<p>Rankings=quality?</p>
<p>South Carolina</p>
<p>University of South Carolina - Excellent school at a great price. It is in the capitol city of South Carolina, so there is plenty to do. It is the biggest school in the state. Sports are big (Baseball, Basketball, and Football). The honors program is amazing. The campus is beautiful especially in spring. Best school in SC.</p>
<p>College of Charleston - Known for being a party school. Small liberal arts school. Best thing it has to offer is location.</p>
<p>Winthrop - Smaller school in Rock Hill. Beautiful campus with decent academics, and it is near Charlotte. </p>
<p>Wofford - Smaller school near Greenville. Usually rich kids from small towns in SC who don’t want to be at a big school. Great Academics. Campus is nice. It is gated…don’t travel too far outside of the campus. It doesn’t seem to be in a good area.</p>
<p>Clemson - School in the middle of nowhere. Known for agricultural engineering. Go here if you want to have nothing to do except hang out in fields and drink beer in the cold. Lot of out of state kids and SC “uppity acting rednecks.” No minorities and very close minded.</p>
<p>I’m from Alaska.</p>
<p>University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA): a rather unattractive university with few desirable attributes. Most students are in-staters who go for the cheap tuition or because they couldn’t get in elsewhere. Getting desired classes is luck of the draw. Parking is an absolute disaster. Stories of students arriving an hour before classes so they can get a parking spot are legendary. Almost everyone is an Anchorage resident who commutes, so the dorms are usually almost empty. The Honors College is a bit better than the rest of the school.</p>
<p>Alaska Pacific University: a very small private school. Some pretty good graduate programs, but the undergrad stuff is mostly unremarkable. Nice campus but dismal housing. Remarkable bureaucracy for such a small school.</p>
<p>University of Alaska Fairbanks: the best school in the state. Geologists and petroleum engineers will actually get an excellent education here. Fairbanks is an unbelievably harsh place to live - roasting in summer and frigid in the winter. Stretches where it doesn’t rise above above -20 degrees F are not uncommon. The architecture is mostly Soviet-bloc style concrete cubes.</p>
<p>Most of us want to get out of Alaska for college.</p>
<p>Another take on Texas:</p>
<p>UT Austin
Good public school. Huge and wildly devoted to its football program. Almost everyone in central Texas wants to go here and many top students use it as a safety because of the top ten percent rule. A lot of its programs are overrated, especially its Plan II honors. In Austin which is a great college town. Here you can either be a partier or you can apply yourself for a good education.</p>
<p>Texas A&M College Station
The other huge flagship school in Texas. It is just a desirable as UT Austin but it gets a bad rap. Same thing with the top ten percent rule. A lot of its social life is centered around the University because it is in College Station/Bryan. It has a great architecture department and has many government contracts, especially from NASA. </p>
<p>Rice
Great private university in Houston. Its location is kind of off putting to many students but it is actually in a very nice area of Houston, right next to the Texas Medical Center. It is very focused of maths and sciences. A lot of people do not even know that it is an outstanding school. Its social life is also dominated by the University.</p>
<p>SMU
Private methodist university in Dallas. A lot of company CEOs from the Dallas metropolitan area graduated from here. Its reputation is strongest in the Dallas area. It is close to many other universities so there is a vibrant social life.</p>
<p>Minnesota:</p>
<p>University of Minnesota: By far the only major university in the state. Most students claim it’s too close to home, but many parents get their kids to apply here, though, and a large number of kids go. Not terribly hard to get into but there’s always one or two kids considered “smart” that get rejected and everyone is shocked. Most known locally for it’s biology and medical schools. Carlson School of Management is also highly rated. Great hockey (an understatement) and great basketball, but the football sucks although it is getting better. A new outdoor stadium is finally going to be complete next fall. Located right smack dab in the middle of Minneapolis and is HUGE!!!</p>
<p>UMD: Party school located in the great city of Duluth. The hockey is amazing. Extremelly cold. So-so academics.</p>
<p>St. Thomas: Really nice, conservative Catholic school located in a great neighborhood in St. Paul. Good business program. It seems that almost everyone in the Twin Cities graduated from here or the U.</p>
<p>Carlton: Supposedly this is an extremelly well-known LAC in Northfield, but it seems that no one in the cities has ever heard of it. If they do, they don’t talk it about cause I’ve never heard of the school until I came on here. It’s located in the middle of nowhere so that’s probably why. I guess most students are out-of-state’ers who come for the education and then leave.</p>
<p>St. Olaf: Also located in Northfield. It’s more well-known in the cities but less well known nationally then Carlton. It’s Luthern and has a great music program. It has a reputation for having the type of kids who play band all through high school and like to think they are smart, but get C’s and D’s in all the AP classes and then have daddy pay for them to come here.</p>
