<p>And most top high school students don’t know much beyond what USnews tells them. I don’t think we should be taking high school students’ relatively poorly informed decisions as canon. I had Michigan as a back-up over Harvey Mudd and Caltech when I applied to undergrad, and it retrospect going to either of those schools would’ve been a big mistake.</p>
<p>I don’t see how there can be a list of prestigious universities overall. Each field will have its own leaders. As someone interested in chemical engineering, schools such as UC Berkeley, Michigan, and the University of Minnesota offer more prestigious and valuable degrees than Ivy Leagues such as Harvard or Yale. Different schools have different strengths.</p>
<p>LHS2009, I did not offer an opinion when I stated that Cal is one of the 15 most selective universities in the country and Michigan one of the 20 most selective universities in the country. That statement is based on the USNWR selectivity ranking:</p>
<h1>1 California Institute of Technology</h1>
<h1>2 Harvard University</h1>
<h1>2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology</h1>
<h1>2 Princeton University</h1>
<h1>2 Yale University</h1>
<h1>6 Columbia University</h1>
<h1>6 University of Pennsylvania</h1>
<h1>6 Washington University-St Louis</h1>
<h1>9 Brown University</h1>
<h1>9 Stanford University</h1>
<h1>11 Dartmouth College</h1>
<h1>11 Duke University</h1>
<h1>13 Georgetown University</h1>
<h1>14 Cornell University</h1>
<h1>14 Northwestern University</h1>
<h1>14 University of California-Berkeley</h1>
<h1>14 University of Notre Dame</h1>
<h1>18 Emory University</h1>
<h1>18 Rice University</h1>
<h1>18 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor</h1>
<p>“They are solidly top 25, but not top 15 in most people’s rankings. I also am including those intellectuals, industrialists and such that Alexandre mentioned before.”</p>
<p>Bescraze, my experience suggests otherwise. Of course, my sample size is not sufficient to make a conclusive statement. I would personally like to see what a survey of universities by the top thinkers would look like. Well, we already know what the top academics think, but it would be interesting to see what top industrialists/corporate leaders think.</p>
<p>Tenisghs: Wow, I don’t know how many people would agree with you that Cornell only has “regional prestige” haha. Cornell, I would say, has just as much national prestige as Michigan or Northwestern, I don’t know why I’m even arguing this. I applied to all 4 schools (Cornell, Michigan, Northwestern, Duke) and people would have to nit pick to say one’s dramatically better than another. But really, I’m going to Cornell, I know what its like not to get any respect from your fellow schools. Michigan doesn’t get any respect either, it is far and away the best public school in the country and easily one of the best schools in the country… but behind Cornell haha…</p>
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<p>That list looks more accurate to me than any other ranking I’ve seen.</p>
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<p>thanks gellino, you are in good company (IMO), a lot of other posters i respect on this board have said the same thing (includng some posters i rarely agree with as well).</p>
<p>the prestige, </p>
<p>there was this ranking that put emphasis on research. I couldn’t find it but it looks like a very reliable and highly justifiable survey/ranking. If you could incorporate that in your formula/ranking system, your works would even look more credible and justifiable. I think that ranking was very relevant to those students who would major in science, computer science and engineering.</p>
<p>^ that sounds like it might be interesting if it refers to undergrad research. A strong graduate research program != a good undergrad education.</p>
<p>^ The ranking I was talking about was a ranking for UNDERGRADUATE education. One of the criteria was SAT scores. You don’t need SATs for grad and postgrad education, do you? :)</p>
<p>RML,</p>
<p>please post a link, I’d be happy to take a look at it.</p>
<p>prestige, have you thought of putting together and updated version of those rankings? I am sure things have not changed much with all the variables taken into consideration, but just being curious…</p>
<p>MyOpinion,</p>
<p>I should prolly do an update… Its just a matter of incorporating the last two USNWR rankings and then the NMS – does anyone know when the final NMS numbers are released?</p>
<p>in fact, i just opened up my spreadsheet for the first time in ages, and i totally forgot about this but i was trying to compile national data on high profile post-graduate scholarships (Rhodes, Fulbright, etc.) does anyone know if there is a ranking like this somewhere similar to the one mentioned here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060561807-post19.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1060561807-post19.html</a></p>
<p>obviously I’d need the entire list of schools in order to incorporate into the weighted ranking…</p>
<p>Great…I think you have done such an awesome job that it needs to be kept alive and kicking! :)</p>
<p>The NMS Finalists are announced this month.</p>
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<p>Thanks. I’m glad people find it useful.</p>
<p>^Do you have an equivalent for LACs?</p>
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<p>In 2002, UC Berkeley had 21 Rhodes scholars for the same period. This information is not reflected in either charts.<br>
I’m pretty sure there have been a few more scholars coming out of Cal since 2002.</p>
<p>For LAC, I think Williams holds the record at 37 Rhodes scholars.</p>
<p>
Berkeley fares very poorly in Rhodes production. It has produced only four since 1964. In a recent year, Harvard produced six.</p>
<p>[12.09.2002</a> - UC Berkeley Rhodes Scholarship winners](<a href=“http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2002/12/09_rhodes_winners.html]12.09.2002”>12.09.2002 - UC Berkeley Rhodes Scholarship winners)</p>
<p>
[02.19.2003</a> - Berkeley to Oxford: the Rhodes not often taken](<a href=“http://berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2003/02/19_rhode.shtml]02.19.2003”>02.19.2003 - Berkeley to Oxford: the Rhodes not often taken)</p>
<p>Here’s one from 2007
[Cal</a> Grad Wins Rhodes Scholarship | College of Letters & Science](<a href=“http://ls.berkeley.edu/?q=node/675]Cal”>Berkeley names Carolina Talavera as first Dubal Fellow, honoring the legacy of anthropologist Sam Dubal ’15 | Letters & Science)</p>
<p>I get the impression Rhodes Scholars and other things like that has more to do with which schools actively promote and campaign for them.</p>