When I first saw the title of this thread I automatically thought of OP’s posting on Quinnipiac. My S19 loves that campus and the engineering facilities are top notch. The program is new but seems well-grounded.
I agree about Case Western. Its getting a reputation at our Colorado high school for nice merit, strong all around liberal arts and music, as well as the techy degrees. DU is also a rising star. ( U of Denver). DU has strong business, law, international relations, as well as all around pretty good sciences, too. DU offers a substance free dorm! I also think Purdue is quietly edging up to be as good as GaTech or Berkeley in computer science.
In the West, UNM, ASU, and U of Arizona have attractive merit for OOS students that can bring the costs down to their in-state options, or even less. These schools increasingly are seeing higher enrollments from CA, where students are getting shut out of public universities.
I personally think Northern Arizona University is a hidden gem for a student that loves the outdoors and wants to be on a smaller campus. Ditto for Western Washington.
Schools that, between 2013 (for students applying to start Fall 2014) and 2016 (Fall 2017), had at least 100 students accepted both years, at least the smaller of 100 more applications or 5% more applications in 2016 compared to 2013, and a higher yield in 2016 than in 2013. Sorted by the increase in yield percentage; number to the right is how many times it’s been specifically suggested in this thread as of post #122:
1 Post University
2 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
3 Southern Virginia University
4 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla
5 Louisiana State University-Alexandria
6 Pomona College
7 Lincoln Memorial University
8 The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
9 American University
10 Northwestern University 1
11 Massachusetts Maritime Academy
12 University of Chicago
13 Bennington College
14 East Central University
15 Felician University
16 Sacred Heart University
17 Glenville State College
18 Tufts University
19 The Juilliard School
20 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
21 Duke University
22 Greensboro College
23 University of California-Berkeley 1
24 Bluefield College
25 Northwestern Oklahoma State University
26 Mississippi College
27 Florida Memorial University
28 Georgia Southwestern State University
29 New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
30 Savannah State University
31 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
32 Baylor University
33 Harvey Mudd College
34 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
35 Stanford University
36 Clayton State University
37 Fashion Institute of Technology
38 Bowie State University
39 Jacksonville State University
40 Emmanuel College
41 Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro
42 Ave Maria University
43 Point University
44 Kansas City Art Institute
45 University of Pennsylvania
46 Davidson College
47 EDP University of Puerto Rico Inc-San Juan
48 Kentucky Wesleyan College
49 Alabama A & M University 1
50 Dunwoody College of Technology
51 Lubbock Christian University
52 Northern Arizona University 3
53 Lehigh University
54 MidAmerica Nazarene University
55 Vanderbilt University 1
56 Cumberland University
57 Regent University
58 Trevecca Nazarene University
59 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
60 Southern Wesleyan University
61 The University of Texas at Tyler
62 Georgetown College
63 Missouri Baptist University
64 University of Houston 1
65 Centenary University
66 Carnegie Mellon University 2
67 Skidmore College 2
68 Holy Family University
69 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington
70 Trinity University 1
71 Art Center College of Design
72 University of Charleston
73 Arkansas Tech University
74 California Baptist University
75 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
76 Babson College
77 Texas Lutheran University
78 Montreat College
79 College of Coastal Georgia
80 Minnesota State University Moorhead
81 St. Joseph’s College-New York
82 University of Southern California 2
83 Augustana College
84 Mercyhurst University
85 Princeton University
86 University of Notre Dame
87 University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon
88 Yale University
89 Texas Christian University
90 Loyola University New Orleans
91 Tulane University of Louisiana
92 St Bonaventure University
93 University of North Alabama
94 Anderson University
95 Cabrini University
96 Sewanee-The University of the South
97 University of California-Los Angeles 1
98 Johns Hopkins University
99 Boston University 2
100 Arizona State University-West
101 Mississippi State University
102 University of Washington-Bothell Campus
103 University of Wisconsin-River Falls
104 Dillard University
105 Brigham Young University-Idaho
106 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
107 Morehouse College
108 Rutgers University-Camden
109 Norwich University
110 Columbia University in the City of New York
111 Auburn University
112 Claremont McKenna College
113 California State University-Dominguez Hills
114 Brigham Young University-Provo
115 DeSales University
116 Eureka College
117 Concordia University-Nebraska
118 Central State University
119 Boise State University 1
120 Marian University
121 University of Rhode Island
122 Bay State College
123 Gonzaga University 1
124 University of San Francisco