<p>Macalester: Full of super-smart, crazy liberals. Also known for having a lot of international students. Most people would say it is the top school in the state because again, most people have never heard of Carlton. In the same nice St. Paul neighborhood as St. Thomas.</p>
<p>St. Kate’s: Also in the same nice neighborhood as Macalester and St. Thomas. All girl’s school. Lots of teachers come from here.</p>
<p>Gustavus-Adulphus: Did I spell that right? Who knows- no one really knows about it.</p>
<p>St. Cloud State: The biggest party school in the state by far. They have a great hockey team. It seems that almost everyone here becomes a teacher. It’s very similar to UMD, but the city of St. Cloud is not nearly as cool as Duluth.</p>
<p>Minnesota State Mankato: Huge party school with not very good academics. All the C kids go here. Inexpensive.</p>
<p>Bethel: Nice, easy to get into private school just outside of St. Paul. Lots of teachers come from here.</p>
<p>St. John’s/St. Ben’s: Alot of people seem to go here although the school’s aren’t very big. Catholic and run by monestaries. So-so academic reputations.</p>
<p>U of M Morris: What!?!?!??!??!</p>
<p>This list should in no way be used in deciding what school to go to; it is just a snapshot of a high school junior’s view of schools’ reputations from a private school in St. Paul. </p>
<p>Very few of the top students stay in state though, and those that do go to the U for its medical program. Most of the top students go to Northwestern or Notre Dame.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not this year, they don’t :P</p>
<p>Massachusetts</p>
<p>You are right about the MCAS (state test) scholarship- My son got one, and it’s worth less than $2k per year. The fees are what will kill you. (I think they are about $8k per year). Room and board are extra.</p>
<p>That being said, I still don’t want him going to UMASS. Althought its reputation has significantly improved since I was in college (and generally only B-/C+ students went there at that time), it still has a reputation as being a huge party school, and not exactly a stellar academic school, like a UVA. I’m aware of only a few programs are standouts-- engineering, business, honors college. Even so, I’ve heard that the honors college students are not always taking their classes in a “college within a college” (which is what they advertise). Oftentimes, they are in huge lecture halls with the rest of the masses.</p>
<p>But this year, and possibly for the next several years, the economy may change the typical student profile. It is still a good bargain for those in-state students whose parents’ porfolios have suffered major hits. I have heard that the typically accepted student will be significantly stronger than in years past. It will be a lot harder to be accepted to UMASS, and the trickle-down effect will have an impact on the lesser MA state schools like…</p>
<p>Fitchburg State- bad area outside of campus<br>
Worcester State- nicer area outside of campus
U Lowell- not such a nice city (good engineering program)
U Dartmouth- who knows?
Salem State- ??
Bridgewater State- hard to get housing,from what I hear
U Mass Boston- I have no idea- but it would be good to be in Boston</p>
<p>Here are some from NC;</p>
<p>UNC-Chapel Hill: Almost every student in NC dreams of attending, and almost all top students do attend. Basketball is huge and sports overall are widely respected. The school has a very extensive alumni network in the state, so a UNC is highly respected. Tons of lawyers, doctors, and business executives in the state attended UNC at some point. </p>
<p>Duke: Obviously regarded as a good school, but most in state students (even top students) do not respect it as much as UNC. It is not regarded as being a part of North Carolina, with the old joke “University of New Jersey at Durham” coming to mind. Many students turn down Duke to attend UNC, partly due to financial reasons. Duke is also percieved as an arrogant school in terms of the snobbiness of students attending. As with UNC, basketball is huge.</p>
<p>NC State: A school of rednecks, though not as bad as the engineering program. State has an awful reputation, aside from the engineering program, and is considered a school for UNC rejects. It is often on the wrong end of jokes concerning the intelligence of the student body. State is essentially awful at every sport, yet they have exceptionally obnoxious fans who believe that because they support an inferior team, they are actually more hardcore in their support. Duke and UNC fans beware: you will be called a “fair weather” fan whenever your team wins a game, regardless of the fact you attend one of the said institutions. It is probably clear I have a dislike for State, but it is a belief I share with the majority of the state.</p>
<p>Wake Forest: Is often ignored, especially by my high school class. It is similar to Duke in terms of demographics, and is generally regarded as equal to UNC academically. However, it is not given as much recognition due to it’s size. However, it has attracted more attention through athletics recently, thus increasing the overall awareness of the school. It is known for having an intense workload, which probably scares off potential applicants.</p>
