“Most Overrated” University Overcomes Princeton in US News Rankings
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been sitting around wondering, “When will Harvard get the recognition it deserves?” The wait is over, my friend. In US News and World Report‘s 2009 “National University Rankings,” Harvard surpassed Princeton for the top spot, ending 8 straight years of New Jersey rule. This comes on the heels of Princeton’s first-place finish in the flawed but entertaining Forbes.com best college list.
Harvard, incidentally, was just ranked “Most Overrated” in Radar Magazine’s guide to America’s worst colleges. The guide cites Harvard’s 25% virgin rate. But would you really want to have sex with that twenty-five percent? In other news, Cornell is listed as the runner-up to “Most Overrated.” When you think about it, it’s kind of a compliment. That is, until you read on and get to the part about Cornell’s status anxiety and Ithaca’s geographical advantages. To wit: “Thankfully, rocky gorges surrounding the campus continue to provide the sweet release of death for those Cornellians who just can’t take it anymore.”
But enough about suicide: following her venerable leader, Columbia advanced in the US News rankings. Yale and Dartmouth stayed the same. UPenn, Brown and Cornell all lost ground. The Liberal Arts Colleges are still unimportant.
Here’s how the Ivies fared:
1. Harvard (ranked 2nd in 2008)
2. Princeton (ranked 1st in 2008)
3. Yale (ranked 3rd in 2008)
6. Penn (ranked 5th in 2008)
8. Columbia (ranked 9th in 2008)
11. Dartmouth (ranked 11th in 2008)
14. Cornell (ranked 12th in 2008)
16. Brown (ranked 14th in 2008)
After the jump, Harvard tells you she’s embarrassed by all the attention.
In an email statement, Harvard spokesman John Longbrake said:
It is always nice to be recognized as one of the top universities. However, our admissions officers always tell prospective students that they should select a college or university that best suits their needs, not by its position in a ranking.
That’s just like Harvard, being all modest. Overrated? Not in my heart, Big H.
| 