Actually, Ann Coulter is Cornell’s most famous alumna.
The locations of Duke, Cornell and Penn have affected their attractiveness. USC has the California sunshine, a major asset. As far as poli sci, I don’t believe any of the three are more distinguished than the others. There are more USC undergrads in the business and engineering programs, so size is not a factor. USC gutted the German major, not German language courses. Regarding endowment resources, USC is gaining momentum and ground in catching up, Northwestern in particular is lagging. Bottom line: think long term.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2009/12/13/the-decade-s-hottest-schools.html#slide1