Archive for the ‘College’ Category

Possible 5-year limit to get UT bachelor’s degree | AP Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

A task force on Tuesday recommended requiring students at the University of Texas to complete their bachelor’s degrees in 10 semesters or five years

So do you think that means that the university will start reporting it’s four year (not six year) graduation rate which is 48%? Oh wait, that’s the student’s fault as well, you know, all those top 10 percent graduates who are just enjoying paying for college so much that they won’t graduate and mess up the school’s stats.

At Princeton University, Grumbling About Grade Deflation – NYTimes.com

“There are tons of really great schools with really smart kids applying for the same jobs,” said Jacob Loewenstein, a junior from Lawrence, N.Y., who is majoring in German. “People intuitively take a G.P.A. to be a representation of your academic ability and act accordingly. The assumption that a recruiter who is screening applications is going to treat a Princeton student differently based on a letter is naïve.”

So why did you apply to Princeton as opposed to some lesser known state school with a reputation for easy A’s? How pathetic! Get real, you applied because of the name. If you applied because of the rigor of the program, you wouldn’t be whining now. Is this the result of the Princeton education? Maybe Princeton should reconsider their admission procedures if this is how their students react in the face of “adversity.”  

Another ranking system.

the College Grid

After helping numerous students with their college applications, we noticed a lack of useful tools to help manage the school selection process. We decided to build a website with a “top-down” approach to researching colleges. Within a week, the College Grid was born.

It is improvement over the Princeton Review and US News and World Report in that it actually lets you sort on any of the variables. But the choice of variables!

The default sort is on the admissions rate. Obviously the creators are believers in that selectivity means better. But such a system does have its limitations. For example, select just for Texas schools and see what school shows up second with the default rating. And it even has a 99% acceptance yield! What a find! The problem is that is has a six year graduation rate of less than 20%. I’m sure that’s why there’s a column of SAT scores to give a heads-up that you might want to check into the value of the selectivity but still, is this really valuable?

The top five Texas schools in terms of four year graduation rates are ranked 1, 25, 15, 31, and 44 on the College Grid. Which is more important, selectivity or graduation rates? (They are ranked 1, 6, 2, 4, and 9 by SAT scores.)

The problem is that somebody out there doesn’t want your average college student ranking schools by graduate rates. (I’m not saying that graduation rates should be the only consideration but when your shelling out $40,000 a year, I would put it at the top of the list.) Most lists are now listing graduation rates as part of the school profile but the only place where you can actually select on it is at www.Collegeresults.org. Even the College Navigator, the website run by the federal government that actually collects the graduate rate data, doesn’t allow you to search on it.

So do potential students really not care about graduation rates or have they just been convinced that acceptance rates are actually a reflection of graduation rates?

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Colleges with 4-1-4 schedules

December 5th, 2008

For those interested in colleges with a January term or “J” term, here’s a list based on information reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). I’ll work on getting the table cleaned up and completed as I can.

