US World and News College Rankings 22/23

[8893]

And yet I don't remember a good word ever said about her.

C'mon. Who didn't love this?

 

[husky429]

You are absolutely correct. From my experiences in the field, many professionals think that they are a joke.

Problem is - the majority of the public does not. There are a lot of problems with the ranking system, but until a better alternative comes along then they have a ton of meaning to parents and prospective students.

My wife is in academia--they definitely think they are a joke. If nothing else, the quality of education isn't reflected in these rankings. Plenty of those great research profs at UConn and other R1 schools are terrible, terrible teachers of human beings.

The rankings by department on subject-specific websites are given more weight (and they're still not very good). Rutgers randomly has the 2nd best philosophy grad program in the country. No one outside the field would ever think "oh a PhD from Rutgers is elite," but it's ranked better than anywhere but NYU. I think UConn's is like 30.

 

[Chin Diesel]

And yet I don't remember a good word ever said about her.

I think I do

So, what's your opinion on why you think UConn can't keep a president?

 

[CL82]

C'mon. Who didn't love this?

She was doing pretty well until that seizure hit hit the end.

 

[CL82]

So, what's your opinion on why you think UConn can't keep a president?

Herbst was around a while, and while I have a lot of complaints about her, most notably sitting on the beach in the Virgin Islands sipping piña colada‘s with Warde Manuel while Louisville was weaseling its way into our ACC slot, and deciding to get rid of 80 + years of mascot tradition because “there’s no such thing as a white husky“, she was at least reasonably competent.

The next guy was just an abysmally bad hire. I forgot his name but he vaguely looked like Scott Bakula. His first move as president was to unilaterally decide that UConn was going to giveaway tuition to low income families. A noble goal, I suppose, but we were already doing that via aid to qualified students, so the question would be to whom was his initiative aimed at? Unqualified students? In any event here’s a pro tip for future entity new presidents don’t publicly announce that you were going to give away your core product totally free of cost without consulting the board first. He was a dead man walking like two weeks into his tenure.

The next guy was an interim hire who got a really nice private offer. That happens. And now we have this new interim president who sows her own clothes and sports a bleached blonde fright wig perm from the 1980s.

So in answer to your question why we are having a lot of turnover I respectfully suggest that candidate selection may play a role.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Wow surprised to see Mich St and Penn St below us. When I was looking at schools a little over a decade ago I think Penn St was in the high 40s and and now they are down to almost 80? Now that's a big drop off.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Wow surprised to see Mich St and Penn St below us. When I was looking at schools a little over a decade ago I think Penn St was in the high 40s and and now they are down to almost 80? Now that's a big drop off.

They crush UConn in research, but MSU in particular loses the top kids to Michigan and is a massive school that can't be nearly as selective as UConn is. I don't remember MSU ever ranking in the top 50, maybe they did.

 

[BigTenFan]

Herbst was around a while, and while I have a lot of complaints about her, most notably sitting on the beach in the Virgin Islands sipping piña colada‘s with Warde Manuel while Louisville was weaseling its way into our ACC slot, and deciding to get rid of 80 + years of mascot tradition because “there’s no such thing as a white husky“, she was at least reasonably competent.

The next guy was just an abysmally bad hire. I forgot his name but he vaguely looked like Scott Bakula. His first move as president was to unilaterally decide that UConn was going to giveaway tuition to low income families. A noble goal, I suppose, but we were already doing that via aid to qualified students, so the question would be to whom was his initiative aimed at? Unqualified students? In any event here’s a pro tip for future entity new presidents don’t publicly announce that you were going to give away your core product totally free of cost without consulting the board first. He was a dead man walking like two weeks into his tenure.

The next guy was an interim hire who got a really nice private offer. That happens. And now we have this new interim president who sows her own clothes and sports a bleached blonde fright wig perm from the 1980s.

So in answer to your question why we are having a lot of turnover I respectfully suggest that candidate selection may play a role.

100 percent of the blame falls on the shoulders of the board of trustees. Uconn is a public University but many of the decisions are made in the dark. Very little transparency
Taxpayers and students lose out when there is a constant churn on top

 

[McLovin]

Wow surprised to see Mich St and Penn St below us. When I was looking at schools a little over a decade ago I think Penn St was in the high 40s and and now they are down to almost 80? Now that's a big drop off.

Indiana too. I feel like they were always above us in these rankings

 

[uconnfan68]

There is a formula for this game and they all know it. UConn made a conscious decision to stop playing. They have paid the price. Florida at #5 and FSU at #19 are focused on winning at this game and have seen meteoric rises. You have to decide what you want to be.

I've long advocated for UConn to be a Top 100 national university and a Top 40 public and let the kids have some fun on campus. Maybe be more inclusive for the local B student that can't get in right now. If UConn is going to remain very serious and continue to crack down on parties and other fun stuff, they damn well better keep the academic rankings way up.

The state needs to eminent domain Mansfield and surrounding towns. Let UConn grow.

