty bad.</p>
<p>I’ve always liked Slippery Rock State (it’s in PA). But, in looking down the road, I’d love to see Rowan University (formerly Glassboro State College in NJ) merge with Martin Methodist College (it’s in TN) to become the behemoth, Rowan and Martin University! I’m showing my age.</p>
<p>Best: Duquesne, Tulane (especially when it’s pronounced TU-lane)
Worst: I hate to say it, but my D’s soon-to-be school Earlham. Don’t get me wrong, we love love love the school, and the written form is fine. But try saying it to people in California. NO ONE understands it the first time.</p>
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<p>I’m pretty sure that’s because they haven’t heard of the school.</p>
<p>Oh that’s definitely true. And they hear “Urlum.” I’ve been trying lately to stress the HAM a little more, but still. No wonder they’re confused!</p>
<p>Best names: Carnegie Mellon, Claremont McKenna, University of Notre Dame, Byrn Mawr, and West Point!</p>
<p>Best: Harvard, Princeton, GEORGETOWN 
Worst: Colgate <because when I hear “colgate” i think of my toothpaste!)</p>
<p>I think any university that has the word “state” is pretty bad.</p>
<p>Worst: Kutztown</p>
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<p>Typical CC pretentiousness.</p>
<p>Isn’t this thread all subjective? i think im entitled to my own opinion just as everyone else who is bashing on school names. In no way shape or form am I discrediting them for academics.</p>
<p>The worst named colleges to me are those changing their name to university. Many small colleges decide they are a full fledged university only to have the name. It’s dishonest in my opinion. It will be Awesome College changed to Awesome University.</p>
<p>Also, my state has been home to some naming wars. The flagship campus of the University of Missouri has decided that since it is so big, it deserves the full name without a location (to appear bigger). So, now we have:
University of Missouri - Kansas City
University of Missouri - St. Louis
University of Missouri</p>
<p>This is no doubt a huge reason why the University of Missouri at Rolla is now Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Southwest Missouri State University is now just Missouri State University. </p>
<p>That’s my soapbox on names :-)</p>
<p>I think that Missouri University of Science & Technology is a better name than University of Missouri at Rolla. The name “Rolla” is a very bad misspelling of “Raleigh”, which is what the town was originally supposed to be named.</p>