Underrated Colleges You Should Apply To Based On Your Dream School

It's been a hot sec but I'm back! Happy Common App release! Here's some schools that are lesser known and should be on your college list :) We can't all get into places like Stanford and Princeton, so here's some other places to try!
Friday night probably wasn't the best time to post this video, but I really felt moved to put something out by the end of the week.
Also, I appreciate everyone who's been reaching out about applying to Dartmouth! I love talking about it haha
And just a final hello to all the people in JCL who said hi at convention last week! JCL was a big support group for me when college applications happened and if you're a JCLer, don't hesitate to reach out! We're basically friends okay even if I've never talked to you
Keywords: "dartmouth college", "high school", "college list", "college application", "dream school", "dream schools are dumb", "college alternatives", "underrated colleges", "common application", "alternatives to harvard"
~Got any video ideas? Comment them down below!~
Music in this video:
"Sunshine Flow" by David Cutter Music
/ dcuttermusic
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Instagram: @joshneedstostop
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/ heyitsjoshco

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

PART 2 (SAFETY SCHOOLS): kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKXRqHVnoJuGhbM

[@kwakunyarko6371]

heyitsjoshco I’m actually from Worcester, so mentioning WPI was kinda interesting. It’s pronounced “Wuh-Ster” btw😂

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

i got close enough

[@dxnpxrk]

If you're looking for timestamps: Harvard/Yale: 1:18 UChicago/Columbia: 2:13 Stanford/UCLA/UMich: 3:27 MIT/CalTech: 4:40 UPenn/Princeton: 5:39 Duke/Dartmouth/Vanderbilt: 7:20 JH/Cornell: 8:13 Northwestern/Notre Dame: 9:15 Brown: 10:00 UC Berkeley: 11:34 USC/WashU/Emory/Rice: 12:00 NYU/BU: 13:01 I hope these are accurate....

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

wow I was about to do this but you beat me to it (really appreciate it though!)

[@mychaeltorres2436]

You’re a saint

[@brijbhatt8734]

Soooo helpful

[@KatieTracy]

This idea is so unique and helpful🙌🏼

[@thatweirdscienceguy9880]

you're my fav

[@mommonyratana4685]

Katieeeeeee

[@raisasiddique7018]

Aloha Katie!

[@jasminekennedy6726]

COMPARING PENN TO A WHITE COLLAR PRISON IS THE TRUEST THING IVE EVER HEARD I CANT

[@user-ql4dg1rn3s]

????!

[@mackyronni]

I go to Georgetown and know fellow hoyas that considered options like northeastern and tufts as well they’re all really great schools! Some even turned down Harvard and Yale it’s really not about the name it’s about where you truly fit in and are offered the best resources.

[@alexgill2678]

Agreed! Can’t just do it for the name.

[@syahnazmi29]

mackyronni "truly fit in" and "best resources" are the key words! I couldn't agree more.

[@hannahgu9695]

Omg you always post exactly what I need to hear the moment I need to hear it. Thanks for all your advice and keep the awesome content coming!

[@jessielin3149]

You talk as fast as James Charles but I'm living for it

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

Jessie Lin here’s a secret: i speed up my videos 110% and pitch the audio so it sounds normal so they’re not super slow/long

[@adiksadiatabs]

who the f3ck is that

[@perrytheplatypus9363]

@@adiksadiatabs surprised u don’t know him but he’s a guy who does makeup up u can check out his channel

[@hubbiemid6209]

one of the best college videos i've ever seen, super freakin helpful!!!!!!

[@angiet1273]

I have been watching your videos for the past couple of months, and I love all of your content. I don’t ever comment, but I thought this video was a genius idea. All the information was extremely helpful. I hope you have a wonderful year at Dartmouth.

[@anakevorkian575]

YES! i love this!! i’m a rising junior and i’ve been looking at a lot of top schools and been struggling with the fact that nearly all of the schools i like are extreme reaches (i.e princeton, columbia) and i also agree so much i wish people knew more about tufts!!! i knew nothing about it when i went to visit and absolutely fell in love with it.

