<p>Jeni, the difference between UChicago’s #5 USNews ranking and Dartmouth’s #11 USNews ranking is, for all intents and purposes, meaningless. You’ll get a fine education at both institutions.</p>
<p>As for the “Ivy League” prestige factor, forget it. No one cares anymore. Dartmouth has a strong and loyal alumni base, particularly in the northeast. But its old-money network is not what it once was. By comparison, UChicago’s international network, as well as its pull in Washington, D.C. and, more recently, on Wall Street, is substantially stronger than Dartmouth’s. (Surprisingly, UChicago scores well on the West Coast as well, with substantial alumni connections in the entertainment industry and in Silicon Valley.) But, really, you won’t go wrong at either place.</p>