125 Keuka College
126 Alice Lloyd College
127 University of Alabama at Birmingham
128 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
129 Colegio Universitario de San Juan
130 Kentucky Christian University
131 Washington College
132 St Andrews University
133 Colorado College
134 Quincy University
135 McMurry University
136 Lenoir-Rhyne University
137 California State University-Los Angeles
138 Northland College
139 Barnard College
140 The University of Alabama 2
141 Trinity International University-Illinois
142 Charleston Southern University
143 Lafayette College
144 Fairfield University
145 Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington
146 California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
147 Swarthmore College
148 Bloomfield College
149 Arizona State University-Polytechnic
150 School of Visual Arts
151 University of New England
152 Methodist University
153 Shorter University
154 Haverford College
155 University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
156 Brigham Young University-Hawaii
157 Guilford College
158 Roger Williams University
159 Purdue University-Calumet Campus
160 Taylor University
161 Berea College
162 Nazareth College
163 Pacific University
164 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
165 Wheaton College
166 Bates College
167 Kent State University at Kent
Too late to edit #123: Tulane at #91 should have 2 votes.
@allyphoe interesting list…but what is the relationship to having 100 more applicants to this thread? Is that really a significant metric?
Plus…many of these schools are already well regarded…let’s take Princeton and NU for example. Is it any surprise that they had more applicants…and really…they have already made the climb to highly regarded.
There are indeed many fine private colleges and universities in California. So what distinguishes a school like SCU from the others? Well, how about the acceptance rate?
5% Stanford
8% Caltech
9% Pomona
9% Claremont McKenna
13% Harvey Mudd
17% USC
46% Occidental
48% Santa Clara
Realistically, the top-ranked privates in California are all “reaches” for everyone, even A-students.
So what private schools in California should an A-student consider if they want a “match”?
@thumper1 I made the 100 additional applicants or an increase of 5% in applicants cut to keep the list to a manageable size, but it turns out there aren’t many schools it would have eliminated. Here they are:
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
National University College-Ponce
MacMurray College
Baker University
Drew University 2
Viterbo University
Otterbein University
Pitzer College
University of Vermont
Harding University
Agnes Scott College
Midland University
From the remaining nominees, these schools had more applications, and a lower percent accepted, but yield dropped:
University of Denver 4
Wake Forest University 1
Santa Clara University 9
University of California-Irvine 4
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus 2
University of California-Santa Barbara 1
Clemson University 1
Case Western Reserve University 2
University of Utah 2
Smith College 1
Northeastern University 3
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 1
Fordham University 1
University of Miami 1
Grinnell College 1
San Jose State University 1
University of Maryland-Baltimore County 3
Scripps College 1
University of Massachusetts-Amherst 2
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1
Oregon State University 1
Boston College 1
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus 1
Harvard University 1
University of Florida 1
Western Washington University 1
Emory University 1
University of Nevada-Reno 1
University of Washington-Seattle Campus 2
University of California-Santa Cruz 2
University of Tulsa 1
Colby College 1
Denison University 7
Soka University of America 1
Purdue University-Main Campus 2
University of New Mexico-Main Campus 1
These had more applications, but admitted more students and had a flat or lower yield:
The University of Texas at Austin 1
University of Rochester 3
Wellesley College 1
California State University-Long Beach 1
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 2
University of Maryland-College Park 1
University of Central Florida 4
University of Richmond 6
University of Arizona 1
University of South Florida-Main Campus 1
The College of Wooster 1
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus 1
Arizona State University-Tempe 1
University of California-Riverside 1
San Diego State University 1
Iowa State University 2
Occidental College 1
Appalachian State University 2
Elon University 5
University of Dayton 2
The University of Texas at Dallas 3
Quinnipiac University 3
Chapman University 1
Rowan University 5
Virginia Commonwealth University 1
High Point University 1
University of Kentucky 2
These had fewer applications, but rising yield:
Florida Atlantic University 1
Drexel University 1
Bowdoin College 1
Mount Holyoke College 1
Florida State University 1
Georgetown University 1
These had fewer applications and falling yield:
Ohio University-Main Campus 1
Goucher College 1
College of Charleston 2
University of Delaware 2
James Madison University 4
Vassar College 1
As for relevance, I’m just putting some data out there as a counterpoint to the anecdotal impressions. No offense to James Madison, for instance, but its applications, yield, and test scores are all falling, which to me does not say “on the way up.”