[@A350Airways]

However, Tufts is famous for putting a lot of weight on demonstrated interest, hence the so-called syndrome...

[@lifeviz28568]

Wow those new glasses you're wearing! Love them!

[@taylormari2033]

This was such a creative video idea and really helpful, thanks!

[@caitlinfitzgerald3294]

This video was so helpful!!! My dream school is Dartmouth but I am also applying to Colgate in the fall.

[@Jillian0810]

This is so helpful I'm so clueless about all the ivy leagues/competitive schools so it's really nice to learn which ones are similar and easier to get into!

[@elainevivi]

omg YES this is exactly the vid i needed but didn't know how to put into words!! not getting into my dream schools is obviously a huge fear but i keep trying to breathe and remind myself that it's okay no matter what happens; feeling like i have comparable back up options is a huge help

[@ekotar1]

"UC Berkeley is known as a hard STEM school" Berkeley is the only University to have a top 10 US ranking for every department. Berkeley is elite at everything, not just stem. Languages, literature, philosophy, business, law, social sciences. . . Not only that, but a major thing that makes Berkeley distinct is the social and political culture. I'd recommend Reed in that regard.

[@notjin2109]

Eric Deck umm what about Stanford?

[@SS-cc2cv]

The major thing that makes Berkeley unique is the degree to which liberal indoctrination permeates their society.

[@CarbonEcho]

@@SS-cc2cv exactly

[@CarbonEcho]

Berkeley is a liberal anti-free speech hellhole

[@as.3612]

Carbon Echo what about UPenn

[@pilar5103]

love this video idea, super unique! for anyone who loves NYU I would suggest looking into The New School (also in NYC) :)

[@bonnie4552]

This is such a good idea for a video and super helpful!

[@sophiapamphilis4536]

Wow this was super helpful tysm!! My college list just expanded massively haha

[@izzygaut7397]

Living for that shade at white collar crime 😂

[@shiyyymg]

Your videos are literally so helpful and great so thank you so much! Just turned on my notifications

[@OhFlamePrincess]

I don't know why I'm watching this, I'm already in college

[@amia4754]

Ellie-ish lmfaooo what college and what are you in their for? (You absolutely don’t have to answer I was just curious :)

[@connormiller7776]

Mustve taken a while to research all of these! Quality content right here!

[@BananaSplitz4ever]

This is such an amazing idea!! So helpful!

[@dellacrawford3731]

Loving those new glasses!

[@foreverxgymnast6225]

I would personally add oberlin as a similar school to brown, they have a liberal arts focus, their curriculum is pretty open and flexible, and they are liberal, eccentric and artsy like Brown (but probably more so)

[@helenfoster6597]

Great video idea and video! Love your content as always

[@jayparra8574]

WOW! WOW! WOW! WHAT A FANTASTIC VIDEO! SHOWING STUDENTS ALTERNATIVES! FANTASTIC! I had to come back and just say again...GREAT VIDEO!

[@estherbradley3218]

Great job young man! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Thanks for the info

[@serbando5025]

Just found your channel it’s so HELPFUL

[@AnthonyTang]

what a unique video topic!! Loved this one, Josh :))

[@puglover14639]

Great content!! Keep doing what you’re doing

[@NatalieSharpe]

Really great video. Super insightful

[@_Gaby_950]

I'm barely 1 minute in and I love you already cause you remind me of someone Subscribed 😥❤ Also. I needed this so much. You're a life saver ❤❤

[@lani2023]

Wow, outstanding! Thank you so much for this grouping.

[@adinamujica7090]

You’re amazing this is exactly what I needed thank you

[@nikkimp3]

so happy you mentioned colgate !!! an amazing school and my top choice over brown :)

[@cottagegardener3725]

Great video that helps a diverse group of kids (not everyone has 4+ GPA).

[@kdz6441]

thank you so much for this video! this is super helpful!