Name ST Total Undergrads Graduate Rate Web
Albright College PA 2165 50.9% www.albright.edu
Alma College MI 1355 57.7% www.alma.edu
Augustana College SD 1718 www.augie.edu
Austin College TX 1287 71.8% www.austincollege.edu
Barton College NC 1129 28.5% WWW.BARTON.EDU
Bates College ME 1660 86.0% www.bates.edu/
Berea College KY 1528 40.1% www.berea.edu
Bethany College KS 537 www.bethanylb.edu
Bethany College WV 815 www.bethanywv.edu
Bethel College KS 540 www.bethelks.edu
Biola University CA 3989 53.6% www.biola.edu
Birmingham Southern College AL 1339 60.3% www.bsc.edu
Bridgewater College VA 1542 60.3% www.bridgewater.edu
Buena Vista University IA 2454 46.9% www.bvu.edu
California State University-Stanislaus CA 6702 20.0% www.csustan.edu
Calvin College MI 4169 55.7% www.calvin.edu
Carthage College WI 2676 45.8% www.carthage.edu
Central Christian College of Kansas KS 362 www.centralchristian.edu
Centre College KY 1188 78.4% www.centre.edu
Chapman University CA 4193 47.4% www.chapman.edu
Charleston Southern University SC 2834 24.1% www.csuniv.edu
Chatham University PA 879 www.chatham.edu
Colby College ME 1867 84.2% www.colby.edu
College of St Catherine MN 3811 39.7% www.stkate.edu
Converse College SC 729 www.converse.edu
Dallas Baptist University TX 3581 39.5% www.dbu.edu
Dana College NE 634 33.3% www.dana.edu
Davis & Elkins College WV 640 31.2% www.davisandelkins.edu
DePauw University IN 2398 78.5% www.depauw.edu
Doane College NE 921 58.0% www.doane.edu
Eastern Nazarene College MA 980 42.0% www.enc.edu
Eckerd College FL 2491 52.7% www.eckerd.edu
Edgewood College WI 1996 29.6% www.edgewood.edu
Elmhurst College IL 2888 60.8% www.public.elmhurst.edu
Elmira College NY 1415 57.4% www.elmira.edu
Elon University NC 4939 65.0% www.elon.edu
Erskine College and Seminary SC 573 64.5% www.erskine.edu
Franklin College IN 1130 50.9% www.franklincollege.edu
Furman University SC 2700 80.4% www.furman.edu
Graceland University-Lamoni IA 1698 36.0% www.graceland.edu
Greenville College IL 1381 38.8% www.greenville.edu
Gustavus Adolphus College MN 2614 60.1% WWW.GUSTAVUS.EDU
Hamline University MN 2125 53.4% www.hamline.edu
Hampshire College MA 1434 46.9% www.hampshire.edu
Hanover College IN 929 62.3% www.hanover.edu
Hartwick College NY 1537 44.2% www.hartwick.edu
Hastings College NE 1091 47.6% www.hastings.edu
Hofstra University NY 8420 36.3% www.hofstra.edu
Hollins University VA 781 www.hollins.edu
Hope International University CA 620 28.9% www.hiu.edu
Huntington University IN 994 48.5% www.huntington.edu
Keuka College NY 1444 29.5% www.keuka.edu
LaGrange College GA 998 48.0% www.lagrange.edu
Lindenwood University MO 6091 28.7% www.lindenwood.edu
Linfield College OR 1693 64.7% www.linfield.edu
Linfield College-Adult Degree Program OR 466 www.linfield.edu/dce/index.php
Linfield College-Portland Campus OR 334 www.linfield.edu/portland
Luther College IA 2476 63.4% www.luther.edu
Manchester College IN 1036 42.6% www.manchester.edu
Maryville College TN 1176 50.2% www.maryvillecollege.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA 4172 81.7% web.mit.edu/
Massachusetts Maritime Academy MA 1077 40.8% www.maritime.edu
McDaniel College MD 1731 66.3% www.mcdaniel.edu
McPherson College KS 543 15.7% www.mcpherson.edu
Middlebury College VT 2475 87.7% www.middlebury.edu
Midland Lutheran College NE 826 51.1% www.MLC.edu
Millersville University of Pennsylvania PA 7259 36.7% www.millersville.edu
Molloy College NY 2863 32.6% www.molloy.edu
Mount Mercy College IA 1506 53.4% www.mtmercy.edu
Mount Vernon Nazarene University OH 2169 38.1% www.mvnu.edu
New College of Florida FL 766 www.ncf.edu
Northland College WI 687 38.7% www.northland.edu
Oberlin College OH 2762 70.4% www.oberlin.edu
Oklahoma Baptist University OK 1583 56.7% www.okbu.edu
Pacific Lutheran University WA 3349 50.5% www.plu.edu
Rhode Island School of Design RI 1929 78.3% www.risd.edu
Saint Marys College of California CA 2673 59.4% www.stmarys-ca.edu
Salem College NC 770 www.salem.edu
Salisbury University MD 6941 52.0% www.salisbury.edu
Samford University AL 2860 54.8% www.samford.edu
Simpson College IA 2017 60.7% www.simpson.edu
St. Olaf College MN 3040 79.7% www.stolaf.edu
Sterling College KS 603 www.sterling.edu
Tabor College KS 574 43.5% www.tabor.edu
Taylor University IN 1879 www.taylor.edu
Taylor University-Fort Wayne IN 969 fw.taylor.edu
The College of Idaho ID 826 www.albertson.edu
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary KY 633 www.sbts.edu
The University of Texas at Arlington TX 18810 14.2% WWW.UTA.EDU
Toccoa Falls College GA 960 30.4% www2.tfc.edu
Transylvania University KY 1153 67.3% www.transy.edu
Union University TN 2180 43.5% www.uu.edu
University of Delaware DE 16936 60.2% www.udel.edu
University of Indianapolis IN 3508 37.1% intranet.uindy.edu
University of La Verne CA 4361 32.4% www.ulv.edu
University of Maryland-Baltimore MD 810 www.umaryland.edu
University of Maryland-Baltimore County MD 9464 27.7% www.umbc.edu
University of New Haven CT 2877 24.9% www.newhaven.edu
University of Redlands CA 2757 53.9% www.redlands.edu
University of San Diego CA 4932 64.1% www.sandiego.edu
University of Sioux Falls SD 1261 37.0% usiouxfalls.edu
University of St Thomas MN 6076 www.stthomas.edu
University of Wisconsin-Stout WI 7559 14.9% www.uwstout.edu
Virginia Wesleyan College VA 1433 37.0% www.vwc.edu
Wartburg College IA 1810 57.4% www.wartburg.edu
Washington & Jefferson College PA 1531 63.9% www.washjeff.edu
Westminster College UT 2037 www.westminstercollege.edu
Whittier College CA 1259 54.7% WWW.whittier.edu
Whitworth University WA 2331 www.whitworth.edu
Williams College MA 1993 91.5% www.williams.edu
Wilson College PA 714 51.4% www.wilson.edu
Wofford College SC 1331 72.1% www.wofford.edu

