<p>The article is how in the authors opinion NU games the college ranking system.</p>
<p>My family just delivered our first born to the honors college today from California. We could not be more pleased
with NU or its ever increasing improvement.</p>
<p>Link to the article: <a href=“http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/08/26/how-northeastern-gamed-the-college-rankings/”>http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/08/26/how-northeastern-gamed-the-college-rankings/</a></p>
<p>It’s not like improving rankings has come at the expense of improving education. Northeastern is a much stronger academic institution than it was before starting this push. What they chose to focus on has aimed at rankings, but they also led to more research, better facilities, smaller classes, and a stronger student body. I do agree with the article, though, about how the president’s salary is ridiculous. The article comes off with a rather off-putting tone, but the comments are (for a change of pace), mostly very insightful.</p>
<p>Congrats to you and your kid, and I hope he has a great time at Northeastern!</p>
<p>Re-read the comments: there are a lot more obnoxious ones than the last time I looked.</p>
<p>True, but they are almost all by one person. And a law school grad at that. Everyone knows that law school is a dead end for many people.</p>
<p>For anyone who has followed Northeastern’s rise in the USNews rankings there is nothing new in that article. Amazing how good things can be spun into the negative by someone with an agenda, whatever that might be. </p>
<p>My only objection is that many people, in referring to Northeastern 20 or more years ago, imply that it was not such a great place. NU has always provided a solid education in professional fields to those who worked hard for it. By raising admissions standards and thus retention rates, they have excluded those who are not prepared. Such a student can go to a community college now. If they prove themselves there, they can transfer in. If they bomb community college, it is a relatively inexpensive lesson. </p>
<p>While there is no comparing the freshman class of today with that of my time, those of us who made it to graduation do compare favorably with today’s graduates. And I do remember the “look to your left, look to your right” speech at orientation. I was one of those who made it through. </p>
<p>Here is a video profiling an alumnus from even before my time:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.northeastern.edu/empower/who-empowered-you/2341”>http://www.northeastern.edu/empower/who-empowered-you/2341</a></p>