 

[McLovin]

And yet I don't remember a good word ever said about her.

I think I do

I did not like her, but there is no doubt she made some bold decisions during her tenure.

People who make bold decisions tend not be be liked by the masses, but they get way more accomplished than people who just want to placate the masses.

 

[aburks41]

Wow surprised to see Mich St and Penn St below us. When I was looking at schools a little over a decade ago I think Penn St was in the high 40s and and now they are down to almost 80? Now that's a big drop off.

Most people tend to think of IU, MSU, Penn St, Maryland, and Ohio State as very good schools regardless of where they are ranked. UConn being right in the middle of those is good, but we really should aim to be closer to the Ohio State/Maryland end of the scale than MSU/IU.

When I was applying to college in 2013 I applied to UConn and most BIG 10 schools except the top ones like NW and Michigan. I got in everywhere except Ohio State. We used to be right in line with them and pretty sure we were even above Maryland for a couple years.

I also find it hard to believe that Florida State is a better school than UConn. Come on now...

 

[goskis2018]

There seems to be a correlation with athletic success .
Men’s BB has won a NC since 2014
Football has been a complete disaster since 2012-13
and even women’s BB has dominated in the last few years
Correlation does not mean Causation however those things are light advertisements and could mean more willingness to invest .

I don’t think so, I graduated in 2018 and experienced 4 years of dire athletics. The dip in the rankings has occurred since then while the basketball program has been on the up. No doubt the rise of the mens program played a role in the school’s initial climb, especially in terms of the number of applications.

 

[BigTenFan]

Most people tend to think of IU, MSU, Penn St, Maryland, and Ohio State as very good schools regardless of where they are ranked. UConn being right in the middle of those is good, but we really should aim to be closer to the Ohio State/Maryland end of the scale than MSU/IU.

When I was applying to college in 2013 I applied to UConn and most BIG 10 schools except the top ones like NW and Michigan. I got in everywhere except Ohio State. We used to be right in line with them and pretty sure we were even above Maryland for a couple years.

I also find it hard to believe that Florida State is a better school than UConn. Come on now...

Each Public Big Ten University has a top specialty but Michigan, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State, and Illinois lead the way

 

[Chin Diesel]

Herbst was around a while, and while I have a lot of complaints about her, most notably sitting on the beach in the Virgin Islands sipping piña colada‘s with Warde Manuel while Louisville was weaseling its way into our ACC slot, and deciding to get rid of 80 + years of mascot tradition because “there’s no such thing as a white husky“, she was at least reasonably competent.

The next guy was just an abysmally bad hire. I forgot his name but he vaguely looked like Scott Bakula. His first move as president was to unilaterally decide that UConn was going to giveaway tuition to low income families. A noble goal, I suppose, but we were already doing that via aid to qualified students, so the question would be to whom was his initiative aimed at? Unqualified students? In any event here’s a pro tip for future entity new presidents don’t publicly announce that you were going to give away your core product totally free of cost without consulting the board first. He was a dead man walking like two weeks into his tenure.

The next guy was an interim hire who got a really nice private offer. That happens. And now we have this new interim president who sows her own clothes and sports a bleached blonde fright wig perm from the 1980s.

So in answer to your question why we are having a lot of turnover I respectfully suggest that candidate selection may play a role.

100 percent of the blame falls on the shoulders of the board of trustees. Uconn is a public University but many of the decisions are made in the dark. Very little transparency
Taxpayers and students lose out when there is a constant churn on top

Seems like if the same people keep bringing in the same agencies to vet candidates and then the same BoT keeps making final decisions, there's the common link.

 

[husky429]

Most people tend to think of IU, MSU, Penn St, Maryland, and Ohio State as very good schools regardless of where they are ranked. UConn being right in the middle of those is good, but we really should aim to be closer to the Ohio State/Maryland end of the scale than MSU/IU.

When I was applying to college in 2013 I applied to UConn and most BIG 10 schools except the top ones like NW and Michigan. I got in everywhere except Ohio State. We used to be right in line with them and pretty sure we were even above Maryland for a couple years.

I also find it hard to believe that Florida State is a better school than UConn. Come on now...

Southern State Us boost their rankings a bit by having such low out of state vs in-state admissions rate. UConn will never benefit from that because of how small and close states are up here.

More space. Better big-time athletics doesn't hurt either.

Plus down south there's more loyalty to state schools. My wife went to UNC and it's basically assumed that if you're a smart kid in your school, you go to UNC. And if you aren't going there, you go to Duke if you have the money. I can see why, she graduated undergrad and law school from UNC with 0 debt working as a barista

Up here, the bright kids in a class have all sorts of options between the ivies, nescac schools, everything around Boston and NY. Plenty of smart kids go to UConn, but it isn't an assumption like it is down south.