[@tarakathh]

Ok sorry I'm commenting so much but my family just moved to Wake County in NC and for anyone who hasn't been there and is considering Duke or Wake Forest (or anything in the RTP area) it is absolutely amazing, everything is flourishing and new, the economy is thriving, and there's TONS of internship availability because of RTP. It is seriously such a great area to live and has lots of forests, lakes, hiking, and natural beauty.

[@SereniaSaissa]

That was a great video and a very unique idea to talk about!!

[@anya8144]

This is such a great help. Thank you!

[@amycork6689]

This is a great video with excellent content. Thanks!

[@tarakathh]

I'm already in college lol but this is such an awesome and important topic so I clicked anyway out of curiosity!

[@kslife9208]

This was so helpful!! Thank you so much

[@user-pu5zk9sj2m]

True! Duke, Dartmouth, WFU, and CMC are indeed the first ones I put onto my college list :)

[@rey_damaris]

This video was really helpful!!👏💞

[@avery4959]

such a good and unique idea for a video! love ur channel

[@fikemiaiyepeku2492]

You don't know how much this helps, really. Thank you (Simultaneously sharing this video with friends)!! 💛 And your quick talking is totally fine. Maybe because I hate listening to the "likes" and "ums" in between speech lol. Keep it up :)

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

i put so much time trying to cut those words out haha (and i am now incapable of watching any video under 1.5x speed) be sure to check out my part 2 with safety schools!

[@fikemiaiyepeku2492]

heyitsjoshco 😂Wow...will do :)

[@samarahayes3659]

This is a great video! Thank you for your information it still applies 4 years later lol :D

[@imagineblue2701]

NC State is an excellent engineering school with a lot of sports culture and a city campus. They're definitely one to consider, and they are also in a consortium with UNC and Duke where they all share resources. As for Wake Forest, I actually toured Wake Forest and Duke and I definitely preferred Wake. The academics are just as good, and you don't get a slit-your-throat vibe. Wake also has a great study abroad program, so that's another thing to consider as well. TL;DR NC State is good for engineering, Wake Forest and Duke are basically the same academically

[@maureenarnold8373]

thanks king this was super helpful

[@veroniquejustinvil2749]

This list is spot on! UCLA would be my dream school but very selective and I ended up getting into Lehigh and I plan on going for their Engineering school!

[@winkwonk6361]

holy hekk this is so helpful, thank you sm!!

[@wenyanzhang3035]

this is sooo helpful. thank you!!

[@SuperMightyChicken]

Brown and Vassar have very similar characteristics as well

[@delphinedjomo]

Really interesting video, I love this

[@nicholaus3248]

Georgetown University is also comparable to UChicago and Columbia, it has a well-rounded core curriculum with access to a metropolitan city in Washington DC.

[@shalar01]

What a very unique idea for a video!!! Other people should do this video too.

[@rebeccaelizabeth8362]

I’m from New England so anytime you listed these bigger schools like northeastern I wondered why they were categorized as “lesser known”, other than that great video!

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

I mean people know about them but they don't know why they should apply to them u feel like if I didn't do a lot of research/have good friends going to Northeastern I never would've known about the co-op program

[@nicholastu6140]

Pomona is just as hard, if not more, to get into as the ivies now 😂

[@Simsrockslol]

get into pitzer and then take classes at pomona

[@aritandan]

chrisrockslol pitzer’s acceptance rate is still 13% 😬😬

[@burnsgaskins1986]

For engineering, I would recommend Clemson University. Especially the honors college at Clemson if you’re thinking about MIT

[@lawrencechase754]

well done! Creative topic and very accurate from what I know about schools. I particularly liked info on University of Utah in-state tuition deal. I can see a similar survey of European universities, also Canadian. Other excellent schools that can be mentioned: University of Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. U Cal, San Diego also first rate alternative as is UNC, Chapel Hill.

[@anniej1833]

Cal Poly is a great engineering and architecture school! Also, it's a great career focused school because you are in major specific classes from day 1 and they emphasize hands on labs. (you have to choose a major coming in)

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

idk why I didn't put this in cal poly slo is great esp for engineering/architecture! also it's relatively cheap out of state like even tho it doesn't give financial aid, the total cost of attendance i think is 35k/year (including room+board)

[@julioenrique]

Yes, I needed this!

