If only UR is more....

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Rochester
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<p>well-known.</p>

<p>If the university works out its marketing plan well, the school would shoot up in country-wide recognition and prestige.</p>

<p>For example, Wash U St. Louis, about 10 years ago, was at the same spot University of Rochester is currently in, with an "undesirable" location (St. Louis, Rochester) and great academics.</p>

<p>However, soon WUSTL began their grand marketing scheme along with grand renovations and soon the university climbed in rank and prestige.</p>

<p>The trick is getting a lot of applicants. WUSTL is as desirable as HYP in terms of applicants with 22,428 students applying and 3887 students accepted and 1338 students attending. </p>

<p>However, UofR has about 11000 applicants 4000 accepted and 1150 attending.</p>

<p>WUSTL sends countless amount of postcards to students describing the warm and friendly environment in St. Louis and makes the student feel like he/she is a highly sought for applicant. However, the main purpose of those warm/friendly postcards and information brochures are to gather more applicants and reject the bulk of them.</p>

<p>Although that may seem unethical to some, I still believe the University of Rochester needs to be more aggressive and gather more applicants, this way, the school's name will be known outside of its area.</p>

<p>The reason why I'm ranting about this is because I visited UR and found its campus extremely beautiful and its students the most friendly out of all the campuses I visited. However, there is still the barrier of telling my friends and family members that I want to go to University of Rochester and get responded with the answer: "What the hell is that?" This makes the university less desirable for me.</p>

<p>While someone may argue that prestige isn't everything in the college and that the quality of academics are most important, I still think that most people will get extremely annoyed and will experience a drop in morale and respect for the school that no one knows about.</p>

<p>I hope an admissions official will read my post and consider a more aggressive marketing approach to attract the brightest and smartest students around the country, and also more well-known faculty. </p>

<p>Any feedback would be appreciated.</p>

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<p>eh… i don’t see any reason to be embarrassed about saying you want to go to rochester… the only annoying thing for me really was in my senior year of HS, people would ask me where i’m going to college, i’d say rochester, and they’d say “RIT ???” sometimes i even had the same exact conversation with the same person twice . . .
and the other annoying conversation was “u know it snows up there, right ???” like I was from california or something</p>

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<p>NoLuck’s has got to be the most depressing post I have ever read on the UR forum. Marketing? As a parent of a current undergrad, I hope that the capable leadership of UR igores all of NoLuck’s suggestions, and puts the University’s resources whiere they belong: in improving the educational opportunities for the serious students who recognize what a jewel UR really is. (BTW, I had never heard of UR either when my daughter applied.)</p>

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<p>While it might not be well known in the general public, it is highly regarded by graduate school programs. People who NEED to know that UR is a quality institution do know it.</p>

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<p>I agree with all of your replies so far, however I would like to add my own opinions as well.</p>

<p>First of all, by marketing itself and becoming more well-known, the school will attract more students, professors, etc. as well as funding from donors, etc.</p>

<p>More prestige is the key to better academics. First off, a person has to ask himself/herself, "why is harvard famous? why is WUSTL famous? why is any university that is well-known famous?</p>

<p>IT IS BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGHLY REGARDED ACADEMICS.</p>

<p>Simply focusing on “improving academics” (which is vague) will not help UR become a better institution.</p>

<p>I hope my points are clear, and if they are not, I will try again.</p>

<p>BTW: once again read my example on WUSTL and/or look it up yourselves if you question its validity. I pointed out a real-life example that shows how efficient marketing is in getting a school to become prestigious, and therefore more tempting for students and well-known professors.</p>

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<p>Good marketing does not improve a university, it only improves the perception. Excellent professors are already attracted to UR because people in academia already are aware of the fact that UR is a quality product. </p>

<p>More students applying also does not improve the quality of the school. It, too, only improves the perception. Schools are much more likely to improve quality by putting money into academic programs rather than into promotion.</p>

