Most OVERrated and or UNDERrated Colleges in your State ?

College Search & Selection
281

<p>Overrated: Purdue
Underrated: take your pick - Rose-Hulman, Hanover, Evansville (theater)</p>

282

<p>LOL @ teaman as well. princeton isnt over or under rated its where it belongs. TCNJ is good for education degree and rutgers for pharm. To say Rutgers is underrated with pharm(which it isn’t) as its only good program is silly. you can’t say its under-rated when its only known for one field</p>

283

<p>Tom, I suggest the US News rankings are just a bit more tenuous than you think. Plus, the three items I mentioned:</p>

<ol>
<li>Sports success = greater FTIC stats; but this doesn’t last forever,</li>
<li>UF’s IFAS = US News ratings advantage due to a perceived per student funding increase over an arch-rival university like Florida State, which is not a agricultural school and cannot count state-wide ag extension services as bolstering things like on-campus freshman English,</li>
<li>Having a Journalism school and many UF alums as reporters and media folks in Florida biases opinion in a positive manner for UF,</li>
</ol>

<p>…are more than just sour grapes on my part and do actually influence perceptions about UF that reasonably leads outsiders to conclude it is overrated, while likely the arch-rival school is negatively biased by those same forces.</p>

<p>But, again, like the article from 1988 I posted a link to above - this is an old argument and I’ve contributed enough electrons to it today. :)</p>

<p>…</p>

<p>I have to come back in and add an excellent example of media bias that is occurring now - FSU just hired Dr. Eric Barron as it’s 14th President: <a href=“Florida State University”>Florida State University;

<p>The faculty, staff, students, alumni and trustees all think Eric is a home run and we’re glad to hire him away from NCAR (who tried hard to keep him). How much publicity did this fantastic hire garner in Florida? Not much. Tragic, really, as Florida State is the oldest university in Florida with tremendous historic and scientific significance to the state…but things like college football rule. Tim Tebow cries at a loss and it is front page news; FSU hires a brilliant scholar and administrator and you don’t see much splash…</p>

284

<p>Overrated: Overzealous, insecure and delusional students and alums of certain state institutions</p>

<p>What is very interesting is that students and alums of some state schools such as UCLA, UVa and UNC don’t brag nearly as much as those at Florida, although the former schools are undeniably and vastly superior to the latter.</p>

285

<p>Overrated: Selling out academics for sports</p>

<p>“Schools with the highest admissions standards, such as Georgia Tech; the University of Virginia; the University of California, Berkeley; UCLA; and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, had the biggest gaps between the SAT averages for athletes and the overall student body.”</p>

<p>“The University of Oklahoma and the University of Florida, whose football teams play Jan. 8 [2009] for the national championship, ranked near the bottom in standardized test scores. Florida’s freshman football classes of 2002-04 ranked 50th in average score out of 53 schools for which football SAT averages were available, and Oklahoma’s freshman football classes of 2001-03 ranked 42nd. Florida’s football players ranked last in average high school GPA, at 2.54. The average for all football players in the study was 2.93.”</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.ajc.com/homefinder/content/sports/stories/2008/12/28/acadmain_1228_3DOT.html[/url]”>http://www.ajc.com/homefinder/content/sports/stories/2008/12/28/acadmain_1228_3DOT.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>"Sitting in an Ann Arbor coffee shop this winter, former University of Michigan offensive lineman Rueben Riley thought back to his arrival on campus and remembered his academic aspirations. </p>

<p>“I came into Michigan full of optimism, saying I’m going to do business,” he said. “Apply for the business school and all this.”</p>

<p>But when Riley finished his Michigan career after the 2006 season, he didn’t have his business degree. Instead, he sought a bachelor in general studies, a degree program ignored by Michigan undergraduates on the whole, yet embraced by the school’s athletes, especially football players.</p>

<p>Though they comprise less than 3 percent of the undergraduate population at Michigan, athletes account for 49 percent - 87 of 176 - of those enrolled in general studies."</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/academics/stories/index.ssf/2008/03/athletes_safe_harbor_is_genera.html[/url]”>University of Michigan athletes' 'safe harbor' is general studies - mlive.com;

<p>“*n case you’re interested in a [Duke] team-by-team breakdown, the eight men’s baseball team recruits averaged 1,206 that year, while 22 football players averaged 1,063 and the five men’s basketball players came in last at 997.” (Duke Chronicle)</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/251415-duke-athlete-admissions.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/duke-university/251415-duke-athlete-admissions.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

286

<p>

</p>

<p>Wow, Univ. of Florida has the same peer assessment ¶ score as a third-tier UC. </p>

<p>How impressive!!!</p>

287

<p>

</p>

<p>NEWSFLASH: Univ. of Florida has the same PA scores as a number of second-rate state institutions.</p>

