<p>Agree with Cue7. Just to be provocative: it is interesting that in discussing rankings, this forum ignores discussion of the top 4 LAC’s (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Middlebury). Historically, Swarthmore has been a heck of a lot more similar to U Chicago in terms of intellectualism/rigor/work-load/production of academic leaders than HYPS or Columbia (I know a bunch of people where the top choice for them boiled down to Swat vs. UC). Lets throw all top undergraduate institutions in the mix. And, BTW, on a per capita basis, the numbers of alumnus nobel laureates, etc. are as high or higher at some of the top LACs than at their university-ensconced undergraduate peers.</p>