<p>I’m interested in both these universities.</p>
<p>yeah</p>
<p>10 char</p>
<p>I’m giving this thread five posts before someone has an apoplexy that Duke and Stanford are sharing a thread title. Anyone care to place another bet?</p>
<p>To actually address the question, I would add that Pomona and Davidson deserve recognition as the best LACs in each region.</p>
<p>Cal Tech? Rice?</p>
<p>Stanford in the West; Harvard in the East. </p>
<p>Good enough, warblers? ;)</p>
<p>I don’t think it is possible to really say for sure in either case. Yes, Stanford makes the strongest statement in the West Coast, but Cal, Catech and Pomona are certainly worthy contenders. </p>
<p>Same with Duke in the South. Schools like Davidson, Emory, Georgia Tech, Rice, UNC, UT-Austin, UVa, Vanderbilt and William & Mary are certainly worthy contenders.</p>
<p>Best for what?</p>
<p>Can you also say that Chicago, despite the competition from Notre Dame and Washington U. at Missouri, is the best in the Midwest?</p>
<p>Chicago makes a very strong case for being the best in the Midwest, but it has much competition from Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame and WUSTL. It also depends on the major. For those interested in Engineering, Chicago does not factor in since it does not have a college of Engineering. On the other hand, Purdue and UIUC are both considered elite among Engineering programs. LACs such as Carleton and Grinnell are also excellent.</p>
<p>I would advice against these “best” generalizations. They really don’t help anyone and only serve to limit knowledge.</p>
<p>In my opinion, Stanford, Cal Tech, Cal, and Pomona are the best of the West, followed very closely by the other Claremont Colleges, UCLA, and USC.</p>
<p>However, in the South, Duke certainly makes for a good claim as the “best” school. The schools Alexandre listed are definitely in its midst, and it’s really hard to generalize when they can be so close depending on the student’s passions.</p>
<p>For example, if your goal is Wall Street, then yes Duke is the best. However, other than that, there are simply so many other factors that come into play which legitimately disorder what you might consider to be the best.</p>
<p>In the end, fit is more important than prestige.</p>
<p>CapnJack, what exactly are the purposes of your threads? </p>
<p>Is Stanford West’s Best & Duke South’s Best? </p>
<p>What are some reasons to not want to attend an Ivy? (are you going to turn them down, should you get in?) </p>
<p>Are there universities close to being like HYPSM? </p>
<p>What are the top 5 Non-Ivies? </p>
<p>Why is the US News wrong? </p>
<p>You almost sound like you are trying to initiate controversy!</p>
<p>I’ve noticed that too, SLUMOM. His posts are all designed to tickle the most sensitive underbellies of CC. Yet when confronted, he still insists he is in fact a new member to CC. I really do think CaptnJack is an alternate account.</p>
<p>CapnJack, as noted before, you are overly literal and black and white in your thinking. The appropriate way to think about this is that there are plenty of excellent schools, not that there is one exalted best.</p>
<p>Thank you, CalvinCoolidge, for confirming my suspicion! There seems to be a pattern!</p>
<p>I don’t think so. First, I think CapnJack is a girl, not a guy. Second, I think she’s just someone who is extraordinarily (maybe pathologically) literal in how she processes information. I don’t wish to be rude, but there are certain neurological issues that predispose to this very literal thinking and I wonder if she has them.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I’m curious about the neurological issues you speak of. Could you be more specific?</p>
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<p>Anyone who doesn’t consider WUSTL/Northwestern the best schools ever is obviously mentally ill. Totally agreed Pizzagirl!!! I wish people would stop being so provincial in their thinking!!! Is there something in the water in NY and LA that causes this? Haha! ha…</p>
<p>Duke is… Princeton, Harvard and Darthmouth rolled into one 
(No, my D is not a Dukie! I heard it from our neighbor)</p>
<p>Isn’t there such a term called Ivy Plus?</p>