<p>Davidson: Well-known amongst “anybody who is anybody” and regarded as one of the best schools in the state. However, there are countless people who will give you a blank stare and “Davidson…?” In terms of LACs, there really is no competition in the South (W&L aside). Many graduates become lawyers or bankers in Charlotte, the Triad, and the Triangle. Lacks diversity, and is considered a rich white kid school.</p>
<p>“Wake Forest: Is often ignored, especially by my high school class. It is similar to Duke in terms of demographics, and is generally regarded as equal to UNC academically. However, it is not given as much recognition due to it’s size. However, it has attracted more attention through athletics recently, thus increasing the overall awareness of the school. It is known for having an intense workload, which probably scares off potential applicants.”</p>
<p>There was a thread about southern schools here where Wake was consistently ranked last, even below Tulane. Definitely a CC underrated school.</p>
<p>North Carolina here. Most of this echoes aaron981’s thoughts.</p>
<p>Duke - Not many students go here. It is tougher to get into than UNC because it is a private school and more students come from out of state. More students would rather go to UNC just because it is such a big name school.</p>
<p>UNC-Chapel Hill - The reach for almost all students who want to stay in state. They dream of going to UNC because it’s a top class, affordable school.</p>
<p>NC State - The people who go here are those that don’t get in to Duke or UNC. Except for the engineering folks. Kind of sucks for them because it’s the top engineering school in the state.</p>
<p>Appalachian State/ECU/Elon/UNCG/UNCC - The schools for those that are not good enough to get into NC State. Still very decent schools in many respects.</p>
<p>Wake Forest - I agree with aaron981; I’m quite shocked at how little attention is given to WF. Maybe it’s because people are too tied up with the Triangle schools nearby.</p>
<p>URI= High School</p>
<p>CALIFORNIA</p>
<p>CAL STATES:</p>
<p>Most with good programs, undergrad and graduate,
cheap tuition, nice campuses, plenty of diversity</p>
<p>University of Rhode Island- Typical State university. At least 1/4 of almost every public HS in Rhode Island will apply or go here. Pretty campus. Great location for beach lovers. Decently close to Boston and NYC. For an in-stater it’s like HS all over again. Can get a decent education. School is lacking funds because RI is suffering terribly due to the recession. Basketball program is good; all other sports suck. Partying is good.</p>
<p>RIC: small school; good for teaching and nursing. Kind of a school you just go to so you can go to college. Not really that attractive. </p>
<p>CCRI: The 13th grade.</p>
<p>PRIVATE</p>
<p>Brown: Very liberal. Very difficult. A LOT of rich people. A lot of artsy people. Ivy, prestigious. </p>
<p>Salve: Very small, rich kids, pretty. Liberal Arts.</p>
<p>RWU: Good law program, decent location, I know someone who goes there and likes it. It’s kind of unknown. </p>
<p>J&W: good culinary, good business. Ugly, horrible campus. A lot of international students.</p>
<p>The people so far that have posted about Maryland schools are very much off base. First off UMBC is not only for people who don’t get into UMCP–UMBC is superior academically in many respects–specifically sciences. Beyond that UMBC not UMCP is an Honors College–UMCP has an Honors program, but it is not considered an Honors college. Finally–SMCM the only full Public Honors College in Maryland has yet to be mentioned. It is a public liberal arts college that it seems all these Marylanders have forgotten.</p>
<p>As a MA high school senior, I’ll talk about MA schools - even though lots of other people have - and what “kinds” of kids are known to go there.</p>
<p>HARVARD - Obviously the really smart people. Duh. I know two twin girls who got in a few years ago and they were pretty much the most perfect people ever.
MIT - Smart people who like science and math. Lots of guys in my high school dream about going, but I don’t think anyone’s been accepted in the past few years. The campus is nice, but not in a traditional college way. People looove the MIT pranks.
BOSTON COLLEGE - Preppy Catholic kids. Lots of people don’t like this school because of the “vibe” it gives off, however, it’s extremely hard to get into. They also seem to favor legacies quite a bit, I’ve seen hugely under-qualified legacies get in instead of over-qualified kids. Really good rep with employers. People love BC football.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY - The school for those who couldn’t get into BC. Just kidding…kind of. Lots of students like it because it’s really integrated into the city, there’s no set campus. Lots of students hate it for that exact reason. Getting a better reputation though despite its insane price.
TUFTS - Pretty smart place. Not a very popular option for my classmates, although a friend of mine, who was super duper smart, got recruited for track AND football there. Kind of in a sketchy area of Boston, however.
HOLY CROSS - Great school, kind of known for an uptight vibe. Worcester isn’t great but HC is fairly separated from it. Very very tough for MA residents to get in–I believe I heard that 80% of applicants are from MA, but only 40% of students are from MA?
BRANDEIS - Really good school, but a lot are reluctant to go or even apply because of the heavy Jewish population.
