Tufts University

[Mastadon]

@ilosic - Just curious, but:

What is your definition of “quality”?

Have you ever looked at the methodology and data sources behind the ranking you are quoting?

Have you ever thought about how relevant that is to the to the undergrad learning experience?

If you were to come up with your own methodology for undergrad educational quality what would it be and what would you use for data sources?

What specific population group are you referring to when you say “generally regarded”?

What is this population’s definition of “peer”?

What is this population’s methodology and data sources used to determine peer status?

Have you ever thought about how relevant that is to the undergrad learning experience?

If you were to come up with your own methodology for determining undergraduate peer status, what would it be and what would you use for data sources?

During my last year at Tufts, I worked for Harry Ernst, an economics professor who also ran a stock market forecasting service. Part of my job was to invent schemes to forecast the market. The schemes always worked on the data used to design them. But Harry was a good statistician, and he insisted on out-of-sample tests. My schemes invariably failed those tests. I didn’t fully appreciate the lesson in this at the time, but it came to me later, in the evolution of work on market efficiency.

Fama did undergrad research in the area that he won the Nobel Prize.

Is it better to go to a school where the professors spend their time working with Phd students and post docs trying to make themselves “world renowned”, or is it better to go to a school where the professors spend their time working with undergrads trying to teach them how to be “world renowned”?