Just my 2 cents. I'm sure there's other factors too.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Most people tend to think of IU, MSU, Penn St, Maryland, and Ohio State as very good schools regardless of where they are ranked. UConn being right in the middle of those is good, but we really should aim to be closer to the Ohio State/Maryland end of the scale than MSU/IU.

When I was applying to college in 2013 I applied to UConn and most BIG 10 schools except the top ones like NW and Michigan. I got in everywhere except Ohio State. We used to be right in line with them and pretty sure we were even above Maryland for a couple years.

I also find it hard to believe that Florida State is a better school than UConn. Come on now...

Florida and FSU are getting loads of applicants. I got into Florida State law school (the letter came fast) and it now sits at #47. Same as Maryland (where I also got in), which was much higher at the time. UConn waitlisted me and is #64. KU is #67 so it's all a wash really.

Those flagship state schools across the south are recruiting northern kids at a higher rate, mostly using cost. Florida State out of state and UConn in-state are roughly the same. Add a little merit money and it's cheaper.

Two of my daughter's classmates went to Auburn. Look at the merit money. Auburn out of state is about $28k and if you have a decent ACT score you get $15k a year in merit. So $13k. Clemson does something similar. I was astonished to see all the kids from a metro Boston Catholic HS headed to big southern state universities. I can only imagine public school kids see the value to an even greater extent.

 

[uconnfan68]

Florida and FSU are getting loads of applicants. I got into Florida State law school (the letter came fast) and it now sits at #47. Same as Maryland (where I also got in), which was much higher at the time. UConn waitlisted me and is #64. KU is #67 so it's all a wash really.

Those flagship state schools across the south are recruiting northern kids at a higher rate, mostly using cost. Florida State out of state and UConn in-state are roughly the same. Add a little merit money and it's cheaper.

Two of my daughter's classmates went to Auburn. Look at the merit money. Auburn out of state is about $28k and if you have a decent ACT score you get $15k a year in merit. So $13k. Clemson does something similar. I was astonished to see all the kids from a metro Boston Catholic HS headed to big southern state universities. I can only imagine public school kids see the value to an even greater extent.

Don’t Georgia in-state kids go to UGA for free? Or very low tuition? I’m sure that would persuade a lot of families.

 

[Guapo]

Don’t Georgia in-state kids go to UGA for free? Or very low tuition? I’m sure that would persuade a lot of families.

The Hope Scholarship; if you graduate High School with a 3.0 GPA (and maintain it in college) you can go to any instate school for no tuition* (not room and board). It’s made UGA extraordinarily difficult to get into (GT has always been hard to get into) and has had the trickle down effect of making Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Georgia Southern etc significantly more competitive. It’s a great program.

 

[husky429]

The Hope Scholarship; if you graduate High School with a 3.0 GPA (and maintain it in college) you can go to any instate school for no tuition* (not room and board). It’s made UGA extraordinarily difficult to get into (GT has always been hard to get into) and has had the trickle down effect of making Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Georgia Southern etc significantly more competitive. It’s a great program.

A 3.0 is shockingly easy to get in high school, and not particularly difficult in college if you actually choose to act like a student. Lucky kids.

 

[Guapo]

And as others have said, the culture is just different. If you’re an old money kid who went to fancy private school in Atlanta or wherever; it’s perfectly acceptable - even encouraged - to go to UGA or Tech. Whereas no kid from Choat is going to UConn

 

[Guapo]

Anyway, all schools goose their numbers - including UConn. It’s a shame kids put so much stock in these. It’s maybe useful shorthand but thinking theres any real difference between the #70 ranked school and the number #55 ranked school or something is ridiculous

 

[HooperScooper]

Two of my daughter's classmates went to Auburn. Look at the merit money. Auburn out of state is about $28k and if you have a decent ACT score you get $15k a year in merit. So $13k. Clemson does something similar. I was astonished to see all the kids from a metro Boston Catholic HS headed to big southern state universities. I can only imagine public school kids see the value to an even greater extent.

Auburn is trash. If you want to party your way through 4 years having fun and easily skating by in classes then go to Auburn. Northeastern kids who are getting a good high school education (way better than Alabama schools) and are serious students have much better options than Auburn.

 

[8893]

Perception is reality.

Most people think it matters, which means it matters.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Auburn is trash. If you want to party your way through 4 years having fun and easily skating by in classes then go to Auburn. Northeastern kids who are getting a good high school education (way better than Alabama schools) and are serious students have much better options than Auburn.

LOL, this is just northeastern arrogance. It comes in at #97. UConn was the #6 party school when I attended. I used to work with a good patent lawyer who went to Auburn, it's perfectly fine. Yes, you get the frats and sororities and football. Some kids up north want that. Most college students nationwide are going to schools like CCSU and Western Michigan, Auburn is way above average even if nobody will confuse it with Yale. It's vastly better than URI, UNH & Maine.

But you're right about the High Schools, which is why Auburn, Bama, Ole Miss, Clemson etc. are recruiting the hell out of New England kids and offering them merit money they won't get in the northeast. It's a winning strategy.