<p>Go Gators!!!</p>

<p>NEWFLASH #2: Timmy Tebow is still softly weeping…</p>

288

<p>interestingguy,</p>

<p>Recruiting athletes with low SAT scores is a tenable business model. The athletes contributions can be quantified in dollars- real hard cash. Last year, the University of Texas football program infused 87 million dollars to the University. Talk about relaxing admission standards for a group of students that will add value to the school and football players fit the mold 100%. The entire University benefits in the form of cash flow, student pride and alumni involvement and school spirit.</p>

<p>I’m sure this argument is too intellectual for you to digest, so let me dummy it down- athletes draw money, this is a great reason to relax admissions standards.</p>

289

<p>

</p>

<p>Whether this is a “tenable business model” is irrelevant. Universities are non-profit organizations designed for the purpose of promoting research and scholarship. </p>

<p>The fact that universities like Florida prioritize sports in this way is exactly why no one takes them seriously as academic institutions.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Someone educated at SUNY-Oswego, UCF and UF should know a lot about “dummying it down.”</p>

290

<p>Just on this page alone, you’ve managed to insult :
UC IRVINE
OHIO STATE
U MARYLAND
U MINNESOTA
INDIANA U
SUNY Oswego,
U-Florida
USF
And 2 more in another active thread
"Michigan is a football factory; Cal wants to be one. "</p>

<p>Keep it up, you’re on a roll</p>

291

<p>/Sigh</p>

<p>Florida is a good school, maybe not a top tier school, analogous to Penn State and Texas in terms of national prestige.</p>

<p>Can we just leave it at that before the zealots hijack this thread anymore?</p>

292

<p>

</p>

<p>What can I say? I am not a big fan of state schools. But at least students and alums of these other (non-Florida) schools do not have delusions of grandeur.</p>

293

<p>Well, at least interestingguy is consistent…</p>

294

<p>From NC.</p>

<p>On a national level:
Overrated- Duke
Underrated- Wake Forest</p>

<p>On a state level:
Overrated- Duke
Underrated- UNC</p>

295

<p>nice someone ending the ranting about UF
i forgot one from michigan
Grand Valley State University- most people here probably havent heard of it but people in michigan seem to really like it but it is not that great of a school.</p>

296

<p>"From the U Florida admissions FactBook, there is data that says the admit rate for UF is 35.6%. See Table VII-1 in the following:</p>

<p>Office of Institutional Planning and Research - UF Factbook: Admissions</p>

<p>However, this data does conflict with what is in the CDS:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.ir.ufl.edu/OIRAPPS/CDS/CD...urce=admission[/url]”>http://www.ir.ufl.edu/OIRAPPS/CDS/CD...urce=admission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>which indicates a 39.5% admit rate. </p>

<p>I’m not sure what the Admissions data is including that the CDS is not (transfers??), but clearly it is not the same source. I believe that the new CDS is due to be released early in 2010."</p>

<p>Similar to OSU in 2007, where 52% became 57% and then 59%, you have to take what the schools put out with a grain of salt. </p>

<p>UF’s Table VII-1 (Line 9) admission info is for ALL admissions, to include grad school. The First Time in College admit rate (Line 16) rounds to 40%</p>

<p>The feds report the following: </p>

<p>[College</a> Navigator - University of Florida](<a href=“College Navigator - Search Results”>College Navigator - University of Florida)</p>

<p>So lets just say 40% or so and call it a day…meaning UF’s admittance rate is no better (a little worse, in fact) than private UMiami’s, the other Top 50 school in the state.</p>

297

<p>

</p>

<p>Excuse me. I meant USF, not UCF. It’s hard for a non-Floridian like me to tell which no-name school is which.</p>

298

<p>

</p>

<p>…as well as in other ways:</p>

<p>[Orlando</a> Sentinel - Swamp Things – Gators Blog – From one to 24: Florida Gators database on legal troubles](<a href=“http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2009/06/janoris-jenkinscharge-misdemeanor-affray-and-resisting-arrest-without-violence-for-his-role-in-a-may-30-fight-outside-a-down.html]Orlando”>http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2009/06/janoris-jenkinscharge-misdemeanor-affray-and-resisting-arrest-without-violence-for-his-role-in-a-may-30-fight-outside-a-down.html)</p>

<p>[Should</a> 24 arrests warrant more scrutiny for Florida football? | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times](<a href=“Archive blogs”>Should 24 arrests warrant more scrutiny for Florida football?)</p>

<p>[Florida</a> Football Captain Is Arrested for Burglary - washingtonpost.com](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100202047.html]Florida”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100202047.html)</p>

299

<p>

</p>

<p>Nope.</p>

<p>MIT = #1
Berkeley = #3
.
.
.
Florida = #25</p>

<p>[Rankings</a> - Best Engineering Schools - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rankings]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rankings)</p>

<p>[Rankings</a> - Best Engineering Schools - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rankings/page+2]Rankings”>http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-engineering-schools/rankings/page+2)</p>

300

<p>ryan 82, UF is nowhere near the academic prestige of texas or penn state.</p>