<p>Increasing test scores are simply a reflection of where high test scoring students elect to enroll. The next question is why. It would be short sighted to not recognize the sky-rocketing scores at Vandy and students surveys showing Vandy is # 1 in the country for happy students and not ask why. Something good must be happening on campus. High school students should take a look and see why.
Why are test scores going up at Vandy, Rice, Wash SL and dropping at JHU, Cornell, Brown?
Why are students happy and reporting a high quality of life at Vandy, Rice, Dartmouth, Stanford and a lousy quality of life at Harvard, Duke, and Northwestern?
The pecking order has little to do with the academic environment and more to do with money and prestige which were generated 100+ years ago.<br>
I agree certain U’s attract and enroll different types of students. Not better just different. Vandy puts more weight on leadership, community service and awards which may attract a different type of student than a U that puts more weight on research or STEM achievement. They will also produce different results as their students have different skill sets. </p>