UGA's reputation over time

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Georgia
1

<p>Let me acknowledge upfront that I rarely log onto College Confidential anymore. I am a busy graduate student who is completing dissertation research and who has some pretty pressing demands on her time. However, a few years ago, I would semi-regularly log onto College Confidential because I sincerely enjoyed assisting (to the extent that I could!) rising college freshmen make decisions about college. I particularly felt equipped to answer questions that students and parents alike had about UGA.</p>

<p>A couple of nights ago, after probably a year's break, I surfed College Confidential and was a bit disappointed--but more alarmed--about the very blatant anti-UGA sentiment. When I chose to attend UGA nearly 10 years ago, I was strongly encouraged to attend a university whose future looked bright. Is this not the case anymore? I ask because I am curious to gauge public opinion about UGA. </p>

<p>I am <em>not</em> trying to imply that UGA is on par with UVA or UNC or Michigan or UC-Berkeley, etc; UGA has not reached that level However, after reading these recent posts, one would assume that UGA had deteriorated quite a bit. Do people widely feel this way, or is this the working of a few individuals who, for a plethora of reasons, simply don't like UGA (which they're perfectly allowed to feel)? UGA has been hampered by tough economic times and decreasing funding from the state. In my humble opinion, UGA has also been hampered by a less-than-stellar president (when will he retire?). Nonetheless, my impression is that there are nonetheless a lot of good things happening here...and that the rest of the nation is starting to take notice. One note in particular: several of UGA's departments have moved up markedly in the National Research Council rankings (a more "objective" measure of UGA's progress.</p>

<p>I invite a civil conversation on this topic. Thanks.</p>

2

<p>I’ve seen people around bashing UGA as well, and I don’t fully understand why.
A lot of the posts I see assume UGA is a party, football-oriented, typical flagship, but undersestimate its academics.</p>

<p>I know I’m biased since I’m attending next fall, but isn’t UGA becoming increasingly competitive to get into each year? The admission statistics for the class of 2016 seemed at a competitive level, at least in my opinion. Yes, not at a public ivy league standard, but UGA isn’t easy to get into.</p>

<p>I think many people just harsh on SEC schools in general and falsey label them as football and party schools. They should check out the facts before doing so.</p>

<p>UGA has some fantastic programs and a lot to offer!</p>

3

<p>I think UGA is on a downswing over the last 10 years. There are a few reasons.</p>

<p>First, nationally UGA isn’t necessarily known for academics as UVA or UNC are. It’s known for football and for its appearances on the list of top party schools in the country (and with older people, for REM). This gives UGA more of an Ohio State type reputation. This problem is compounded because UGA has been in the news for player arrests more than national championship contention over the last few years. This gives UGA more of a Miami (“Thug U”) feel to many people outside Georgia. </p>

<p>Second, in Georgia the age-old belief was “go to Georgia for Law and Business, go to GT for Engineering.” The problem with this was that when GT introduced an MBA in 2002, GT jumped UGA in the rankings in just two years. As a result, UGA lost half of it’s “academic reputation” and the perception is that GT can top UGA in anything, not just engineering. There really is more of a feeling that the former dominates the latter in all academics, not just a small narrow focused area. In addition, since the Olympics Georgia State has really grown from a commuter/night school to a full-fledged university. This has put a crunch on UGA’s placement in the state hierarchy.</p>

<p>Third, Adams has made some bad moves in recent years. For example, he added engineering programs and made the comment that his program isn’t going to compete with GT, but rather plans to offer less-demanding degrees targeted towards low-salary positions in central Georgia (the positions filled by Mercer, South Carolina, and Auburn graduates right now). </p>

<p>Fourth, the entire USG system has really done a disservice to UGA (and other state universities). The way the budget crisis and HOPE have been handled is embarrassing. The $1000+ per year fees added to student tuition is turning away the top graduate student applicants and making the research universities in Georgia less competitive with their counterparts. It usually takes 5-10 years to see that trickle down to the rankings, but it’s coming.</p>

4

<p>“This gives UGA more of an Ohio State type reputation.”</p>

<p>I don’t think I know enough about Southern schools to enter this conversation but I definitely know a lot about Northern schools, being from the Northeast, and I can DEFINITELY say that Ohio State has a FANTASTIC reputation. Yes, it CAN be seen as a party school, but it is extremely reputable. Every.Single.Person that I know that goes to Ohio State worked extremely hard in high school and is not a pushover/just-play-no-work student in ANY way. In fact, all of the people I know that go to Ohio State, I met through Honors+ type of courses.</p>

5

<p>I really feel like BanjoHitter has nothing positive to say about UGA. I was going through his old posts and every post seems to bash UGA. He must’ve been rejected or something to UGA and feels the need to constantly attack such a reputable institution. Don’t blame him haha. Also, I am not the first person to address this…</p>

<p>I would probably take what he is saying with a grain of salt. Especially since he downtalked Ohio State. Ohio State is a big deal in the North just as UGA is a big deal in the South.</p>