NORTHEASTERN - This is a tough one. Lots of people consider it a great up-and-comer, lots of people consider it a joke. Known for their co-ops and slightly off-kilter student body, but off-kilter in a very good way. Supposedly the honors housing is absolutely insane. Kind of bad at sports minus hockey.
UMASS AMHERST - Party central. Go there if you want to emerge with major liver damage and significant brain cell loss. The Commonwealth College has a pretty good reputation, but UMass is UMass. Lots of kids go there if they didn’t get in anywhere else. Some hate it, some love it.
THE OTHER UMASS - Uh, they all kinda suck. Lots of kids who should be going to a CC waste their money at these schools. Dartmouth has decent nursing but is meh otherwise. Lowell is in a weird area and not very good. Boston has the best location but is arguably the worst out of the UMass schools.
THE STATE SCHOOLS - Bridgewater, Westfield, Salem, Worcester, I think I’m forgetting one? None of them are very good. Lots of people end up going but hating it because it’s everyone from their high school…surprise, surprise.</p>
<p>MINNESOTA </p>
<p>University of Minnesota-Twin Cities: Huge school with a good reputation. Most of the higher-level kids and up going here. If you don’t live in the Twin Cities, it’s like a huge deal if you go there. It’s urban, ha a good social life; it’s basic for the most part.</p>
<p>Carleton: The best college in the state. Has a nice small campus. I don’t know anyone that has ever gone there, let alone even heard of it. </p>
<p>University of St. Thomas: When I was a high school senior, last year, this is where all the kids who got rejected from the U of M went. It’s in the middle of a neighborhood, and it doesn’t seem like there’s too much to do. It has an okay reputation.</p>
<p>Macalester: All I know is that it’s good. The campus is tiny, and it’s in a boring part of St. Paul. Hard to get into. </p>
<p>Hamline/Concordia/Augsburg: Small city schools that I know nothing about. I think they’re all decent. Augsburg is kind of the place for the kids who want the U of M experience w/o actually going to the U of M; it’s practically on the U of M campus.</p>
<p>Concordia Moorehead: Nice Campus. That’s allll I know. I think it’s an okay school.</p>
<p>Mankato State: Hyped up to be soooo awful, even though I’ve heard that it’s quite nice. Regarded as High School part 2. This is where you go in Minnesota if you wanna be a teacher.</p>
<p>Southwest Minnesota State University: Lots of farm kids. Mostly kids from the Southwest corner of the state. Their campus is horrid, as it it’s Town (Marshall). IDK anything about it.</p>
<p>Saint Cloud State: Contrary to popular belief, it’s a good university. Especially for Meteorology. STC is a good college town too. However, they always have racism problems and there have been several noose incidents over the last few years. The kids that go there are all rumored to be extremely mean.</p>
<p>UM-Duluth: See Mankato state, but add amazing city near amazing lake. Many people from my senior class went there.</p>
<p>UM-Crookston: IDK. No one ever talks about it. Or goes there for that matter.</p>
<p>UM-Morris: Nice little LAC in a small town. Very underrated. If they had my major, I would have gone there.</p>
<p>UM-Rochester: Just a medical hospital thing. They only have a med school.</p>
<p>Crown College: In a little cow town called Saint Bonifacious. No one ever goes there.</p>
<p>Bethel University: A good private school. The campus is dry and they have really strict rules.I went there for a track meet once and the campus was pretty. </p>
<p>Minnesota State U-Moorehead: See concordia-moorehead. no one goes there.</p>
<p>St. Olaf: Kids who wanted to go to Carleton. Nice campus, and is on a big hill. Academics are average, and I think they have a decent med/bio program.</p>
<p>College of St. Scholastica: IDK. In Duluth. Campus looks like a prison. No one ever goes there.</p>
<p>Bethany Lutheran: Lutheran school in Mankato. I think it’s good. A few kids from my school went there every year.</p>
<p>St John’s/St. Catherine’s: Up in the middle of no where. John’s is for guys and Kate’s is for the girls. They’re very close to one another. I think they’re above average.</p>
<p>Gustavus: Good school in the suburbs of Mankato. All the cross country/skiing/track kids get sucked into going here for some reason.</p>
<p>Bemidji State: You hike to class.</p>
<p>…I think I got em all.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It’s funny how it’s not remotely true. I dont know why it’s so hard to understand that not everyone wants to go to a Jesuit school…</p>
<p>diontechristmas, I’m well aware that BC and BU are totally different kind of schools. But like I said in my original post, those are just the reputations of both schools in the area I live in.</p>
<p>Well I’m aware of that (as a BU hockey fan), but I’m just stating that not only is that false, but many BU students do get into BC (and better).</p>
<p>Why would anyone want to go to BU over BC? Let’s be serious, why would someone pay more to go to a worse school?</p>