[@bnkopano]

Outstanding. Logically constructed. Thank you.

[@katherinegriffith3340]

i knew i saw u at jcl nats!!! definitely not a doppelgänger. soo sad that it’s ur last year but good luck at dartmouth!!!

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

omg no way what state (and yes that was me! I was onstage for two GAs haha) and thanks!

[@BeejDoop]

Yo this was an awesome idea, keep it up.

[@annacawood1403]

St. John’s College is also extremely easy to get into (80% acceptance rate), so it’s a great safety school :) Coming from somebody who lives 10 minutes away from the Annapolis, MD campus, it’s a really good liberal arts school who only has a high acceptance rate because very few people actually apply.

[@malininarula8707]

isn't pomona acceptance rate 7% making it equal to yale in terms of selectivity and harder to get into than dartmouth lol

[@malininarula8707]

just feel like this is a bit misleading

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

It's super selective but still underrated! However, I mentioned the school briefly, but I meant more so to consider the rest of the Claremonts which aren't as selective

[@Alex-cw1ph]

@@titoadesanya9369 even the worst at anything in the top 15 in the country is still better than most places. They're not going to be the best at everything 😹

[@misaelcampos6294]

I went to Princeton. You can't double major is because every student has to write a senior thesis (basically an undergraduate version of a PhD dissertation). We don't have a med school or law school, so the education is very undergrad focused.

[@jasonxian6070]

Penn is definitely pre-professional, but a LOT of people pursue more than one major. There are even dual-degree programs across the four undergraduate schools

[@biancablake1999]

Im going to Colgate! Also I think a good sub for some of those engineering schools is university of Illinois. I think some of these substitutions might not be safety schools for everyone lol. Great vid!

[@selene7105]

Congrats! Do you mind telling me your stats and/or the process of applying to Colgate? I would appreciate it very much.

[@biancablake1999]

I'm not going to say my exact stats but I would say that Colgate really considers a unique and well thought out essay, and a high test score because my GPA wasn't strong at all but all the people I know who are going to Colgate had really good essays that a lot of the time had to do with social justice issues, and ACT scores in the high 30s. (usually between a 32 and 35) hope this helps!

[@selene7105]

Thank you so much.

[@faginnyc]

idk if I'd recommend this school bc I'm having some thoughts but Sarah Lawrence, the school I attend, has an open curriculum but is a lot smaller than Brown and test-optional. There's also Bard which is similar to SLC but more upstate (idk if they have open curriculum). There's also Wesleyan which apparently is like SLC but more friendly. Also, hot tip: if you are in college and take over 32 credits, for SOME schools, you DO NOT need to submit SAT scores. So if you're a lower-income student from public education, go to a test-optional college and then transfer in. (I think Brown still requires SAT scores. There goes that dream).

[@victoriag5368]

What a great idea! Very helpful

[@Minatheowl394]

Thank you for this!

[@alexgill2678]

Can’t wait to start up at Pomona in a few weeks!

[@lawrencefroymovich34]

Great video as always! I heard that Penn has a lot of undergraduates who enter coordinated duel-degree programs or choose to double major. Not sure if this is true but they are my dream schools!

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

I can't seem to find the statistic anymore of the percentage of students who double major at penn (page looks like it was moved), but I do remember that it's a smaller proportion of students who do compared to other schools But yes there is the option to do dual degree programs! They're super competitive to get into though

[@jasonxian6070]

As a Penn student, I find that a ton of students double major/minor. A large part of Penn is in its interdisciplinary studies.

[@aidanegazarian1654]

Similar to Brown I would add Colorado College, look into their style of curriculum if you haven’t

[@aidanegazarian1654]

But excellent video great suggestions

[@ananyajain1470]

This is so so helpful

[@ItsJusto]

I love the idea of this video!

[@bethanymclean2136]

I'd say for Stanford or UMich Bucknell is also good, it's sporty and has a good engineering and business. However it is smaller.

[@delaneysmith3136]

Such a great idea for a video!

