| This fall, as numerous college rankings
| |
| | graduation rates are more likely to help
|
| hit the bookstores, I was curious to find
| |
| | attract alumni support and interest from
|
| an answer to the question: "What is an
| |
| | graduate schools and employers than poor
|
| 'excellent school'?" after a parent,
| |
| | ones.
|
| prospective student or college recruiter
| |
| | I set my bar high: an 85 percent freshman
|
| sifted through all of this material.
| |
| | retention rate and a 65 percent six-year
|
| There has been debate among admissions
| |
| | graduation rate. I dislike the idea of
|
| officers and college presidents over the
| |
| | using a six-year graduation rate, but
|
| value of ranking one school over another
| |
| | there are legitimate reasons: leaves of
|
| based on statistics, and those debates
| |
| | absence, military or missionary service,
|
| are valid-to a point. The rankings mean
| |
| | cooperative educational opportunities
|
| little to the best of the best; Harvard,
| |
| | (combine school and work) and interest in
|
| for example, will not lose applicants for
| |
| | multiple degree programs being examples.
|
| being the #2 school. They mean little to
| |
| | In my kitchen table exercise, I found
|
| quality schools that charge little or no
| |
| | that 265 four-year schools met my
|
| tuition, such as the military service
| |
| | standard. Among the nation's 262 Large
|
| academies, flagship state universities
| |
| | Research Universities-these are the large
|
| and specialty institutions like Cooper
| |
| | public and private universities--104
|
| Union and Webb Institute. These schools
| |
| | schools met or exceeded the 85-65
|
| will always fill their classes with
| |
| | standard, including all of the top 72 in
|
| excellent students, regardless of their
| |
| | the rankings. Among 266 National Liberal
|
| ranking.
| |
| | Arts Colleges, 105 met or exceeded both
|
| Rankings could however, mean something to
| |
| | numbers. There were also 37 regional
|
| families that have to make a choice
| |
| | universities and 8 baccalaureate colleges
|
| between similar regional or national
| |
| | that met or bested both marks, as well as
|
| schools that appear below the best of the
| |
| | 11 specialty (fine arts, performing arts,
|
| best, for instance a top regional
| |
| | engineering and business) schools.
|
| university versus an excellent national
| |
| | By my standard, the list of "excellent"
|
| university that's listed in the top 100.
| |
| | schools is larger than some parents might
|
| They might also help applicants make a
| |
| | think. It does include the most selective
|
| choice between the flagship state
| |
| | public and private institutions, but also
|
| university in their home state and
| |
| | 84 schools that admitted more than 65% of
|
| similar schools in other states that
| |
| | their applicant pool for this year's
|
| charge low out-of-state tuition and room
| |
| | entering class. But there is another side
|
| and board rates. Being a Rutgers graduate
| |
| | to this analysis: the verbal and math
|
| from New Jersey, I'm especially sensitive
| |
| | SATs. The higher the school ranked in
|
| to this; the University of Delaware and
| |
| | U.S. News, the higher the range of the
|
| West Virginia University have been
| |
| | scores. A combined 1,050 to 1,100 on the
|
| popular destinations for Garden State
| |
| | verbal and math SATs put most applicants
|
| residents for decades.
| |
| | near the bottom quarter of the pool in
|
| Rankings appear to mean a lot to the
| |
| | most of my excellent schools. Excellent
|
| presidents of some schools; high rankings
| |
| | grades might offset the test scores at
|
| can convince trustees to increase their
| |
| | all except the best of the best, but it's
|
| investments in facilities and
| |
| | best to prepare for the tests.
|
| scholarships to build-up the school's
| |
| | What could I conclude from this?
|
| reputation. A boost from 75th to 50th
| |
| | The best of the best schools deserve the
|
| means more to an up-and-coming national
| |
| | accolades they receive, but there are
|
| university than it does for a school that
| |
| | other schools equally deserving of the
|
| has a long-cemented international
| |
| | same attention. Ask me to name names.
|
| reputation. These ambitions are not
| |
| | Some might surprise you.
|
| necessarily bad; a nation can never have
| |
| | Are these the only numbers a family
|
| enough quality schools.
| |
| | should consider?
|
| I did my own "kitchen table exercise"
| |
| | They're a start. If financial concerns
|
| with the most recent U.S. News college
| |
| | are paramount, then ask about the average
|
| guide after sifting through the published
| |
| | tuition increases and student loan
|
| rankings. I set my own standard of
| |
| | indebtedness for the recent graduating
|
| excellence, based on the reported
| |
| | classes. Also ask about the school's bond
|
| graduation and student retention rates.
| |
| | rating; it reflects the school's ability
|
| My thought was that the best schools are
| |
| | to earn income and cover its costs, while
|
| the ones that do the best to attract,
| |
| | keeping tuition increases as low as
|
| retain and graduate their entering
| |
| | possible. Both of these measures are
|
| classes.
| |
| | important, because scholarships and
|
| Graduation and retention rates are not
| |
| | grants do not always increase as tuition
|
| perfect, but they're the results by which
| |
| | increases; you might have to make up the
|
| admissions and student services are best
| |
| | difference.
|
| measured. An excellent school has
| |
| | There are plenty of choices among
|
| rigorous academics, but does all it can
| |
| | excellent schools, but only you and your
|
| to help their students succeed; it serves
| |
| | financial advisors can determine your
|
| no one to make college an intense "boot
| |
| | ability to pay for college. It might
|
| camp" experience to whittle a class down
| |
| | surprise you to find out which school is
|
| to an elite few. High retention and
| |
| | your best value.
|