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<p>I agree with Brainsprain. (I’m also the parent of a UR student.) In this age of shrinking resources, I hope UR spends its money wisely, continuing to attract good professors, improve the quality of student life and of the Rochester community and maintain the campus beautifully. As long as there are plenty of excellent students who want to go to UR, I hope the school doesn’t waste its resources trying to get the attention of people other than the employers and graduate school admissions officers who see it as an excellent place.</p>

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<p>OK NoLuck. Here’s my take on WUSTL’s past marketing efforts: it’s been all about increasing the number of applicants. Now, my reference point was from 2007, so if things have changed since then I stand corrected. In my daughter’s graduating class of that year, no applicant was rejected, no applicant was admitted RD and six were admitted ED. None were taken off the sizable waiting list. Absurd! WUSTL is one of the finest academic institutions in the country, but it’s reputation (in some circles)has been sullied by its marketing efforts, not improved. Is that what you want for UR?</p>

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<p>I dunno…</p>

<p>WUStL’s marketing is effective. They have sent me, a lackluster applicant for their school, tons of stuff and even an application back in June. The place goes hog wild on marketing, and yes, I think it does boost their selectivity.</p>

<p>U Roch was the first Uni to send me anything in coorleation to my PSAT’s, but I have heard little from them since then despite joining their mailing list and having much interest in the school. Too bad that they have a lack of interest in me…</p>

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<p>part of what was disturbing to me about WUSTL was just what the previous poster describes…they encourage LOTS of people to apply…some who in reality don’t stand a whole lot of chance of gaining acceptance. By having lots of applicants and getting to reject lots of applicants, they boost their selectivity rating which some equate with prestige. While there is nothing inherently WRONG here, it is part of a calculated plan to climb the ratings and create buzz. It has obviously worked and been backed up by some serious fundraising as well. (I have visited with an older child a few years back and there was lots of construction going on and serious attempts to climb.
My second son did apply to UR and was accepted but chose instead to go to a much less known school. That school, Denison U. is also attempting to climb but is using a different tactic. Instead of lots of rejection, they are using their funds to attract students who will raise their mean grades and scores. Hence, this kid who got some merit aid from UR got double that from Denison. That (along with other positive factors) was a tipping point.</p>

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<p>UR had over 13,000 apps this year. Among scientists ranked one of the top universities to work at (National Academy of Sciences study). UR should market a little more. Even is upstate NY when you say “Rochester” a lot of people associate with RIT but when you say “U of R” they know what you are talking about.</p>

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<p>I agree that WUSTL’s means of attracting applicants may be, to some, unethical and misleading. Some of you CCers may bring remarks such as how “WUSTL’s reputation is sullied by its marketing” or “Is this what you want for UR?”</p>

<p>My answer: Yes.</p>

<p>by gaining a better “perception” from the people of America at least, the University then may start refining its academics and campus.</p>

<p>Once again, I use WUSTL as an example.</p>

<p>St. Louis is by no means a nice city in the 1980’s. It is in Missouri with little to do and plenty of other “unwanted things.” However, with WUSTL’s step-up in marketing and in increasing its countrywide and global reputation, the city quickly became an attraction for students despite its still current high rates of murder.
[Crime</a> and social issues of St. Louis, Missouri - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_social_issues_of_St._Louis,_Missouri]Crime”>Crime in St. Louis - Wikipedia)</p>

<p>I think UR would only benefit from a better reputation. Rochester may become more approachable and welcome (especially in the less-friendly neighborhoods I visited).</p>

<p>A good idea to start would be to send postcards that refute against the UR IS SNOWMAN’s LAND.</p>

<p>Promotion is the key to better academics, a good professor is much more likely to be happier at a prestigious school.</p>

<p>I am family friends with a professor at a good institution that will not be named that gave up UR because he thought there is too much snow in Rochester and too little to do there. He is in Boston right now.</p>

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<p>Yea…and Apple, Sony, Red Cross, Kiva, Geico, all of the Biotech Companies, etc, etc, etc should also immediately STOP WASTING money on marketing and invest 100% of their marketing budgets into making a better product for the 5 remaining brand loyalists they’ll have after stopping their marketing campaigns.</p>