Because bigger is better…

November 29th, 2008

I recently stumbled across this blog from the Fiske Guide website. He has an interesting link to report by Rice justifying why it needs to increase in size by 30%.

Fiske Guide Blog

But as one undergrad quoted in the report explains, “I feel that we are too small and that increasing by 30 percent at least, if not more, would benefit us in so many ways, socially and academically. Many of my upper-level courses have 10 people or less, which limits me in choosing a study group, project partners, and in class participation.” I hate it when that happens. My bet is that we won’t be seeing this quote in the viewbook any time soon. Alas, the only thing that benefits from smallness is teaching and learning, an item far down on the list of priorities at most institutions.

My initial reaction to the student’s comment was “you’ve got to be kidding.” So that’s why UT Austin required a minimum of ten students in an undergraduate class for it to make.

After thinking about it some more, I realized how the student could have reached that point–but it is still a pathetic comment. I would guess that her lower division classes were between the 15 to 30 range with occasional big hall lectures. So she experienced an “ideal” class size that most have to wait until graduate school.

But what does that say about her ability to imagine what those “ideal” size classes will be like once they start expanding the number of students? What does it say about an institution and it’s graduates that believes the students would benefit more from a stronger “national” reputation than smaller classes?

Maybe the Rice graduates who feel like they are at a disadvantage when applying for jobs because no one knows what Rice is should consider applying to other less shallow sounding jobs. But given the comments in the report, it sounds like those are exactly the type of people Rice has been and will be recruiting.

Well, at the least students won’t have to make sure they’re prepared for their classes and will be able to select from a wide range of potential project partners after they have figured out their names.

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Honor Program Options

April 23rd, 2008

In general, I don’t think “starting off” at a community college to get a four year degree is a good idea for most people. This isn’t necessarily a criticism of the education quality at community colleges but rather a recognition that unless a student is especially focused and motivated, his or her chances for graduation are slim. However, a recent story in the Express-News reminded me that for many, the community college may be the only viable option.

Nonetheless, San Antonio College only has a 11.7% graduation rate for a four year degree in six years. If you find yourself at SAC for financial reasons (and the tuition is significantly lower than that of four year institutions) take advantage of the Presidential Honors Program.

Presidential Honors Program

A limited number of students are selected for this program every fall and spring semester. High school applicants are evaluated on the basis of high school GPA and class rank, SAT and/or ACT test scores, teacher recommendations and weight of academic load (number of math, science, social science, and humanities courses). Selected students are given a full scholarship (tuition and books). Those entering the program then take a mix of honors courses, contract courses, and regular courses to fulfill the requirements of the Honors program and of the students’ major. Graduates of the program can enter degree programs at universities in any field. The Honors program also helps place its students in universities and often can help students gain scholarship continuations into the Junior and Senior year.

