- How credible do you consider Fiske's ratings generally or of UNC-W in particular?
- If you consider them credible, how likely is it that the students will change out of the "strong" majors and into "weak" ones?
- Regarding education programs, they may be optimized for the state or region that the college is in, so they may be "strong" for those who want to teach in the state or region, but "weak" or mismatched for those who want to teach elsewhere. Check the teacher credentialing requirements in the state or region that the student wants to eventually teach in, and compare the education programs' curricula to the requirements.
I do not know enough about any of the other schools in order to answer your question.
With respect to UNC-Wilmington: While there may be limitations in terms of funding & campus culture, one can still earn a very good education at this school. Stay focused & serious about academics without getting too distracted by the party scene.
Much is relative to one’s other options; I just do not know enough about your other options to offer recommendations.
Fiske Guide gives Goucher & Susquehanna a rating of 3 Pens for Academics.
UNC Wilmington is a perfectly good school and has a solid reputation in NC. Along with App State, it’s the most popular of the UNC schools after Carolina and NC State. Education and marine biology especially are extremely strong. I’d rate it above any of the other schools you listed except Susquehanna and Goucher.
The Wilmington area is not as popular for filming as it used to be, and many shows have moved to Atlanta or (especially) Vancouver.
For film studies, I’d suggest definitely keeping Champlain and that you research Purchase.
For education, hang on to Goucher.
The Fiske Guide To Colleges 2020 write-up about the University of North Carolina at Wilmington is positive. Cites solid programs in film studies and creative writing.
Lots of lab work & field work in the natural sciences including marine biology & ecology.
The Fiske write-up which accompanies the ratings does not include any negatives other than tight parking & no football. Shares that 5 new dorms are scheduled to open in 2022. States that students seem happy.
Personally, I love the location. Easy to get to Wilmington Beach. Reasonable drive to Charleston, South Carolina & to the Outer Banks.
The Fiske Guide write-ups contrast with the ratings of two pens for Academics and two telephones for Social Life (which means that the school social life is laid back). Quality of Life received a rating of three stars.
Fiske recognizes 2,200 four year colleges & universities in the US. To be included among the 324 discussed in the Fiske Guide has significance.
Maybe the two pen rating for Academics reflects the laid back campus culture. The Fiske Guide does not offer an explanation for the two pen status, but does for three pen status:
“In general, an academics rating of three pens suggests that the institution is a solid one that easily meets the criterion for inclusion in a guide devoted to the top 10 percent of colleges and universities in the nation.”
@ucbalumnus : Regarding your question in post #15 above, the answer is “yes”, I do have varying degrees of familiarity with almost all of these two pen schools.
For one major university on this list, a friend & business acquaintance donated a substantial sum of money in honor of his father & his family. In return, this university named the designated school within the university after the family. Additionally, the family endowed internship / research opportunities for students.
At others on this list, I mostly know graduates of the schools.
I prefer not to address any personal knowledge questions regarding these schools as it is a fairly emotional experience for me. I prefer to address questions within the framework of the Fiske Guide, US News, & the Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education rankings.
A major weakness of Fiske appears to be that it’s locked into earlier impressions when assigning ratings such pens. In this way, its ratings seem much like USN’s “expert opinion” surveys, which appear to lag substantive change.
Interesting thought, but not sure that I agree. Fiske Guide editors received flack for not having more grades with respect to academics ratings so they added half pens & adjusted many schools’ ratings.
And this is why learning and knowing about individual programs is key. CCM (Cincinnati Conservatory of Music) which includes their theater programs is widely considered on of the top 5 BFA programs in the US. Right up their with Julliard, UMich, Boston Conservatory, etc. They annually admit about 15-20 kids to their musical theater program (out of at least 1500 applicants / auditioners). Harder then getting in to Harvard!
Fiske is a great guide and provides lots of useful information on a wide range of schools. Nothing replaces doing your own research which requires time. Google has made that a lot easier!
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@tiptoetulips : if UNCW is a safety for your children, they’d probably qualify for the Honors College, which would increase academic rigor. Further, it’s very good for Education and Marine Science.