Clemson--Gaming US News Ranking

ctyankee
Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:50:44 +0000

^that is true, but I think Clemson got enough publicity for most administrators to know what Clemson was doing. I mean even people on CC are aware of it.



I think you give them too much credit. My guess is that some posters here are MUCH more aware of what’s going on at more schools than administrators operating in a silo.



For example, let’s say that university x wants to enrol a class exclusively made up of people who are interested in travelling around the world and learning about other cultures. This university might devise a special application/supplement/interview to seed out the less intellectually curious applicants. Even if the acceptance rate of x stays the same, it will have conducted a rigorous selection process and its incoming class will have certain unmistakable characteristics. Logic dictates that the geography, anthropology and history classes at x will be much more engaging than those at many other universities. However, because x values personality above numbers, the average SAT scores/GPA of its incoming class may fall.

Ok, this is a crappy analogy, I get that. I’m just trying to say that, imo, acceptance rate is pretty much meaningless (unless we’re talking about music/art schools).



No process or system is perfect. Just because you put in more hoops for applicants to jump through doesn’t make for more interesting classroom discussion, it just makes for students who went through more hoops to get there.

I guess I’m a G.P.A. guy. Again, not perfect, but (on average) students with a high high school G.P.A. (compared to their peers) have at least cracked their books or at least know who to play the grade game. Students successful in playing the game in high school are more likely to be able to play the game at the next higher level than those who didn’t play the game well in high school (again on average). This doesn’t make for students who contribute greatly to an improved classroom discussion - however, on average, these students won’t be weighing their classes down either. And my opinion is that classes move as quickly and efficiently (leading for time for more interesting discussions) as fast as their weakest link/student moves.