OT: Campuses across the country.
I was in the Bay Area for work this week. I had some extra time to kill so I decided to drive to Palo Alto and take a look at the Stanford Campus. I couldn't believe how nice it was. Everything from the architecture to the setting. I've been to quite a few campuses on the west coast and this would rank as the best.
My question is what other campuses outside the B10 have you guys seen and how would you rate them?
I've been to these and would rate them is this order.
Stanford A+
Washington A
UCLA B
Hawaii B
Oregon C++
Oregon State C+
Temple C
WSU D
February 25th, 2011 at 6:09 PM ^
It's funny that people have such disparate perceptions. I live in Seattle and would give UW a C. Mostly because it's dirty, urban and just doesn't seem like college to me. There are some nice views on a clear day.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:11 PM ^
I live in the seattle area too. Ive been there many times. I would say the U district could be percieved as dirty but the campus is really nice.
February 25th, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^
U District? Dirty?
I worked at UW 20 years ago, and, maybe it's changed, but I would not say that any neighborhood in Seattle is dirty, at least not by the standards of the East Coast, where I'm from originally. Newark's dirty. New Haven's dirty. Not the U District.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:44 PM ^
Univerzita Karlova v Praze = A+
Michigan = A
UVA = C-/D+ (have to take the people into consideration)
American University = F
NW = B
Purdue = D
Colorado = A
Duke = A
Wisco = A
ND = C-
Villanova = B
UF = A
UCF = C+
BGSU = F
MU (OH) = A
February 25th, 2011 at 5:57 PM ^
Alabama (unfortunately) A+ it is beautiful
USF (South Florida) C -
Florida B+
Florida State A
University of Tampa B
February 25th, 2011 at 6:04 PM ^
You should check out Cal's campus next time you're in the bay area, its kind of like if Michigan's campus was built on a hill overlooking the San Francisco bay. The view of Golden Gate bridge at sunset is amazing too.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:00 PM ^
February 25th, 2011 at 6:01 PM ^
You should check out U of Toronto. It is a great campus with some beautiful buildings.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:05 PM ^
I would give Oregon a C- or D+. The campus is not very well taken care of and leaves someting to be desired. The athletic facilities are some of the best in the country, but even those can't make up for the rest of the campus.
Oregon State C+/ B-
WSU B
Humbolt State C-
February 25th, 2011 at 6:04 PM ^
WMU- C-
CMU- D
Miami of Ohio- A
MSU- A
February 25th, 2011 at 6:05 PM ^
Michigan= A+
Iowa= B
Purdue= C
Illinois= B-
Northwestern= C+
Penn St= A
MSU= C+
Duke= A
UNC= A
BGSU= Fail
Miami (NTM)= B
Ohio U= B+
February 25th, 2011 at 6:05 PM ^
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the University of Chicago campus. It's urban and not for everyone, but the layout is incredible and they're easily the best example of neo-Gothic architecture in the US.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
I definitely agree with your assessment of UChicago. They get pretty high marks on my list:
Michigan: [A-] - The minus only comes from my experience as an Engineer and having to take the damn bus every day
MSU: [B+] - Huge campus; the central part is okay but the mega dorms on the east side are horrid.
USC: [B] - Yes its in a shitty area, but Staples center is close, the campus is nice, and their fraternity/sorority row is pretty awesome as well
UCLA: [B] - The main area around Royce Hall is beautiful; the rest of campus, not so much.
UCSD: [C-] - Too new, and no real student ghetto nearby since the neighborhood is swanky. Like a much larger North Campus (in many ways)
Cal: [B+] - Has more of a Michigan feel, which comes with the age of the buildings.
Virginia: [A] - Just beautiful. Ann Arbor mixed with Colonial charm.
Maryland: [B+] - Their campus is nice; the mall in the center is beautiful. The town is way boring.
U Chicago: [A-] - Campus has beautiful gothic structures with stain glass windows. Looks very much like the Law Quad. Just dont venture too far South or West...
