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(09-14-2021 10:27 AM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(09-14-2021 10:15 AM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(09-14-2021 09:57 AM)geef Wrote:  

(09-14-2021 09:53 AM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(09-14-2021 07:01 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  UC's ranking improved when it was a strategic focus of the administration. It requires that focus from the top to create tactical plans that improve performance in key areas to drive the ranking up. We all want it to be higher. But we also should be concerned about directionality--are we rising a little or falling a little?

One indicator used to be what UC was offering National Merit Scholars compared with an Alabama or a Miami (OH). I'm aware of a particular student who took that higher offer from Miami (in engineering of all things), but later came to regret not choosing UC. But financially incenting academically high achieving students is just one among many tactics to consider in raising the overall academic profile of an entering class.

While I would agree U.S. News rankings are often measuring prestige more than quality, millions of parents and prospective students don't know that or even care. So to be dismissive of this ranking comes at great peril for any university.

I'd also say that the initial move to selective admissions was kind of the low hanging fruit period. As we pared off the bottom quartile of our applicant pool, our profile showed quick and immediate improvements. We quickly became the third most selective school in the system, but that momentum inevitably began to plateau and slow. Now, we're trying to sway kids to choose us over OSU, Miami or--if they have the money--going out of state somewhere. That's going to be harder, and the gains are going to be more incremental than that initial flush of improvement. And as others have pointed out growing our pot of merit and need-based scholarships is crucial to keep moving forward.

On Selectivity, it's interesting to look at the US News stats - it shows Miami at 92% acceptance, and UC at 76% acceptance. I would have thought they'd be more in line. Given that it's 2020 numbers, could that be Covid related?

Miami gets more applicants

Then their yield must be god awful.