<p>SweetLax,</p>
<p>I’m talking of ND in general. While most of these departmental rankings are for graduate schools, I think you’ll find that most “major research schools” that have good grad programs, have good corresponding undergrad pograms because there is a trickle down effect (this of course doesn’t include certain professional schools where the faculty can be completely separate, like business). But ask yourself, for example, how many schools have excellent history graduate programs and crappy undergrad history programs? </p>
<p>Now of course, a school can have excellent teachers who arn’t exactly on the cutting edge of the subject–therefore hurting the grad school rating. This could very well be the case, and I believe is, with Notre Dame (it is with LACs). However, Notre Dame isn’t an LAC. It is in a group of schools which do have top notch ugrad AND grad programs. This is why its PA score is lower than the schools its ranked around.</p>
<p>Aside from that, when I say “what is Notre Dame’s hallmark program” and you say “religion and philosophy”…according to what? If you can show me some sort of source that says Notre Dame’s religion and philopshy programs are 2nd to none then fine. But all the things I can find (which do point to those being ND’s best programs) don’t even have them in the top 10 in the nation. Just because ND is a Catholic school doesn’t mean it is the end all and be all of religious studies.</p>
<p>Again, I believe you think I’m arguing something different here. I’m telling you why I believe Notre Dame’s PA score is what you consider “low,” not why its a bad school…because it isn’t a bad school. However, its ranking is hurt because its PA is capped because of its limited scope–even if its financial resources boost it beyond where its PA score is.</p>