why isn't USC one of "CC Top Universities" yet?

College Search & Selection
41

<p>ten,
I’m not saying that USC is “better” than U Michigan nor am I saying that U Michigan is "better” than USC. IMO, they are very close in an overall comparison with both colleges probably accurately ranked for undergraduates in the top 30-40 national universities in the USA. As it relates to this thread, I believe that USC should be included in CC Top Universities grouping. </p>

<p>As shown above, on a number of traditionally-used data points, many comparisons have swung to USC’s favor. No doubt that the U Michigan defenders will do all they can to discredit such heresy, but I think that y’all would be better off acknowledging that other schools can improve with time and that some schools (like U Michigan) can see their relative standing decline. Things do change. Clinging to a reputation forged decades ago is understandable for U Michigan, but the realities on the ground today for the actual undergraduate student are what matter to me. For that, USC compares very well.</p>

42

<p>ten,
From what I’ve read, USC did report the higher number of NAE for the Viterbi engineering school which only affects the rankings of its graduate engineering school. USC has since revised the number.
[University</a> of Southern California and the Engineering Rankings - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com)](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college-rankings-blog/2009/06/11/university-of-southern-california-and-the-engineering-rankings.html]University”>http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college-rankings-blog/2009/06/11/university-of-southern-california-and-the-engineering-rankings.html)</p>

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43

<p>I find this annoying as well. With 84,000+ posts it appears to me that USC has a lot more posts than many colleges on the list today.
Why don’t you simply add it? “Top CC” should mean “popular in CC”</p>

44

<p>“ten,
From what I’ve read, USC did report the higher number of NAE for the Viterbi engineering school which only affects the rankings of its graduate engineering school. USC has since revised the number.
University of Southern California and the Engineering Rankings - Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings (usnews.com)”</p>

<p>If you lie and deceive about one thing, who’s to say they didn’t do it in other areas as well? I just don’t trust USC to honestly report their numbers. Everyone knows they are playing to rise up the USNWR chart as quickly as possible.</p>

45

<p>“Heck, the decline of U Michigan and the rise of USC is also reflected in the signature sport of football. Over the last decade, USC has won 2 national titles. U Michigan has won none and finished dead last this year in the Big Ten.”</p>

<p>Your bias is showing again hawkette. Michigan won a NC in football in 1997, a mere twelve years ago. How many schools have won a NC in football in the past ten years? Certainly less than ten. I seem to recall a period where USC stunk in football in the 80’s. Furthermore, the PA of Michigan is still head and shoulders above USC. It’s the academics!</p>

46

<p>Rjk,
Sorry to break it to you, but posting facts is not bias. </p>

<p>Clinging to anachronistic PA scores that don’t reflect the current reality that an undergraduate student will experience, now that’s bias. </p>

<p>Trying to hide a current reality by going back 12 years is a perfect illustration of a live-in-the-past perspective. Things change. Some places (like USC) have improved their student body/undergraduate environment/competitive position (and their football team) while others have not. </p>

<p>Why can’t you U Michigan people ever give any credit to another school?</p>

47

<p>If USC is added to CC Top Universities, then Wisconsin needs to be as well.</p>

<p>'Nough said.</p>

48

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<p>No, Hawkette. The particular football rankings of USC and Michigan have nothing to do with their status as top universities. Argue the merits based on the academic experience, not on the football field. Sheesh. Good football teams don’t make a school’s academics “better,” nor do bad football teams make a school’s academics “worse.”</p>

49

<p>Ah, I wasn’t being serious about the football thing and I am sorry if my statement implied that that is somehow linked with a college’s academic reputation. I was just having a little fun with my good friend, rjk. </p>

<p>But I do find it troubling that the U Michigan partisans will rarely give credit to an improving place like USC. There is a lot to praise and recognize about what has gone on for the past decade plus at that college. Hopefully, CC will agree and soon add it to the CC Top Universities group.</p>

50

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<p>(laughter) Since when did football prowess become a surrogate for academic quality or ranking? I guess that means the BCS national champ should automatically shoot to the top of the USNews rankings. And pity poor schools that don’t have football teams; by this thinking they have no academic quality or ranking at all.</p>

<p>If anything, except for a handful of exceptions, football prowess could more accurately be taken as <em>inversely</em> proportional to academic quality.</p>

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<p>That’s the problem in a nutshell. No matter where you draw the line there will always be some school just on the other side of it. And their partisans are going to be on this forum fussing about it.</p>

51

<p>4.4 PA score of Michigan
4.3
4.2
4.1
4.0
3.9 PA score of USC </p>

<p>Not really all that close.</p>

<p>Remember the listing is called “CC top universities.” Not top football factories. Btw, classy move by Carroll at the end of the UCLA game yesterday. The Spirit of Troy must be so proud.</p>

52

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<p>Because Sam Lee would have found out and reported to Higher Chronicle of Education and so far he hasn’t.</p>

53

<p>

Are you referring to the Stanford football team as well?</p>

54

<p>^^No, Stanford and a few others comprise the handful of exceptions I mentioned.</p>

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<p>Did I misread here? I did not see Stanford in the above statement.</p>

56

<p>wow. This is kinda depressing…</p>

<p>I wonder why Tufts isn’t a CC top university. (Tufts boasters say it’s an elite school)</p>

57

<p>. . . University of Spoiled Children</p>

58

<p>^How profound. And well-supported. Geez.</p>

59

<p>Stanford is an exception. Toby Gerhart for Heisman! :)</p>

60

<p>SC is becoming quite selective as an academic institution. This data is from the published freshman profile, Chronicle of Higher Education and U.S. News.</p>

<p>For the 2008-2009 year there were 35,900 applicants for the freshman class. Enrolled were 2,766. Of these 244 were NMScholars and 14 National Achievement Scholars. High schools represented were 1,311. Independent high schools most represented were: Harvard/Westlake, Punahou, Mater Dei and Iolani. Most represented country out of the U.S. is China.</p>

<p>Over 60% of the entering freshmen received need-based financial assistance. More than 24% received a merit scholarship. Many received both.</p>

<p>For the 2008-2009 year SC had 1 Rhodes Scholar, 18 Fulbright Scholars, 2 Goldwater Scholars, 1 Boren Fellowship and 2 Rotary Scholarships among many others.</p>

<p>SC is not just a science/engineering university. Student are selected for the top notch Schools of Music, Theatre and Cinematic Arts for imagination, creativity, talent and accomplishments, not necessarily for their SAT scores.</p>

<p>U.S. News wrote the faculty student ratio is 9 to 1.</p>

<p>The faculty are winners of academic and professional honors, including the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, the Pritzker Architectural Prize, Grammy and Emmy awards. Other faculty members are recipients of awards from the NSFoundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. More than three dozen are members of the National Academies. T.C. Boyle received the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Maja Mataric received the NSF Career Award. American Academy of Arts and Sciences has 21 SC faculty members. National Ac. of Public Administration-9 members. Other awards are Rockefeller Foundation Writing Fellowships and Guggenheim Fellowships.</p>

<p>USC is one of only four universities with two NSF funded Research Centers.</p>

<p>The student body is considered to be one of the most diverse in the nation. International students come from over 100 countries. Caucasians are less than 50% of the undergraduates.</p>