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These are colleges I am considering for my undergraduate education:
U of Chicago
Northwestern (considering Mathematics Accelerated Program)
Colombia
Cornell
Dartmouth

Which one has overall the best reputation/prestige?
Which one offers the best academically?
Which one is the best for graduate school preparing (a.k.a. easy A's)?

I appreciate your sincere responses with REASONS.

P.S.: I want to apply EA or ED to one of those colleges listed to maximize my chance of getting in.

By Perfection101 (Perfection101) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 04:54 pm: Edit

All are excellent choices, but you have to tell us what you are wanting to pursue. A career in Medicine or Teaching?

By Xtheonex (Xtheonex) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 05:12 pm: Edit

I am not sure yet...
I think I want to do research most likely

By Perfection101 (Perfection101) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 05:30 pm: Edit

Well, I can tell you that I got into the HPME program at Northwestern, (the #1 fast track to med school in the U.S.) and I recieved a lot of information from them about rankings and stuff. They are currently building the largest Neuroscience facility in the U.S. right on the Evanston campus. The math programs at Northwestern and the University of Chicago are becoming the world's elite. I would apply early decision to Northwestern if I were you. It will increase your odds significantly, as opposed to the Early Action program that has no real forseeable benefits. What are your scores/rankings.

By Xtheonex (Xtheonex) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 06:16 pm: Edit

Well... I am not considering med school at all...
My rank is 20/700 have 3.84? unweighted and 4.67 weighted GPA.
President/Captain of 3 organizations. Officer of 3 other. I went to National Student Leadership Conference, if that helps at all.

SAT I:
Verbal- 700
Math- 800

SAT II:
Chemistry- 710 (retake?)
Writing 690 (definitely will retake it in November- does that work for early?)
Math IIC 800
Korean 800

By the way,I got a 2 for US History on AP exam- is that really bad?

Thanks

By Perfection101 (Perfection101) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 06:42 pm: Edit

Well, I think that you have a really good shot at the top colleges. However you will need a safety net that only the Early decision platform will offer. Sadly, many elite schools are doing away with those programs, while Northwestern is one of the last vestiges of ED hope. My teacher went to Notre Dame a long time ago and told me about the glory of the U. of Chicago, but I have read that Northwestern over the past couple of years has become the prime intellectual powerhouse of the midwest, if not the U.S.

By Cornellgrad02 (Cornellgrad02) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 06:52 pm: Edit

the top schools in math are Berkeley, Princeton and MIT. For the physical sciences (physics, chem etc.) the tops are Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Harvard, CIT, Cornell, Princeton and Chicago. There are also some wierd ones people wouldn't think of like UC Santa Cruz for theoretical and astro-physics and UC Santa Barbara for applied and theoretical physics.

By Sac (Sac) on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 08:07 pm: Edit

Cornellgrado2, Where do you think Columbia stands in math and physics?