<p>I came home today from a vacation to Hilton Head and Savannah and I was so pleasantly surprised by the number of UGA supporters even 4+ hours away from Athens. There were UGA flags and bumper stickers everywhere and I bumped into so many random people wearing UGA apparel on the beach haha. It made me feel good about my future school. In the NE, you don’t see that AT ALL. You can’t have that many supporters and such a strong school spirit with a bad reputation.</p>

6

<p>Our oldest child is currently a Freshman there. I can speak to his experience as being overwhelmingly positive in terms of both academics and a variety of extracurricular activities. In just a short time, he has developed into a strong advocate for UGA, and we have, as well.</p>

7

<p>Thank you for your feedback everyone. Last night, I wrote a reply to BanjoHitter’s response, but, for whatever reason, it never reflected on the message board. </p>

<p>I agree with several of BanjoHitter’s comments: 1) I think it is counterproductive for UGA to invest much money, time and effort into developing engineering programs, 2) In my humble opinion, it IS past time for Michael Adams to retire, 3) UGA has been marred by some unfortunate scandals related to atheletics (among other things), and 4) UGA and other state schools have been victims of reduced state funding (an issue at many state schools across the country)</p>

<p>Nonetheless, I believe that BanjoHitter is short-sighted simply to address UGA’s strenghts (or, in his opinion, lack of them) in engineering and business. </p>

<p>Looking at some quantifiable data, UGA is doing quite well (as well as it seemed to be doing 10 years ago):</p>

<p>Law: 28 (something like top 11 or 12 public law school)</p>

<p>Public Affairs: 4</p>

<p>Journalism: Top 10</p>

<p>Education: Many programs ranked in top 10 (secondary education, elementary education, etc…there are about 6 other programs in top 10)</p>

<p>Ecology: 8</p>

<p>Undergrad. Business: 28 (risk management and insurance 2; real estate 3; accounting 10; management information systems 14; management 22)</p>

<p>Graduate Business/MBA: ranges from 36 to 54 (depending on source:</p>

<p>Executive MBA: 18-26</p>

<p>Grad. Management Information Systems: 14</p>

<p>Grad. Accounting: 11</p>

<p>Vet: 9</p>

<p>Speech Communication: 1</p>

<p>Landscape Architecture: top 3</p>

<p>Agriculture: Couldn’t find rankings, but UGA is a national leader here.</p>

<p>*Many humanities programs have moved up in recent years in the National Research Council Rankings</p>

<p>*Again, I am NOT trying to argue that UGA is on par with such schools as UNC or UVA or Michigan. However, I believe that UGA deserves more respect than it seems to be receiving on the site.</p>

<p>WHY IS PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT UGA STILL SO MEDIOCRE???</p>

<p>BTW, I, too, agree that Ohio State has a very solid reputation. Many of its graduate programs are top notch. It is another example of a school that has ascended quite a bit in the last 30 years</p>

8

<p>UGA might not be on par with UNC or UVA or Michigan but I think it is getting there. The difference can’t be that big. Also, if you’re going to go to Medical school/Law school/graduate school, admissions won’t see a difference at all between a UGA grad and a UVA or wherever grad, honestly.</p>

9

<p>UGA is currently fighting a very hefty uphill battle. It’s like the saying that speaks on how people rarely note the positive, but always remember the negative. The same can be applied to higher education. Years ago when I applied to UGA, it was still in the “Top Rated Party School” category with many applicants. That is an extremely hard title to shake or at the very least counter with sound academic statistics. As the economy is forcing more and more students to consider staying in state, UGA has seen a huge increase in the competitiveness of its classes. </p>

<p>Of course an increase in this area leads to an increase in other areas in regards to academics, but it is a slow process to get that word out to the masses who will never set foot on campus as a student. </p>

<p>UGA has seen some its largest and most competitive applicant pools ever for the past few years and I think that shows that the word is getting out to the right students that UGA is a great school with a lot to offer. Once graduates start coming back and complaining about their degrees and experiences at UGA, then I think the school will truly need to start worrying.</p>

10

<p>UGA is what it is. US News gives it a 3.7 reputational ranking out of 5 - pretty good. Not elite, but pretty good. The frosh-soph retention rate is 94% - that’s awesome for a large state flagship university. The six-year grad rate is 82% - very impressive. Princeton Review rates its selectivity at 93 on a 60-99 scale - quite high for a public U - not Berkeley or UVA, but pretty high. The Honors Program is the most selective in the country - an average SAT of 1473; that’s higher than the average SATs at Dartmouth, Stanford, Penn and Cornell. It has a reputation for partying, football, and a culture of non-intellectualism - probably guilty as charged. </p>

<p>As a Georgian, I have to take into account that my state has the most generous state-funded merit aid program in the country at a school with the most selective Honors program - that’s a great combination. The Ohio State comparison is a pretty good one - nothing wrong with that. Students graduate from UGA and go on to all kinds of great things. It’s not prestigious, but there are probably no more than 15 schools in the country that make people say “Wow!” Wisconsin is a great public flagship - it doesn’t make people say wow. My alma mater is Wake Forest - ranked #25, but no one tells me wow. Georgia Tech’s ranked higher than UGA, but it’s right for the typical GT student and wrong for the typical UGA student. UGA is what it is, and what it is is perfectly good.</p>