Not surprising to see yield dropping at some of these schools. As schools get more “selective”, often their merit $ decrease because they don’t need to sweeten the pot. We had friends who sent both their children to the same college as my daughter and they were beyond shocked that she wasn’t offered any merit money as her stats were way way higher. Their kids were 5-8 years older than my daughter. A lot can chance in that time and if people are expecting merit based on past results and are surprised, yield is going to suffer.
Just about every school is getting more competitive, but I predict the following are going to keep moving up the “rankings”.
Tulane
USCal
FSU
U of Florida-Gainesville
My vote for underrated and on the way up would be these schools. Fewer applicants = underrated, but increased yield and increased test scores, meaning the students who are applying are better qualified (by the only metric easily available to me) and want to attend.
Augusta University
Menlo College
Bethany Lutheran College
Florida Atlantic University
Lebanon Valley College
College of Our Lady of the Elms
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny
Liberty University
George Mason University
Westminster College
McDaniel College
Tougaloo College
Bryan College-Dayton
Arcadia University
Castleton University
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Wayne State University
Central Michigan University
Holy Cross College
Agree with Va Tech and add another rising STEM school, NC State.
My two cents on this topic: This is an impossible task to determine subjectively. There are far too many variables (independent and dependent) that affect acceptance and yield rates to use those stats subjectively. Colleges are now manipulating their numbers so much it’s nearly impossible to determine what’s up and what’s down. This is a fun exercise I admit, but in this case I think anecdotal evidence is just as strong as any stats. I agree with many of the schools mentioned with the caveat I know very little about colleges on the west coast to make any judgments about them. Yet another variable - regional familiarity.
JMU acceptance letter for this year stated they received over 24,000 applications for 4,625 spots. Up from 21,099 last year.
I am totally mystified as to why USC keeps coming up. It has a 16% acceptance rate. It’s already up, and it has been for decades. It was up when my parents attended back in the late 50’s. It’s not underrated in any way, shape or form. I am a fan, but enough with USC, pretty please.
@choguy1 , yep, the intent is just a fun exercise:-) I have a junior in high school and I don’t want to miss out on any potential hidden gems. This thread has already made me do some more research and give my son more entries to read in Fiske!
I love UNC School of the Arts… but it’s an odd one for your list. It’s an arts conservatory…and admissions are largely based on audition or portfolio…not SAT or ACT scores or GPA. I know…my kid went there.
In addition a LOT of the schools on the above lists are already well regarded…they don’t need to “move up”…
And clearly…one reason there is an increase in college applications…there are MORE kids in the HS graduating classes…and more kids actually applying to colleges.
And additionally…more applications are easy to do with the common ap.
I don’t think an increase in the number of students applying is a good metric for this…when the population of that age group increases…it stands to reason more kids will be applying…to lots of places.
One other thing…as the years go on, it seems like kids are applying to more and more…and more colleges each. Of course that will increase the application numbers.
And let’s not even discuss the marketing with some schools offering free applications, and all those mailings encouraging YOU to apply…and many do.
@allyphoe - Where are your lists coming from?
@jym626 The IPEDS database.
@Lindagaf USC had a 13% acceptance rate this year.