Universities Weblog

(Source: Duke University)

I'm always asked to rank the top universities in America. "Quick," people say, "give me the ten best off the top of your head." Fair enough, I suppose, because that's essentially how U.S. News began its ranking of colleges. The publication asked higher education officials to "rank" the best according to their own opinions. Reputations, not objective criteria, ruled the day. After a time, the magazine began using a more scientific, though no less controversial, set of criteria to judge institutions. Even today, reputation scores still factor into the rankings.

So let's turn the clocks back a bit and assume I'm in the position of ranking universities (I'll save liberal arts colleges for another time) based on my subjective feelings. I'll start with Number 10, as follows:

#10: DukeDuke University sure has come a long way over the past generation or two. It's always been considered one of the best "southern" universities, but only recently has it achieved world-class status. Great schools of medicine, law and business, along with an undergraduate division that occasionally robs the Ivies of good students, push Duke into the top ten. A nice climate and a perennial powerhouse basketball team don't hurt, either.

(Source: University of Oklahoma)Forget "The Scholar." Fifteen-year-old Katelyn Wilbanks from Catoosa, Oklahoma, received her "full ride" scholarship without having to undergo a battery of tests and challenges against stiff competition. Her own challenges, though, have been a bit more difficult.

Wilbanks was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that's resulted in 54 surgeries. Her left leg was amputated last year. Doctors expected her to die as a toddler, but she's continued to defy the odds.

Now she dreams of attending the University of Oklahoma, becoming a physician and helping others fight this disease. Thanks to the university and the "Today Show," that dream might just come true. On Tuesday's show, Wilbanks appeared on a segment called "Christmas in July." The university's president was on hand (along with the OU marching band) to present Wilbanks with a full scholarship. This, of course, assumes she'll be accepted; she's only a high school sophomore.

Was this a true act of generosity or a publicity gimmick for OU? Let's drop the cynicism and give the university the benefit of the doubt. Here's wishing Wilbanks the best of luck and OU a Big 12 title as its reward.

(Source: University of New Hampshire)As student populations continue to change, colleges and universities correspondingly alter how they accommodate their students' lifestyles. Case in point: a Boston Globe article detailing how a few institutions cater to older students, most of whom commute and have parental obligations. Here's a taste:

Forget famous professors, bulging course catalogs, and ivy-cloaked campuses. It's extras like on-campus child care, evening office hours, and commuter lounges that count most with a growing breed of undergraduates: the independent or "nontraditional" student.

Public universities and private ones, many of which did little for these students in the past, are scrambling to accommodate them because their numbers have become far too large to ignore. Broadly defined as financially independent, working adults, nontraditional students age 25 and up now make up 38 percent of postsecondary enrollment, compared with 28 percent in 1970, according to US Department of Education estimates. On many campuses, they have become the majority. Only about a quarter of the nation's 14.9 million undergraduates fit the "traditional" mold of enrolling right out of high school, attending full time, and relying on their parents' purse strings.As the piece suggests, it's hard to say what's "traditional" anymore.

(Source: Dartmouth College)Confused by the dizzying array of college guidebooks? So, evidently, is one Washington Post columnist. But at least he's ready to help folks figure out which are best.

In this latest column, he's just beginning to differentiate among the half-dozen books most students, families and guidance counselors consider. I'll be curious to see the results of his evaluation. As he figures things out, I'll keep you posted.

(Source: abc.go.com)Congratulations to Melissa, winner of "The Scholar" competition. She'll take her "full-ride" scholarship to Pomona College in California.

I'm not sure the show was a hit for ABC. It certainly didn't generate the buzz of "American Idol" or "Survivor," or even "Dancing with the Stars." We'll see if it returns for another season.

If it does, I hope it clarifies the message about elite colleges and affordability. Simply put, students don't need to win a full-ride scholarship or the lottery to attend an Ivy or another top (read: expensive) school. There's plenty of aid for bright but needy kids.

Consider a recent piece in the Boston Globe. It addresses that very topic. Here's a snippet:

Concerned that low- and moderate-income young people do not even dream of attending the most selective colleges, schools such as Harvard University, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia have begun offering almost-free rides to students from such backgrounds, have published slick brochures, and have run television ads to entice students to apply. [....]

"People just didn't know about" the financial aid available, [Yale President Richard Levin] said. "In low-income areas, in rural areas, in the Midwest and the South, our aid policies simply didn't have enough visibility."That's the message people should hear. But unfortunately, "The Scholar" simply perpetuated the notion that Ivies are bastions for the rich. Too bad.

Instead, how about a reality show that guarantees the winner admission to his or her top choice?

(Source: Williams College)The best advice on college admissions always comes from people who've lived through it. Take Carolyn Lawrence's admissions blog, College Hunter, for instance.

Carolyn helped her daughter navigate the admissions maze and, in the process, learned a good deal about choosing schools and programs, visiting campuses, finding financial aid and completing applications. Now she's sharing her knowledge and wisdom on the Web.

Definitely check out this site. Here's a link: www.admissionsadvice.com.

(Source: abc.go.com)In last night's episode of "The Scholar," six contestants battled for one remaining spot in the finals. The four finalists who had already qualified didn't have to compete.

The task? Debate the pros and cons of same-sex marriage. Two teams presented and defended their cases in front of judges (from USC, of course). The winning team's captain would be joined by two others, chosen by the "Scholarship Committee," in the final showdown.

For the showdown, the topic was U.S. presidents. Ironically, the pompous kid, the one who believes he's destined to become president, was the first eliminated. He got his presidents right but his centuries wrong. Oh well. He should remember that even a C student can become president.

So now we're down to the five finalists, who will vie for the "full-ride" scholarship. Seems the show, mercifully, is winding down.

(Source: University of Pennsylvania)Each year, Connecticut and New Jersey battle for the title of chief exporter of talent. That is, they vie to see which sends a higher percentage of students to colleges in other states. The winner becomes the new brain drain champ.

But where do they go? Which state is the chief importer? California? Florida? Texas? None of the above. Try nearby Pennsylvania, which recently overtook New York as the top destination for out-of-state freshmen.

According to the Greentree Gazette, Pennsylvania attracted 26,341 freshmen in a recent year. Of those, 75 percent attended a private college. New York was second, with 22,470 students. Massachusetts was third, followed by California and Florida.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I'm from Massachusetts and went to a private college in Pennsylvania.

(Source: Cornell University)Even though many students march in lockstep from high school to college, or at least plan to, universities often advise taking a year off to gain maturity, clarity, and perhaps a bit of money. Ideally, students will spend this "gap" year wisely (not working at "The Gap") and return to school with a renewed sense of purpose.

A recent Associated Press story shed light on this phenomenon. It's nothing new, say experts, and it's not exactly a growing trend. But many colleges typically allow—even encourage—students to defer admission for a year (it can help with enrollment management). And they don't particularly care what you do, as long as you don't apply to other schools in the interim.

I was a Gap Kid myself. In fact, I took two years off between high school and college. As a result, I was more focused and mature in college, and fared better, I'm convinced, than I would have had I entered at 18. To be honest, I didn't do anything especially exotic during those two years—the article tells us about kids working in Costa Rica or volunteering in Vietnam; I didn't have that luxury—but living in the real world and working odd jobs made me appreciate the value of education even more.

Those thinking about such a strategy can find guidance and kindred spirits at the following sites:

Gapyear.comYearoutgroup.orgTakingoff.net

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