<p>Some people disagree with the 25 listed but I think they are merely the schools that offer a broad education in everything and showed great increases in apps for 2006. Best examples of this: NYU, CMU, RPI. </p>
<p>"New York University
New York, N.Y.
NYU is not for the timid. In the heart of Greenwich Village, there is no traditional campus. The urban experience is apparently appealing: this past season, there were a record 34,944 applications. The previous record? The year before. They’re attracted by strong programs in NYU’s eight colleges. </p>
<p>Arts and Sciences is the largest (the most popular majors are politics, journalism and English). The Tisch School of Performing Arts, with about 700 freshmen, is one of the hottest arts schools in the country. Although living in Manhattan is obviously key, NYU also promotes study abroad. Two years ago the school opened a site in Ghana; the newest addition is Shanghai. NYU is setting up broad curriculum programs at each of its sites so that students from all majors can participate. And back in the big city, there’s no chance to get bored: NYU offers more than 2,500 courses and 25 different majors. </p>
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<p>"Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, N.Y.
Applications to RPI were up 23 percent in 2005a reflection of the school’s reputation as an educator of scientists and engineers. The class of 2010 is 29 percent female. Students like the school’s state-of-the-art facilities, including the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. RPI also operates a co-op program that lets students work at companies like IBM. Hockey is big on campus; RPI has a Division I team that’s won two national championships. Skiing is also popular; the campus is just 45 minutes from the Adirondacks and the Catskills. "</p>
<p>"Carnegie Mellon
Pittsburgh, Pa.
A major national research university, Carnegie Mellon serves 5,500 undergrads and 3,000 grad students in seven colleges reflecting CMU’s academic diversity: Carnegie Institute of Technology (engineering), the College of Fine Arts, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Mellon College of Science, the Tepper School of Business, the School of Computer Science and the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management. </p>
<p>Students have to apply to specific schools. Last year, CMU received a record 18,864 applications and admitted 6,357. The drama program in the College of Fine Arts has the most competitive admissions; engineering is the most popular major overall, but business is catching up. Students laud Pittsburgh. “We have all the amenities of a nice-sized city, but not the hustle and bustle of a city like Chicago or New York,” says Mike Hall, associate director of admission. CMU is known for fostering entrepreneurial spirit: staff, faculty, students and alumni have created or spun off more than 170 companies from the university since 1995. That reflects CMU’s sterling academics; 15 faculty members and alumni are Nobel laureates. Overlap schools: Cornell and MIT. Business students sometimes overlap with the University of Pennsylvania, and music students with Juilliard and the Eastman School of Music. </p>
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<p>As you can see, increase in apps and a broad education are highlighted in almost every single description of the 25 schools. Frankly I think it’s fair as the college system is based on business cycles and a supply/demand system. Therefore the most demanded colleges like NYU should be considered “Ivies” and so should the schools that have it all like the sciences, arts, business, etc. Schools like Georgetown are unforutnately too focused and narrow. Georgetown’s basically the king at international relations but what else? No fine arts or music or business or engineering.</p>