<p>To JHS’ point, the nice thing is that one is not necessarily better than the other. The world needs both the sit-back-in-the-ivory-tower types and the let’s-go-ahead-and-take-action types. </p>
<p>A student who tends towards the overly intellectual may also be not well served by going to a place that indulges that all the time – it can also make them pedantic and self-absorbed. Depending on the student, the colleges with the largest reputation for being academic may either be heaven on earth where they finally blossom, or the place that seals their fate for forever being boring and navel-gazing. I know that it’s a good thing U of Chicago was never on my radar screen as a student. I would have gone there and become a major nerd. I, myself, was better served by going to a place that <em>wasn’t</em> all discussions-about-Great-Things all the time. It helped me come out of my shell. Of course, everyone’s individual mileage may, can and will vary on this.</p>