<p>
[quote]
Named to The Princeton Review's "2009 Green Rating Honor Roll" -- a list saluting 11 colleges that each received Green Rating scores of 99 (the highest score) are six public and five private institutions:</p>
<pre><code>(in alphabetical order)
Arizona State University at the Tempe campus
Bates College (Lewiston, ME)
Binghamton University (State Univ. of New York at Binghamton)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME)
Emory University (Atlanta, GA)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH)
University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)
University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
Yale University (New Haven, CT)
<p>Okay, BUT, the schools are ranked on a scale from 60-99 and we got a 97. We're still up there, so I at least can feel better about not making that list.</p>
<p>Son is a high school senior this year. We have one Gator son, and one Knight son (UCF) in the family. For a lot of reasons, it's unfair to compare their college experiences, but nonetheless, if son #3 is accepted to both schools, we will not just automatically choose UF. This party-rep thing (and I'm a Florida native, so it's not news to me) certainly doesn't make us lean harder towards UF.</p>
<p>Um, yes? Not sure of your point.
I'm just saying that UF is not automatically a "no-brainer" for those who are accepted. There are lots of factors to consider. School rep and ranking are among them. UF's rep, in a lot of areas, could use some work, as the Princeton ranking indicates. Also, after 48 years in the sunshine state, the whole Gator thing gets old. It's not Harvard. Yes, a lot more kids apply than get in. But surely the "if you don't come here, we don't care; there's plenty more where you came from" attitude could be tempered somewhat.
Like I said, we have a Gator son. He bleeds orange and blue. But there are other schools out there where a Florida kid can get a good education with a great college experience.</p>
<p>Holding two concurrent national championships...the celebrating that went with that...including national TV coverage from University Ave of the festivities....I'm sure went a long way to securing the title for UF. I wouldn't place too much stock in it. I seem to remember a simpler time when Dartmouth held the title.</p>
<p>Orange and Seminole counties (the Orlando area) do contribute a large amount of students to the university, but it is only 36% of the student body; not a majority. There is plenty of geographical diversity to be found.</p>
<p>"Please, don't be niave. Your kid is going to drink and party no matter which university he attends."</p>
<p>goufgators - He very well may. But here's a shocker for you. Not EVERY kid drinks and parties at college. Maybe not even at UF. The attitude that it is a foregone conclusion sort of underlines the PR rankings.
I am not naive. I have actually attended college AND seen the empties in my kids' dorms. It's an overall atmosphere that I am talking about. And attitude. As for defining a great college experience, I'll leave that to individual students. Again, that's the point. I also know several students who have NOT had a "great" college experience at UF. They are no longer there. UF couldn't care less. Plenty more where they came from. </p>
<p>There are some schools with a different vibe. And that might be a better fit for some kids.</p>
<p>^^^
I think Mom2three's putting it the way we've been pondering over everything ourselves, and, no, we don't have a UF kid there now as she does. But when you look at all things UF, we actually have a bit of a pro-con list. Pro: the programs (across the board) my D appears to be looking at are very strong at UF in the state. However, con: a feeling of just being a number and if you don't want us ... ah well, there'll be plenty behind you who do, the way their Honors program is set up v.s. UCF and FSU's in terms of priority registration and other "intangibles", the way merit aid's dried up, and now this perception, to those of us who want to have as good a time as the next guy, but not necessarily in a bacchus pit. Frankly, I think there's a good chance D will end up at UF, but we are going in with our eyes wide open to some of the negatives. </p>
<p>SSobick - at UCF my son hasn't felt like just a number. That's the difference. It's just the vibe. Son #3 may very well end up as a Gator. That's fine with me. But if a school that is trying to enhance it's academic reputation turns up as number one in partying and not studying, well, it's not a plus for me.
That's all I'm saying.</p>
<p>Personally, I don't think these ratings mean much at all. I'm very skeptical as to how they can seriously get an unbiased sample, and then how they can rate that. IMO a visit to the campus and shadowing a student will give a much more accurate and realistic view, not some ranking.</p>
<p>Anyone who has taken a basic statistics course is well aware of the the reliability of such studies. Entertaining? Yes. Legitimate? Not so much.
A little bit of research uncovers that P.R.:
-only surveyed an average of about 350 people per school
-majority were online surveys
No talk of a random sample etc.
It's honestly a shame that there are people truly looking into these rankings like they're the dogma of college credibility.
For anyone who even slightly doubts the academic integrity of UF, or even briefly considers the notion that UF students can get through a rigorous 15+ credit hour course load without hitting the books quite frequently based on these rankings: please don't come here. You're right, there are plenty of others DYING to take your place.</p>