<p>I understand that UR is not a for-profit institution, but it is an organization in desperate need of better branding and recognition. The couple of thousand of the remaining loyalist who recognize this “hidden jewel” are not going to support this organization and attract adequate funding needed for research, education, innovation, top professors, and so on. UR is already having a problem with this compared to other universities of comparable caliber.</p>

<p>This might come as a shocker to some of you you, but ALL major universities have marketing budgets on the order of tens of millions of dollars. At the core of it, an educational institution is not different from any for-profit business: they need a great product/service (education, in our case), which UR is not lacking. But, then you need to let the world know about you product/service in order to attract additional funding (federal/state/private), improve on your existing product/service, and to help you innovate/expand (scientific research, in our case).</p>

<p>As was said earlier, marketing will not provide better education/make a better institution out of UR. But in order to make it better, marketing is essential. How many of the top non-for profits (red cross, etc) and top for profits do not advertise and are able to attract adequate funds to stay alive? I hope most already know the answer to that question.</p>

<p>(As an aside, marketing for an educational institution does not mean trying to attract more student body. UR already has a large enough / smart enough student body. What marketing means for an institution like UR, is becoming more visible overall - putting itself in the national spot light, so to speak, in order to attract funding, brighter professors, better name recognition, etc.)</p>

<p>Hope this sparks some discussion.</p>

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<p>Yes, i agree with you 100% jersh, and you bring up some great points. I would like to add that people who say that UofR is a “hidden gem” and should only concentrate on academics are not seeing the purpose of this discussion and the power of marketing. </p>

<p>We live in a world of business and it is careful and effective marketing that causes universities to thrive.</p>

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<p>Branding and market perception are essential in this day and age. Rochester would be well served by more efforts in these areas. Greater national and international exposure would ultimately benefit all areas of the school, including academics.</p>

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<p>My sister goes to U of R, and my current first choice is Wash U, which puts me in an interesting place for this thread. As far as I can tell, the students at UR are perfectly content with their school’s lack of public recognition. As many others have stated, it’s known by those who matter, including grad schools and employers. Rochester is already an amazing school – my sister’s friend chose it over Yale. If reputation matters so much to you, then maybe your best bet is to find a similar school with more notoriety, such as Tufts.</p>

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<p>I’m sorry, but your reply did not make any sense to me.</p>

<p>Tufts is nothing like U of R, especially in terms of prestige (not “notoriety” -__-)</p>

<p>Also, I do not agree with your over-generalization and usage of improper generalization.
Just because your sister can withstand the lack of prestige at UofR does not mean all of its students do.</p>

<p>In fact, when I went on a campus tour, the tour guide, a sophomore of U of R, said that her main dislike of the University is its lack of prestige.</p>

<p>It is annoying for anyone and everyone to say they go to a college and then draw blank faces or questions such as “Where is that?”</p>

<p>Similarly, professors are more attracted to a more popular college, not “hidden-gems.”</p>

<p>BTW:
I am quite confused why your sister’s friend chose UofR over Yale, I don’t want to offend anyone, I am just curious… Seems like an odd decision to me.</p>

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<p>“It is annoying for anyone and everyone to say they go to a college and then draw blank faces or questions such as “Where is that?””</p>

<p>I was just about to say that! I’m an incoming freshman, and that’s the usual response I get from anyone who asks where I’m going in the fall. It gets extremely frustrating after a while. It’s even worse when I see those same people a while later and they ask if i’m excited for “Rochester University”…</p>

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<p>Tufts is very much like UR:
–similar stats for accepted students
–number of undergrads about the same
–many enrolled students had higher aspiratins (ivies, etc)
–both have a HUGE medical/dental school/hospital
–Tufts has the offsite vet school, UR has the offsite Eastman school.</p>

<p>In fact,when daughter first visited UR, Tufts was the first school that came to mind in comparison.</p>

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<p>Tufts endowment invested in Madoff; U of R didn’t.</p>