2010 US News undergrad rankings?

Alix2012
Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:40:29 +0000

Fordham has shot through the rankings over the past decade, but to go from 61 to top 30 in a year is impossible, especially when schools like William & Mary have been stuck just under the top 30 for decades.

The problem with colleges like Fordham, NYU and Sarah Lawrence is that they’re good schools, but not so outstanding that people would turn down a great State U for them. These schools are just as expensive as Ivies but not considered as elite - many people might be willing to go into debt for Columbia, but not for Fordham, NYU, Sarah Lawrence, etc. I go to NYU and almost turned it down for Binghamton, and now my sister loves Fordham but might turn it down for Geneseo. For much of America it doesn’t make sense to pay for a private college unless it’s a really good, top private college. I know NYU received fewer applications this year because of the economy and I’m sure most private colleges also did.

Also, when you rise in rankings, that means another college has to go down - and look at the top 30 schools, do you think they’re getting worse? Like Fordham, they get more selective each year and add more resources and facilities to draw students. Those schools also have the advantage of being well-known for years - UVA and Boston College have maintained a strong reputation for longer than Fordham and many parents - who strongly influence where kids go to college - haven’t heard of Fordham because it wasn’t well known when they were young. Same with NYU, it was considered crappier in the 60’s and 70’s and some parents are surprised it’s now considered a good school.