Northwestern: [B+] - Their campus is nice but not great; the views of Chicago along the lake are spectacular.
Notre Dame: [A-] - Beautiful campus, though the off campus areas suck. I also couldnt bring myself to rate them above Michigan.
Washington: [B+] - Beautiful campus, though its on a hill which makes getting around a little tricky. Nice views of Seattle (when the sun shines)
Oregon: [C] - I was honestly a little surprised by how Eugene didnt wow me when I went. The buildings arent particularily ugly, but also arent particularily beautiful.
Colorado: [A-/B+] - The Rocky Mountain version of Ann Arbor. Beautiful views of the mountains, cool town, campus buildings are good but not great.
Iowa: [B-] - The campus isnt anything to write home about. The Ped Mall, OTOH, is fantastic.
February 25th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
You can say that again; when I was a senior in high school taking tours, Chicago was my number one choice and I think my mom actually lost sleep over its location.
Hyde Park isn't all that bad (the houses around the university easily top a million dollars and it has the highest concentration of PhD's in the state) but get on the Electric Line going south and you'll have an...interesting...time.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
New Hampshire B+
Harvard B+
MIT B
Tufts B- (nothing but houses, houses, houses around it)
Northeastern C-
UMass-Lowell F (this building is a part of that campus:http: http://home.comcast.net/~corey.sciuto/images/lowell12/bridges1.jpg ... enough said.)
February 25th, 2011 at 10:20 PM ^
I know that a lot of people don't go for Harvard's urban setting, but I can't agree that UNH is it's equal. Regardless of anything else, I think Harvard should get some bonus points over UNH just because when you walk on campus, you know that so many famous and accomplished people have been there and seen the same things you're seeing now. You can't say that about UNH.
February 26th, 2011 at 12:31 AM ^
Offhand, I can think of about 3 spots on the Olentangy Bikeway in Columbus that look a lot like that picture.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
Same here I found Harvard to be overrated But Yale to be as advertised, although I have hard feelings for those schools since they both differed me. *but like he said def check out the golden gate it's a wow factor...make sure you get on a hill to over look some of the campus.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:58 PM ^
I can see why they might've 'differed' you
February 25th, 2011 at 6:13 PM ^
Michigan=A
MSU=B
ND=B-
CMU=A-
Western=C-
Eastern=D+
GVSU=C
Duke=B+
UNC=B+
February 25th, 2011 at 6:18 PM ^
As a fellow Chippewa I hate to tell you that CMU might be a little below an A-, but you're entitled to your opinion. I'd give it a B; take Wayside out of Mount Pleasant and maybe the positive effects would carry onto the campus though...
February 25th, 2011 at 6:21 PM ^
I love the big school feel on a small campus. Probably right though, the architecture isn't really anything special. Agree 100% about wayho
February 25th, 2011 at 6:23 PM ^
Very true, people who have gone or go there can truly appreciate it. Not a walk from building to building on that campus that's more than 15 minutes. Plus, the new Education builiding is superb, and the medical school is coming along nicely.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:36 PM ^
Well stated, Central is defintaly an acquired taste. Also love giving crap to my friends at state and U of M about the walking distances.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:19 PM ^
Michigan A
Duke B+/A-
UNC A+ (It's Ann Arbor with nicer weather)
Harvard C
MSU D+
Iowa State B
Northwestern B-
MIT D+/C-
DePaul B
Temple D-
Tufts C+
February 25th, 2011 at 7:54 PM ^
on UNC...this might be blasphemy, but I might have, possibly, could have, potentially liked it there better than Ann Arbor...unbelievable scenery, weather, nice people, nice setting...just lacking on undergrad academics compared to UM
February 25th, 2011 at 9:10 PM ^
but I found it to be smaller and a little bit dull versus Ann Arbor.
And that powder blue just gives me a headache.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:11 PM ^
I disagree on UNC.
I had heard many nice things about the campus and Chapel Hill in general - but I left there rather unimpressed. It tries too hard to be pretty. Like a decent looking chick that takes two hours to get ready, because she has to look perfect before she goes out.