11

<p>I have a friend at Dartmouth and he says the majority of people say, “Where is that?” when he tells them he goes there. No wow factor.</p>

<p>“…and a culture of non-intellectualism”</p>

<p>Non-intellectualism? I’ve never heard that before…so what IS it known for? Rich preppy Southern kids?</p>

12

<p>Thanks all. I appears there are at least a few people out there who will acknowledge that UGA is what it is: a reasonably good/solid flagship/respected university. Some people on College Confidential, however, want to portray UGA as the slightly better alternative to community college. Let’s hope (despite the odds) for better financial times in the future. UGA’s lack of funding from the state and its smallish endowment are among the obstacles preventing UGA from developing into a truly great institution.</p>

13

<p>As a parent, Georgia just does not have a good reputation. We have been extremely dissapointed with Georgia (despite an outstanding GPA from an “in demand” major, employers treat the degree like it is worthless) and will send our next s elsewhere, even if it will require private school tuition. </p>

<p>Georgia is not community college, but it is not far if you consider how employers treat graduates.</p>

14

<p>With all due respect, I think it is difficult to make a blanket statement like that based on one person’s experience. I know two people with Emory humanities degrees who have been unemployed (save some unsatisfying part-time jobs) for well over a year. Would you say that Emory, then, has a bad reputation? I think not.</p>

15

<p>Only one post and it is to blast UGA…sounds like a ■■■■■ to me.</p>

16

<p>^^^
This time I agree with you gamom! Hope your d has recovered from her injury.</p>

17

<p>UGA has improved its reputation from decades ago, especially with the positive impact of the HOPE/Zell Miller keeping many of the brightest residents in state. The Foundation Fellows Scholarship is simply awesome, but probably could use some more PR/Marketing to get its name out (like the Robertson at UNC/Duke). Its really hard to change the image others have of schools from outside the area for those who do not have direct experience/familiarity with it. People tend to remember the party school or football reputations, but forget or simply do not know, for example, the excellent journalism program that the school offers. IMO its still tough to be next door (state-wise) to UF, and its reputation is still not as strong. But it is much better than it was in the 80’s, that for sure.</p>

18

<p>@Gibson…she is not 100% yet but getting there. It’s been a long 5 months and for my D who is not very patient, it probably seems like 5 years. She will start back tumbling soon so it will start to feel like normal again.</p>

19

<p>lol I’m too qualified for this. Ok guys,</p>

<p>Insight:</p>

<p>From my high school in Johns Creek, GA we had 112 kids from our school go to UGA. The ones that didn’t and went to GSU, Kennessaw, etc. are transferring in. We’re the number one public high school in the state. We’re the smartest around. You Georgians know us well.</p>

<p>I didn’t apply to UGA as a freshman because I was a computer science major. Long story short, I didn’t get into my number one school and opt to go to GSU and transfer. I’m currently attending Georgia State(as a freshman), and this school is a joke. Nobody takes GSU seriously. It’s filled with poor preforming students. It’s a horrible school. The argument that GSU is taking students away from UGA is 100% false. GSU has a 14% 4 year graduation rate. GSU is ranked 4th for most transfer INTO UGA. I know plenty of students who got rejected or wait-listed from UGA that had to go to state and then transfer to UGA.</p>

<p>UGA’s reputation is supposedly getting better. Yes, it’s still a party school…but it’s doing well. It use to be 11th on the most up and coming list. It isn’t anymore…I guess that’s concerning. At my school, people would die to get into UGA. Mind you, my school has the highest SAT scores in the state.</p>

<p>Funny about Ohio State. OSU’s reputation is NOT comparable to UGA. OSU is amazing. I’m actually accepted there for transfer fall 2012 as well as UC san diego and maybe University of Washington.</p>

<p>I personally, wouldn’t mind going to an up-and-coming school because you could build it up yourself and as an alumni really help the school progress.</p>

<p>I’m a pre-dental chemistry major. I’m debating whether to stay at GSU for another semester and transfer to UGA-saving me a ton of money or go to OSU and just apply to MCG dental school if I need to.</p>

20

<p>I would argue that Walton is all around a better HS than Northview, halcion, and many of its gradutes go to top 20- top 50 schools. Its not just a feeder school for UGA and Tech, though certainly many do go to them as well.</p>

<p>Sorry you are unhappy with GSU but its not all around as awful as you portray. The reason it has a low 4 yr grauation rate is that it has many non traditional and part time students who dont plan to graduate in 4 years, and yes some transfer to UGA or Tech or elsewhere. If you wanted to be a CS major and wanted to stay instate (guessing) why didnt you apply to Tech or Southern Poly? And why didnt you apply to UGA? It has a Computer Science Department - certainly better than what you can get at GSU. And certainly the Chemistry depts at Tech and UGA are solid programs as well.</p>