It's Not Too Early To Study The Rankings!

Whether you are a high school junior or a 45-year old career changer, gaining acceptance to the "right" college and degree program is one of the greatest challenges you will ever face. College choice is driven by a number of factors, and unfortunately, many potential students apply to a particular school simply because of its name. This site was developed by a university administrator (and parent of college-age children). Take a moment to read the weekly blog and it will help you on your journey to finding the "right" college.

It's Not Too Early To Study The Rankings!

Although the latest US News & World Report college rankings have not yet been released, it is important to realize that in the case of most colleges and universities, the numbers change little from year to year. An older version of the magazine can be just as useful if you know what to look for. Let's examine some basic categories and then we'll dig deeper. The magazine breaks schools into several categories: National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Universities - Master's (By Region), and Baccalaureate Colleges. There are significant differences between schools in each category and by understanding these you can narrow your list of potential schools.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES

National Universities include the highly selective "Ivy League" in addition to a long list of other outstanding public and private institutions. They decrease in selectivity as you scan down the list. These are the schools we've all heard of, and often they are famous for a particular area of study on the graduate level, or for their research. I recently heard a father's lament over the fact that few of the "big name" schools were chasing after his daughter. In reality, the famous schools don't have to chase after students -- their admissions departments are flooded with outstanding applicants. Just take a quick look at recent Harvard statistics. In 2006 there were over 22,000 applicants, yet only 9% were accepted. In Harvard's entering freshman class, 95% came from the top 10% of their high school graduating class. There were undoubtedly countless class Valedictorians, and others with perfect SATs who were rejected. Then there were the legacies -- children whose parents attended the school. There was a time when being a legacy counted with admissions officers, but those days are fading fast.

As you move down the list of national universities, you come upon many excellent schools where it is still tough to be admitted, but their acceptance rate is much higher than Harvard's. The University of Michigan, University of Illinois, University of Virginia, Pepperdine University, etc. -- the list is lengthy.

What is a national university really like? Some are relatively small institutions, like Pepperdine, with under 3000 students. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those universities that are larger than small towns -- like the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with 24,000 or Ohio State University with 35,000 undergraduate students. These universities have well-designed campuses, beautiful grounds, and a large number of academic buildings and dorms. The very large schools do not provide a setting where you will be recognized by 30+ students as you cross campus, or receive loads of individualized attention from faculty, but for many students that doesn't matter.

There are usually fraternities and sororities, and countless clubs and activities. National universities have a wide range of majors, minors, and research opportunities you'll not usually find at smaller institutions. As these schools place great emphasis on research, odds are the world famous professor you hoped to see in class probably won't be there. At some universities graduate students teach undergraduate classes, and the majority of classes are taught by assistant and associate professors. Class size often tends to be large in the "intro" courses, and some schools have been known to mount television screens so those sitting in the back of the lecture hall can get a better look at their instructor. As you progress in your major, class size decreases significantly, and it is simply a fact that strong students do get to be known by the faculty in their major -- no matter what size the school. National universities are great for the student who is independent, mature, self-confident and who enjoys being part of a large community of learners. National universities are known for their outstanding graduate programs, so even if you do not attend one as an undergraduate, consider a national university if graduate school beckons. Coming Next: Liberal Arts Colleges

Finding the "Right" College

Whether you are a high school junior or a 45 year-old career changer, gaining acceptance to the "right" college and degree program is one of the greatest challenges you will ever face.   College choice is driven by a number of factors, and unfortunately, many potential students apply to a particular school simply because of its name.   In the weeks ahead, this site will discuss the process of college selection for those entering their senior year of high school.  It will also devote several entries to mid-life professionals considering radical career changes.

SO MANY SCHOOLS AND SO LITTLE TIME!

Yesterday I overheard a conversation between two mothers of graduating seniors.   Each was politely trying to find out where the other's child had been accepted for college.  There were some awkward silences in the conversation.  Finally one mother spoke up and said, "Well he applied to Tufts but didn't get in.  But then again, I heard that no one from the senior class was accepted at Tufts, even though a lot of kids from the class applied!"

Imagine that, I thought.   So what was the big drawing card with Tufts?  Why had so many students applied to that particular institution?  Did Tufts have something special about their curriculum?  Then I remembered reading earlier in the year that one college ranking publication had said Tufts was one of those schools that should be considered just one step down from the Ivy League.  Was that the attraction?

At our local high school the students have started a Wall of Shame -- a wall where they tack up their college rejection letters.  They also have similar sites on Facebook.   Rather than join the misery loves company club, my son was one of the few at his high school who recently was accepted at a very selective college through the Early Decision process.   Was he accepted ED because he was smarter than all those other students who applied to their first choice schools and were rejected?  I don't think so.  He succeeded because we played it smart and as a parent I refused to let him be sucked into what I call the "College Name Game".   

When my daughter applied to college seven years earlier, there was a much different ending.  She knew the schools she was interested in and told us she would handle the entire process herself.  She did, and was promptly rejected by six of the seven schools she applied to. In the end, the seventh school was a miserable match, and we were scrambling to find an appropriate college where admissions were still open.  She looks back on the entire college application process as a negative experience.  Yet my son's experience was quite the opposite.   As a higher education administrator and a parent, I decided it was time to take control of the situation, and based on our success, I've decided to share my experience with others involved in college search.  My first column will be on how to use the US News & World college rankings to your advantage.   Stay tuned!