<p>I was surprised that Miami lost a few spots this year too - I think it might be slightly inaccurate. However, looking towards the future, I think Miami will make progress. This is why:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I started looking at UM two years ago. The 25-75 percentiles for SAT scores for accepted students were about 1200-1300 from what I remember. This year, those numbers jumped to about 1260-1400 based on the information on their website.</p></li>
<li><p>This year Miami jumped from the “highly selective” to the “most selective” tier.</p></li>
<li><p>They have the space and resources to expand. For example, I was accepted to Tulane, and although it is considered a better school than Miami, I think Miami will quickly overcome that notion. Tulane has no room to expand campus-wise (it is a very compact campus) and although it is in an extremely nice neighborhood, once you leave that area it is in the ghetto. Miami has a great campus, so it has potential for more building etc, and is in Coral Gables. I have heard rumors that Miami will be renovating the Standford dorm, which could attract applicants in the coming years, whereas many schools ranked higher than Miami have already passed their peak.</p></li>
<li><p>You have to keep in mind the schools that are currently ranked higher. One example is the UC system. The UC schools are great schools, but are in financial trouble. I think this will greatly impact their future rankings. If the UC schools lost their places in the top 50, Miami would jump several spots.</p></li>
<li><p>Miami has only a few core freshman classes, especially for certain majors. This means hands-on faster, which means more experience, which means higher-quality graduates, which means a better employment rate/grad school placement. This is appealing to prospective applicants, thus improving the applicant pool.</p></li>
<li><p>Over the course of the last 20 years, Miami lost their thug reputation. My dad went to Notre Dame, the school that in the past had the infamous “Catholics vs. Convicts” rivalry with Miami. Miami has completely changed people’s perception of them, going from a thug school to a top 50 school. This is a major indication of the fast-paced improvement Miami makes.</p></li>
<li><p>Majors are important. Miami has a big architecture program. Architects are among those with the highest unemployment rates, and I’m not sure how Miami graduates place. This could be bringing the school down. However, their science programs are doing very well. A degree from Miami with a major in one of their science programs is more prestigious than one from a different program.</p></li>
<li><p>Losing party school rep. No longer ranked top 10 or 20 party schools. More education-focused applicants will be attracted rather than party-focused applicants.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I would not be surprised in Miami broke 40 by next year. 30’s would come next. I really can’t say what will happen when Shalala retires (whenever that will be), but I would hope someone else would step up and continue her efforts.</p>