The reality is, when you strip away all the landscaping - it's not that nice.
If you're looking at schools in the area, UVA is the chick who is still banging hot without makeup, and Duke is the saucy broad whose daddy has money. UNC just isn't on their level.
February 26th, 2011 at 3:48 PM ^
Chapel Hill has nicer winter weather than Ann Arbor, but in the summer it is oppressively humid. I thought Michigan summers were humid until I spent some time down South. Ugh.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:18 PM ^
ASU B+
U of A A-
USC A
MSU B
Fla A
February 25th, 2011 at 6:20 PM ^
Stanford: A (ugh, pains me to say that)
Cal: A-
ND: B+
Vanderbilt: B+
USC: B+
Penn State: B+/B
Purdue: B
Duke: B
Northwestern: B
Harvard/MIT: B (Pretty similar in a lot of respects since they're, like, down the street from one another)
Mich State: B
Wisco: B
IU: B-
Penn: C+
Columbia: C+
NYU: C+
Illinois: D+
Ohio State: B (realistically), F (in my heart)
February 25th, 2011 at 6:22 PM ^
This is great. I'm probably going to be in the Palo Alto area this summer, so I'll have to head over and check it out.
February 25th, 2011 at 8:51 PM ^
when you head out there. I'm in PA Monday thru Thursday and can give you the scoop on the best restaurants depending on your palate.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:23 PM ^
In order as I think of them...
Virginia AAAA++++++
Minnesota C+
Purdue B
Cornell A-
Harvard B+
USNA C+
USAFA C
Washington A
Georgia A
Syracuse B-
Penn State B-
Villanova B
Boston College B+
Maryland B
Duke A-
Citadel B
Grand Valley D
And for reference, Michigan gets a B+.
February 25th, 2011 at 9:08 PM ^
People are hating on you for UVA obviously.
But seriously - if you have been on campus there, there is NO competition in the interior U.S. (excluding places like Pepperdine that are on the coast).
UVA was my #1 choice, but they turned me down. Michigan accepted me into their honors college. I'm 5 years out of college and what I consider to be very successful. UVA can suck it for denying me, but they do have a beautiful campus.
(I often thought of applying to UVA for my MBA but I know a girl from M there right now and she doesn't seem to be enjoying it. Looks like Stanford would be my only option now.)
February 25th, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
It might be the B+ for Michigan, though, or it might just be the serial neggers I seem to have picked up. I do see a lot of negs for anything less than an A for Michigan. What can I say? I'm clearly biased. I love how well-integrated the U-M campus is to Ann Arbor, but points deducted for the North Campus and for not really having a unifying style of architecture.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:24 PM ^
UCLA - A-
USC - B-
Cal - B
UChicago - B
Stanford - A
Duke - B+
UNC - A-
Georgetown - B-
GWU - C+
Harvard - B+
MIT - B-
CMU - C
UPenn - B-
Columbia - B
I think the only Big Ten campus besides Michigan that I've seen is Northwestern. Their architecture isn't that great, but they really make it work for them.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^
Washington - A. With the campus right on the lake, and completely stuffed with trees and greenery, this is one of the prettiest campuses you can find. That combined with the football stadium being on-campus, is a huge plus. The only thing keeping this from the cream is the rain.
UCLA - B-. It's a series of building surrounded by more buildings, fast food joints, hotels, offices, and more concrete. The weather is fantastic, but the Rose Bowl is several miles away. At least I got to play pickup with some buddies in Pauley Pavilion!
Central Michigan - D. Yeah. Nothing here to see. Seriously.
Western Michigan - C. Meh.
Northwestern - B-. The lake is nice in the summer, and sucks ass in the winter. My biggest beef is that everything is so damn old there. Also, I was there for summer camps, and their civil engineering department flooded after heavy rains. <3 irony.
Harvard - B. It has the charm of an old school, but that's also a minus, as many buildings (especially dorms) are fucking ancient and tiny. Big plus - everything is super close by.
