Undergraduate BME and Mathematics Ranks for my Shortlist Schools

[ring_of_fire_1]

<p>

@kwu

Of all the schools you’ve named, Duke does not stand out as a prestigious school in my mind. Though, it certainly has name recognition.

What makes a school prestigious in your opinion? There’s not a single criteria that Duke doesn’t meet. Unless you only believe HYPSM are prestigious schools, then you are a clearly showing off your bias.</p>

<p>

@Alexandre

ring<em>of</em>fire, I was not referring to the USNWR, I was referring to the reality on the ground. I (and many like me), do not believe that Duke is a “solid” top 10 university. As far as I am concerned, that honor goes to the Big 5, Cal and Columbia.</p>

<p>I certainly agree that Duke makes a very strong case for top 10 consideration, but like I said, so do all 8 Ivy League universities, Cal, Caltech, Chicago, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Northwestern and Stanford (I am deliberately leaving Michigan out of the equation so that nobody accuses me of being biased). Of those 15 universities, I find it hard to believe that Duke is clearly better than 5 to make it a “solid” top 10 university.</p>

<p>As for Rice, I would not brag about not knowing it. Even in the UAE, the educated elite know about it. It is a top 20 university, and like I said, a top 20 university IS in the same league as a top 10 university.

Alex, what makes you so sure the USNWR differs from the “reality on the ground”? UNSWR is considered by most informed and uninformed people to be the foremost expert on ranking American’s colleges and universities. I understand you are not a fan of it because Michigan can never crack the top 20(this year 25), but you are clearly in the minority on the matter. Cal is not a top 10 university. With regards to strength of graduate programs, it is top 3 school without doubt. For undergrads, it is a fringe top 25 institution at best.</p>

<p>Duke is clearly better than Brown, Cornell, Cal, John Hopkins and Northwestern.</p>

<p>The remaining 6 Ivies, Stanford, MIT, Duke and Chicago are the top 10 undergraduate institutions without a doubt. The only school I feel bad about omitting is Northwestern, but I think Chicago is definitely a slightly better undergraduate institution.</p>

<p>

@schee410

ring<em>of</em>fire does bring up a good point. Rice doesn’t have the same kind of recognition in the general public as other schools. However this doesn’t translate to a lack of recognition in academia/the professional world.

Uh, employers aren’t that much more knowledgeable about schools than the general public. I agree with you that professional schools are though. All I’m saying is that a Rice grad would have trouble finding a job if he/she left Texas. No one in the Midwest for instance would consider a Rice degree to be on par with a Notre Dame or Michigan degree. No one in the West would consider a Rice to be on par with a Cal, Stanford, UCLA or USC degree. In the East Coast, it probably wouldn’t even make a list of the top 50 schools.</p>

<p>

@karabee

Whoever said that Texas A&M is more highly regarded in the South than Rice must be a tad deranged… TAMU is a perfectly acceptable state school, but is far below UT-Austin, which is farther still behind Rice. The former two are good schools, but Rice is a GREAT school (I almost attended UT and was simply waitlisted to Rice, so no bias whatsoever).

The Gallup poll proves you to be wrong.
[Harvard</a> Number One University in Eyes of Public](<a href=“Harvard Number One University in Eyes of Public”>Harvard Number One University in Eyes of Public)
South</p>

<p>Harvard</p>

<p>18</p>

<p>Yale</p>

<p>10</p>

<p>Stanford</p>

<p>9</p>

<p>Duke</p>

<p>7</p>

<p>Texas A & M</p>

<p>7</p>

<p>Rice isn’t even prestigious in the South outside Texas.</p>

<p>

@Pizzagirl

Yes, that’s right. High schoolers are the <em>ultimate</em> determiners of prestige.</p>

<p>BTW, of all the schools whose students and alumni are represented on CC, there is only one school where I now think more poorly of it based on how their students portray themselves. And that’s Duke. The arrogance and school pride combined with bashing others is over the top.

Um well, that’s the demographic that universities are generally trying to attract. Harvard wouldn’t be Harvard if the top students in the world didn’t go there.</p>

<p>I’m not sure what you were going for with that Duke jab right there. You would think “high-level” management consultants would be above this sort of childish nonsense. but I guess not.</p>

<p>

@slik nik

You cannot simply say that “most educated people have not heard about the school.”

That’s exactly what the Gallup Poll shows. Whoever said knowing the reputations of universities in the US was a prerequisite to being educated? Rice is a fantastic top 20 university. You should be proud to go there and you’ll have a great undergraduate experience without a doubt.</p>