re: Student Acceptance Rate (SEC schools)

Meh, you can't put much stock in that. There are half a dozen ways to game those rates that universities will use to raise their scores for the various ratings rags/websites. Every year or two, the ratings groups revise how they measure it to take into account the latest gaming methods the U's have come up with.

For example, for several years back in the 00's, bama was giving everyone who applied an iTunes giftcard for $5, which is about what it cost to apply at the time. Their acceptance went to low double and even single digits for a year or two before the ratings orgs caught on.

Another things schools will do (UT Austin and Bama have both done it that I know of, I believe Aggie does as well) is that they will admit borderline students (low ACT/SAT or grades) in the summer as "provisional students" so that they don't count against their incoming Fall freshman class stats. The provisionals have to make a 3.0 to stay in school. I used to tutor them at UTexas.