[@bsfifagaming275]

Add Bowdoin to the Brown alternatives list!!!!

[@cassidyrescorl6301]

I’m going to Case Western next year and I completely agree with putting it as an alternative to Berkeley as an engineering/stem heavy school. I was expecting to see it as an alternative to Johns Hopkins tho because I’ve met sooooooo many pre med & nursing students and as a nursing major its relationship with the Cleveland Clinic definitely adds lots of appeal to students going into the medical field. Still a really accurate list tho

[@allison_mara_]

Hi! I'm a current high school senior who was pre-admitted into Case Western and received a half-tuition scholarship and was wondering what the pros and cons were about this school! I have been deciding whether or not I want to commit to this school and wanted to get your perspective as a possible current student there! I am curious about grading/class rigor/academic competition vs. collaboration, social culture, the number of realistic research opportunities, stress/balancing schoolwork, school population attractiveness (I've heard that everyone looks mid lol), dorms, dining halls, and clubs in general. Thanks!

[@iammindywoo]

Some quality college video right here

[@emilykromchad8986]

Saint Joesph's University is another very good school! My brother goes there for International Business, and he really loves it. It's right outside of Philly (literally. One side of the street is Philly and the other is Lower Merion) so it's an urban neighborhood but it's not loud or anything. The campus is beautiful as well. I'd recommend it to anyone!

[@riverogue13]

Well I have other reasons for applying to umich other than just stem. I’m doing stem but also an art and design minor or major if i change my mind and dual apply and stamps is a good school. Also I’m into musical theatre (watching and listening, not performing) and they have a good program which means the student musicals there are gonna be really good. Like u can watch productions live of future broadway actors that’s pretty cool. Idk if any other schools have all those.

[@ladylala0251]

feeling a little proud that i'm going to one of the dream schools??? really didn't think i would get in

[@danstewart2770]

If you're considering Auburn or University of Alabama at Huntsville as an alternative STEM school to Stanford or MIT, you're much better off at Georgia Institute of Technology, which is on every top ten STEM school list.

[@danstewart2770]

@@pandaangry1267 Sorry, couldn't help it, got all exicited. But, you're right, it doesn't fit into the "underrated" category. ☆ _But I'd like to amend my comment, nonetheless. GT is on the _*_top 5 list_*_ of great STEM schools-and it has a top-rated quant MS degree, Quantitative and Computational Finance (QCF)._ Sorry, can't control myself, I just love GT.

[@Jessiemats]

This is actually a really unique video

[@randomperson-de1rs]

Been to WPI for a robotics competition and the campus is absolutely beautiful 😻

[@boxlad7583]

"underrated" all top rated schools lol

[@master11213]

I've never thought this would be on my page but I enjoyed a different perspective on college from a more positive point of view. I'd prefer my cuny school for money purposes but to each their own.

[@emox6400]

This is great!

[@ccmag101]

Hey I go to Purdue!! It's a very academic focused campus because it's a third engineering kids and we're a top ten engineering program so it's a really intense curriculum.

[@wow1983]

Dartmouth, Colgate and UCLA are the toughest on my list... US Military Academy ended up 100% match on my college board buttttt I don't think I'm planning to head that path. Some like UTexas seems too far from me and I've always been attached to Amherst... BUT DARTMOUTH IS #1 AHHHH

[@leehailey3479]

Thank you your videos are very helpful!! Do you think co-op programs are good/worth it? Because they're so tempting but not a lot of people are looking into those

[@joshmakesdrinksandjokes]

I think so! Being able to do an internship during a less-competitive season is super nice, and it's part of the reason I picked Dart because of its flexibility to do internships like that. The reason why people don't really do those programs I think is because they just want to get out of college in 4 years and sometimes co-ops can make that hard to do, but I personally love the concept

[@robertbruce6750]

I graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, and it was a fantastic experience, intellectually and socially. One of the best liberal arts colleges in the country.

[@perrytheplatypus9363]

still in 8th grade but i like to think about college early also yes i am focusing on high school i’m not ignoring that it’s important