Such a program is one way to get the attention and support you need to make it to the four year college. Some community colleges actually have agreements with other colleges where students in their honors programs can directly transfer into the four year university’s program. And given the graduation rate at some four year colleges, the honors programs is another way to prevent falling through the cracks.

The University of Texas at San Antonio’s six year graduation rate is only 30.2% compared to 75.1% for the University of Texas at Austin. Surely, however, the students in UTSA’s honors programs must have a higher graduation rate? Furthermore, the eligibility requirements for UTSA’s Honros College aren’t exactly daunting: graduation in the top 20%, ACT of 24, SAT (M+V) 1100.

I suppose this comes across as a back-handed compliment to the programs. Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe that you can get a great education at either of these schools. But you would certainly be maximizing your resources if you pursued the honors options available at less selective schools.

Unfortunately, these programs can be hard to find. The honors program link shows up after the second click on the UT Austin website. It takes four clicks on the UTSA page and that’s only if you know to click on “Student Information Bulletin” and then “Admission to Colleges and Special Programs.” As for the program at SAC, so far I’ve only found it by doing a search on the website. I don’t know what links into it. Maybe it’s the administration’s way of keeping down enrollment.

In any case, for all those students who aren’t likely to get into UT Austin because of the top ten percent rule, there are probably some excellent honor programs which would serve them just as well.

Randolph-Macon College

January 26th, 2008

Randolph-Macon College is a small liberal arts of less than 1,200 students just north of Richmond, Virginia. The college has two programs that I find appealing. It has a First-Year Experience that goes beyond freshman seminars. Undergraduate research appears to be prominent with it’s Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship. And for those who ranking is important, its ranking in US News and World Report suggests that it may be an under-rated or undiscovered education value. It’s ranked 122 over all in its Liberal Arts Colleges list but is 176th in selectivity.

  • Four Year Graduation Rate: 52.2%
  • Median SAT: 1095
  • $18,433 expenditures per student
  • 78.4% Admitted
  • 86% Students living on campus

Over a third of the students participate in nationally based sororities and fraternities. The importance of Greek life comes across in the Princeton Review’s student comments. And while the campus hasn’t reported any liquor or drug violations, drinking appears to be a major recreational focus. Randolph-Macon makes the Princeton Review’s top twenty lists in “Lots of Beer Parties,” “Major Frat and Sorority Scene Parties,” and “Party Schools Parties.” This where it would be nice to know more about how other schools ranked on these lists other than the top twenty. For all we know, it may be little different than number 50 or dramatically different than number 21. Having attended a school that regularly made the party school rankings, I know that it’s possible for such a label to have very little effect on your individual experience. However, given it’s small size, it’s something I would want to check out very carefully.

While student’s comments don’t say anything specifically about the academic rigor of the classes, the college states that “since 1920, when statistics were first kept, a higher percentage of Randolph-Macon graduates have gone on to earn PhDs than that of any independent college in the state of Virginia.” I suspect this is a school worth looking into if you are interested in a liberal arts education but don’t have the scores to get into one of the more selective schools. I would just be wary of it’s drinking reputation.

 

R-MC :: What is the First-Year Experience?

As a new student, you’ll explore these kinds of connections through your First-Year Experience (FYE). You’ll join a small group of other students and two professors from different disciplines for a yearlong exploration of a topic in a challenging and interesting set of FYE classes. Outside the classroom, you’ll attend co-curricular events such as plays and public lectures designed to deepen your understanding of the topic. The work will culminate in an interdisciplinary analysis that might take the form of a written report, a video production, or a work of art. And through FYE you’ll make solid connections with those who share your exploration, including the faculty members, one of whom will serve as your academic advisor.

FYE Topics

The Drug Trade
Disciplines: Chemistry and Sociology

What is Life?
Disciplines: Biology and Computer Science

Biopolitics
Disciplines: Biology, Political Science

Wine, Science, and Society
Disciplines: Literature, Chemistry

In God’s Good Time
Disciplines: Religious Studies, Physics

Why R-MC: Undergraduate Research?

Randolph-Macon College views students as colleagues through their summer research opportunities that take them out of the classroom for a total summer immersion program.

Like professional scientists and scholars, Randolph-Macon students have to apply to the SURF program by writing a proposal and request for grant money to fund their research. If their project is accepted, they receive a stipend of $3,000 and free housing. In addition, funds are available for supplies and travel.

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