<p>I think the lesson that everyone should learn here is not to trust the rankings 100%. Some people live and die by the rankings and turn down an excellent school such as WPI. Rankings don’t always tell you what school is the best for you. US News’ rankings are just a way to hype the whole process and sell magazines.</p>
<p>In 1994, WPI was not considered a National University. It was ranked with regional northern universities and was ranked about 50 among them. By 1997 it was ranked among National Universities but did not make the top 50. In 1998 it was 48th among National Universities. In 1999 it was out of the top 50 and listed alphabetically among the schools somewhere between 60 and 115.</p>
<p>Its SATs are similar to Case Western, 50 points below RPI, 200 points below MIT. The statistics have been pretty stable for WPI for the past 15 years except that in 1998 it dramatically reduced the percent of classes over 50.</p>
<p>Thanks appreciate the help. Yeah the tour guide noted that they were building on a business program and liberal arts. Not to sure if this is a good thing but i guess what ever pleases US NEWS.</p>
<p>well I disagree with that, don’t run your school just to please US News, keep improving on what your school does best and for WPI that means improving and continuing to operate a great project-based technical education for all. Not every school needs a liberal arts/business program.</p>
<p>By the USN&WR methodology, Peer Assessment is killing it. PA has a 25% weighting (the largest) in their scheme and you have to drop down to schools rated 83rd to find PAs lower than WPI’s.
WPI has a PA of 2.7 compared to other private tech schools like Lehigh (3.2), Case Western (3.4) and RPI (3.5).
Unfortunately for WPI, this is probably the metric that is the most difficult to change. It’s also the most subjective and the most open to bias.
I’m guessing they are broadening their programs in order to increase the size of their application pool. Likely a very good business decision, though I can’t see that changing their PA one way or another.</p>
<p>Thats odd. I don’t understand how PA is given so much weight. Do these PA’s go around to schools sit in on classes and look at faculty and what not? accounting for qualitative features? or is it just kind of a fill out a form type of thing?</p>
<p>The peer assessment category is stupid, what do other college administrators know about every single college in the US? Obviously everyone is gonna know about Harvard while somebody in California may not know about WPI</p>
<p>from US News:</p>
<p>The U.S. News ranking formula gives greatest weight to the opinions of those in a position to judge a school’s undergraduate academic excellence. The peer assessment survey allows the top academics we consult—presidents, provosts, and deans of admissions—to account for intangibles such as faculty dedication to teaching. Each individual is asked to rate peer schools’ academic programs on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). Those who don’t know enough about a school to evaluate it fairly are asked to mark “don’t know.” Synovate, an opinion-research firm based near Chicago, in spring 2008 collected the data; of the 4,272 people who were sent questionnaires, 46 percent responded.</p>
<p>Last year several colleges banded together to boycott the peer assessment ranking, as it is pretty much based on PR buzz rather than actual knowledge of a college’s programs. Did you know many colleges have a PR campaign for the peer assessment score?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I’d extend that to ask what direct quality knowledge does an admin know about any school he or she hasn’t worked in? Peer assessment is a joke. A wink/wink between schools that becomes the manure that USN&WR continues to spread. </p>
<p>As to W.P.I., my sister went there in the 70’s and loved it. As brothers will do, I used to kid her that Whoppee would let anybody in, so obviously it wasn’t that great. She (understandably) told me that students self-select based on how rigorous the program is and how students that were not up to it didn’t apply. </p>
<p>To me, this was Whopee’s BIG mistake. Unfortunately, people buy into the logic that if a college (or a golf club) is exclusive, that makes it great. Not necessarily true, but you don’t have to spend much time on this board to realize that colleges are a prestige game where kids would rather get into a program they don’t really want in highly selective school rather than the program they really have a passion for in a selective school. </p>
<p>I think this strategy hurt on a number of fronts including alum giving to getting the best applicants and faculty through the years. W.P.I. also has the disadvantage of being in the long shadow of M.I.T. much as Worcester is in the long shadow of Boston/Cambridge. </p>
<p>I also think precious little of their expansion program. I really don’t know what they are thinking. The greater Boston area needs another liberal arts OR business program like New York City needs another bank. W.P.I. has strong programs. They need to continue to build on what they do well, not adopt also-ran programs in the hopes of becoming something they are not.</p>
<p>I understand and sympathize with the principal of doing a great job of what you do best.
But WPI has to keep the organization afloat. I think they stopped requiring the SAT to broaden their application pool as well.
The problem is that the number of annual high school grads is beginning a decline, not steeply overall. But VERY steeply in the Northeast, and even more steeply among WPI’s paying customers- white middle and upper-middle class kids. There will not be enough engineering and tech applicants to maintain the school’s current size without lowering admissions standards significantly.
There are already signs of reaching financial limits. 23% of students are given annual merit awards averaging $15,430, reducing revenue. In spite of price discounting, 76% of WPI grads borrow an average of $37,784. This can’t be pushed much higher without losing customers in droves. (The numbers are from the 2009 USN&WR Ultimate College Guide).
The move to attract applicants interested in business and the liberal arts makes perfect sense.</p>
<p>There’s really little basis (i.e. facts) to knock WPI. So okay, it arguable doesn’t have the firepower of an MIT, but WPI is well thought of in the norheast by employers as far south as Washington DC. WPI stands out because of its unique program. And it’s just plain dumb to address academic offerings based on location. Worcester over Cambridge? Certainly not, but that that was not the gist of the OP’s question.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If geography isn’t a key underlying factor to Whoppee’s demise over the years, what is? Location, location, location is greatly important to where student and faculty want to spend a number of years. It is hard to get and retain great faculty if they have better options. It’s also hard to recruit successfully when prospective students need to roll through Worcester to get to campus. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So, you think the potential pool of candidates for a college in the Northeast will become tougher yet you think W.P.I. should expand their program offerings? If you owned a hotel and the surveys say that fewer people will be coming to your town, would you add additional rooms? If someone is willing to study in Worcester why would they choose liberal arts studies at W.P.I. when Holy Cross and Clark University have established well-respected programs? They would be be better off cutting a deal for kids to take those kind of classes at Holy Cross or Clark or offering reciprocal offerings in the things Whoppee does really well. Either would be a better idea than investing in additional resources and infrastructure to be an also-ran. If you are going to be a niche player you better be great at your niche or you simply become another casualty. </p>
<p>I wonder about Whoppee’s leadership. Where is the leadership that is rallying the alums around a vision of what the school can be great at? Why has Harvey Mudd progressed when W.P.I. has not? And speaking of Mudd, surf to Whoppee’s website and check out their Summer Internship page. If I were a Whoppee alum, telling students that HMC has a great summer internship programs and listing others for UMASS Amherst is helpful info but begs the question of what W.P.I. is doing.</p>