Threads and articles like this make me laugh.

"Public Ivy," "Southern Ivy," "Near-Ivies," and "New Ivies." There are only eight schools that can be called Ivies...the rest are just really good schools, but to use the term "Ivy" doesn't celebrate the schools in their own rights. I think UT is an awesome school, but never would I call it a "Public Ivy." It's just a damned good school in an awesome town.

There are only about 20 schools that I would consider sending any mini-Munchkins to. I will not pay if they go to crappy schools!

Technically the Ivy League is just an athletic conference of certain midsize private schools.:)

As the alumna of two Ivy League schools (not to mention the semester abroad sponsored by a third), and as someone who was an athlete at the Division I level in undergrad, I am quite familiar with the details of the Ivy Group Agreement. :) No athletic scholarships here!

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/col...udoc_brief.php

First of all, your list is wrong. Here is the real list.

Second of all, the rankings are essentially set in intangible stone for the top 10 schools so these rankings are meaningless. Alums of these schools recruit grads from their schools and donate to make sure they schools can keep growing their ridiculously large endowments.

-Rudey

see, i kinda figured aKDPhi was national, along with LPhiE and KPL (but i was reluctant to say so because ive only seen/heard of them in NY.) I've seen IND at 2 campuses and never heard of PDPsi (no offense pal).

but props to all these orgs--and everyone's really.

us news and wold report also has separate lists for individual programs. does it ever seem to jive with the over list? i'm surprised michigan or berkeley aren't at the top (relatively to other schools) considering damn near every program (or at least the money-maker ones) they have is in like the top 10 according to the other lists.

Thanks Rudey for the accurate list.

For Michigan, I would guess that's because of the criteria that they base the overall score on:

Average Freshman Retention Rate, 2004 ** I know an awful lot of freshman don't make it past freshman year at Michigan

Faculty Resources Rank, *** Michigan has a lot of HUGE classes and undergrad courses are often taught by GAs/TAs rather than full time professors
% of classes under 20 in 2004,
% of classes with 50 or more in 2004,
Student/Faculty Ratio 2004,
% of faculty who are full-time 2004,

sounds like my alma mater. and program prestige has nothing to do with any of that. the overall rankings are usually craptastic, obviously. pay attention to individual program rankings.

And third of all, not all schools completely participate in the rankings. My alma mater, for example, only sends in limited information. I imagine it's the same thing with the law school rankings and grad school; it doesn't take regional factors and other issues into account. One example I constantly bring up is Suffolk Law, which is in the 70s for rankings, but has a really good reputation with Boston law firms and organizations. A good number of the managing partners, hiring partners and government lawyers attended Suffolk.

If you go to someplace like Williams, U of Chicago, etc., you don't need to know that your in whatever # place on US News. The reputation of the school speaks for itself.

I agree on the Ivies comment as well. There are the Ivies, and there are some good schools that aren't Ivies. I don't understand the whole "Almost Ivies," "Public Ivies," etc. A good school is a good school, and a strong alum base will help, Ivy or not.