MIT - B-. If everything weren't so industrial and overly urban, I'd have liked it a lot more. Not a big fan of having a 6-lane road bisecting campus. The river does add points though.
Princeton - B. Gorgeous, but in the middle of fucking nowhere. Seriously. There's nothing around except for a Panera and a Starbucks for miles. The nearest true source of entertainment is NYC. Plus, its in Jersey.
Caltech - B+. Small, but immaculately maintained. Flowers bloom year round, as there are almost as many gardeners as there are students. Weather is also great. But there's no major nightlife nearby and the beaches are over an hour away.
Claremont/Mudd/Scripps/Pomona/Spitzer - C+. Small and severly lacking in identity. Nearest liquor facilities are a ways away. Far away from the coast.
Occidental College - B+. It's secluded enough to be peaceful, but shops and restaurants are close enough to walk to. It's a pretty campus, not too big, and enjoys the soCal weather.
Not going to review Michigan because everyone else has, and I can't be impartial. And surprisingly enough, even though I lived in Ann Arbor for 17 years, I've never been to the MSU campus.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^
Notre Dame: Didn't love it, B-
Northwestern: B-
Loyola-Chicago: B
Univ of Chicago: B+
Illinois-Urbana: D-
Tulane: A-
Harvard: A
February 25th, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^
February 25th, 2011 at 8:46 PM ^
Cornell is depressing as all hell, like if you took UM's north campus, put it in the middle of nowhere and then surrounded it with convenient suicide gorges. I give it a D
RPI (Troy, NY) is even more depressing, as the campus/the Troy area is not only disgusting and beaten-down, it seems the entire school body is there solely for the scholarship money RPI throws to at least 1 kid from every high school in New York. I got one of these scholarships, visited for half a day, and my mother and I left as quickly as we could. Solid F--
February 25th, 2011 at 6:33 PM ^
Two that you should see. Both smaller schools.
Point Loma Nazarene University on the bluff overlooking the entrance to San Diego Bay and Pepperdine in Malibu. Both A plus plus with extra credit for participation in choir and student government.
Point Loma Nazarene:
Pepperdine:
February 25th, 2011 at 7:56 PM ^
about Pepperdine...really liked it..can't beat the location and pretty nice people (I thought)...
February 25th, 2011 at 9:33 PM ^
Simply bc of this pic on their brochure
February 25th, 2011 at 6:39 PM ^
Colorado - A
Air force - A-
Colorado State - C+
Illinois State - F
Arizona State - C for campus, A+ for coeds from April to October
Univ. of Ariz - C
U of San Diego - B
Northern Ariz - B (only bests the other AZ schools because it has seasons and a "mountain")
Western Mich. - C
Central Mich - F
Eastern Mich F+
Nebraska - F--- (admitted bias)
February 25th, 2011 at 6:41 PM ^
Virginia Tech B-. nice area. nothing there
Delaware B+. cool downtown. still delaware
February 25th, 2011 at 6:47 PM ^
Michigan: A-
Xavier: B
Cincinnati: A-(surprisingly beautiful)
MSU: C+
WMU: C
Purdue: C-
Stanford: A+
USC: B
UCLA: A-
Wisconsin: B+
Texas: A
Northwestern: B-
February 25th, 2011 at 11:35 PM ^
MSU B
IU C+
Purdue C
Wisky A-
OSU B-
NW B+
Iowa B
UNC A
Dook A-
Georgetown A-
UGA B+
UT B+
A&M B-
ASU B+
USC A-
UCLA B+
Berkeley B
Stanford A
UW B+
WMU C
CMU C-
EMU D
BGSU C
Albion B
Hope B+
February 25th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
February 25th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, our campus is always an A+ in my heart but in reality its a solid B (its just a very big campus and some areas are an A+ and some are below average).
Re: Stanford and the other highly rated evals in this thread, another family member, my drunk uncle Ted, once told me at Thanksgiving that just because a girl wears a pretty dress that does not mean that she's not a dirty skank....FWIW.
Very confused teenage years has translated into adulthood...