<p>No, d’yer, but I was looking for an answer defining, not defending, what the writer meant by “hotness,” as you call it. I intended to imply that in my question; perhaps I didn’t succeed.</p>
<p>Growing national recognition in one field or another? Increasing/enviable rate of success/admisssions to top grad schools? Success measured by some other means? New construction/endowments/awards? Some new survey results? These are the sort of things I thought might be behind the original comment.</p>
<p>I was surprised, as you might be, how little familiarity there is out here in the west with many of the quality SLAC’s in New England and elsewhere. Mention of Williams is often met with “You mean Willam and Mary?” and Wesleyan similarly gets “Wellesley?” And there’s always, “How do you pronounce Bowdoin?”</p>
<p>I have learned a lot in the last few months but I am still working my way up the learning curve. I was trying to move up a bit further by seeing what data - not personal opinion -might support the original statement, and what it meant.</p>
<p>That having been clarified, I am interested in whatever you, mufasa, or anyone else has to say on the subject.</p>