Started By
Message
re: Forbes: America's Top Universities '13 list out...SEC schools ranking
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:49 pm to KaiserSoze99
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:49 pm to KaiserSoze99
quote:
Did I not just give LSU props for being a good engineering school?
Wait, was it this thread. Whatever.
I will say it here:
LSU HAS A DAMN FINE ENGINEERING SCHOOL!!! LSU is way underrated on that list and on most lists. Quit painting with a broad brush!
I know not all A&M fans feel this way. But due to the fact A&M has a great engineering school and they hear about if often, it leads some to be elitist about it. Particularly my family 
0
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:50 pm to Irons Puppet
quote:
Alabama has made a decision to grow beyond what the Alabama Education System is able to supply high qualified graduates.
Correct. The former president, now chancellor Robert Witt admitted that back in 05 or 06 and took a lot of heat for it, but he is right. The public schools of Alabama do not produce enough talent on their own for Alabama and Auburn to be nationally relevant academic schools.
quote:
That is why the enrollment is over 50% out of state students. Alabama is trying to boost their scores by offering large amount of schalorships to instate students.
Yep. Especially tons of out of state scholarships.
The vast majority of the university agrees with Witt's strategy to increase the rankings, but I am one of the last holdouts. IMO, UA will never be a Michigan, Virginia, Cal, etc so why try to be and ruin a good thing? I loved the UA campus back in 04 when it was about Ole Miss' size. Now the campus has doubled with most of the scholarships going out of state, and I have not seen a bit of relevant academic improvement other than some stupid rankings that mean nothing to employers. What is so wrong with having a state funded university designed to benefit the residents of the State of Alabama?
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:50 pm to UAFanFromNOLA
quote:
I don't know how I even missed West Point at 7 ahead of Harvard. Ranking actual universities next to liberal arts colleges is retarded to begin with, but actually putting West Point in the top 10 not to mention ahead of Harvard is beyond dumb.
This is not the first time West Point is ranked in the top 10, in fact Forbes ranked West Point #1 in 2009
Forbes 2009 Rankings
West Point rose to the top spot on our rankings after placing sixth in 2008. (For more on West Point, see “How West Point Beat The Ivy League.”) The move illustrates strong performances on the part of all the service academies, including the U.S. Air Force Academy, which came in seventh, and the U.S. Naval Academy, which came in 30th place. Last year’s No. 1 school, Princeton University, moved to No. 2 in the rankings, followed by the California Institute of Technology, Williams College, Harvard and Wellesley.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:51 pm to Jefferson Davis
quote:
The dude that graduated dead last in my high school class got a full ride to Ole Miss.
Not the universities fault whatsoever either. And not saying your friend didn't get in but I find it very hard to believe he got a full ride unless he made a 27 or above on the ACT
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:55 pm to Monticello
quote:I have seen a difference. There has been a marked improvement in the Science and Engineering facilities that allow more hands on learning rather than just learning from a textbook. I mean, as an undergrad, I get to play with electron microscope instead of watching someone do it. I can see and understand things at my own pace rather than waiting for someone to explain it. That is one example, but it was certainly meaningful to me.
I have not seen a bit of relevant academic improvement other than some stupid rankings that mean nothing to employers.
ETA: Larger lab space=more room for activities=more undergrads being able to get that experience.
This post was edited on 7/25/13 at 4:01 pm
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:58 pm to gorillaballin
Recapping screwy criteria for compiling list:
Student Satisfaction (25%)
- Student Evaluations from Ratemyprofessor.com (15%)
- Freshman & Sophomore Retention Rates (5%)
- Predicted Freshman & Sophomore Retention Rates (5%)
Post Graduate Success (35%)
- Salary for alumni from payscale.com (15%)
- American Leaders List (20%)
Student Debt (17.5%)
- Average Student Loan Debt Load (10%)
- Student Loan Default Rates (5%)
- Predicted vs Actual Percent of Students Taking Federal Loans (2.5%)
Four Year Graduation Rate (11.25%)
- Actual Four Year Gratuation Rate (8.75%)
- Predicted vs Actual Four Year Graduation Rate (2.5%)
Academic Success (11.25%)
- Student Nationally Competitive Awards (7.5%)
- Alumni Receiving PhDs (3.75%)
Student Satisfaction (25%)
- Student Evaluations from Ratemyprofessor.com (15%)
- Freshman & Sophomore Retention Rates (5%)
- Predicted Freshman & Sophomore Retention Rates (5%)
Post Graduate Success (35%)
- Salary for alumni from payscale.com (15%)
- American Leaders List (20%)
Student Debt (17.5%)
- Average Student Loan Debt Load (10%)
- Student Loan Default Rates (5%)
- Predicted vs Actual Percent of Students Taking Federal Loans (2.5%)
Four Year Graduation Rate (11.25%)
- Actual Four Year Gratuation Rate (8.75%)
- Predicted vs Actual Four Year Graduation Rate (2.5%)
Academic Success (11.25%)
- Student Nationally Competitive Awards (7.5%)
- Alumni Receiving PhDs (3.75%)
Posted on 7/25/13 at 3:59 pm to KaiserSoze99
quote:
They probably got hired because A&M is one of the top 5 petroleum engineering schools in the nation, but this is all assuming that you didn't just make shite up.
These guys are electrical and mechanical engineers. They are fairly book smart but cannot figure out how to deal with people and communicate. In other words, they cannot function in a professional environment and you have to keep them as far away from the client as possible.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:10 pm to notsince98
quote:
They are fairly book smart but cannot figure out how to deal with people and communicate. In other words, they cannot function in a professional environment and you have to keep them as far away from the client as possible.
So true. I deal with architects, engineers and contractors everyday. Engineers are by far the oddest group of people I have dealt with professionally.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:15 pm to Monticello
quote:
Now the campus has doubled with most of the scholarships going out of state, and I have not seen a bit of relevant academic improvement other than some stupid rankings that mean nothing to employers. What is so wrong with having a state funded university designed to benefit the residents of the State of Alabama?
As an Alabama taxpayer, I agree with you. I was told the out of state students are keeping the doors open at both AU and UA. The mission of both schools have been lost due to chasing these rankings. The information I posted about UA was from a HS Counselor who graduate from UA. They were concerned that for the sake of growth, the school was watering down the acceptance standards at a time when the opposite should happen. That marketing was becoming more important than educating. They also felt that by placing an enrollment cap at AU with no instate number requirements, the school was shuting out the Alabama High School graduate.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:20 pm to Monticello
quote:quote:
Monticello
quote:Exactly. The other 13 football/party/state schools arguing academics is nothing but a contest to see which midget is tallest. Except of course for very specific majors and graduate degrees. Auburn is one of the best engineering schools in the nation. Alabama has one of the best law schools. Ole Miss has an extremely highly ranked accounting program. LSU is great for anyone going into the petroleum industry. Missouri has the most prestigious journalism program in the nation.
Here is the real list:
Tier one:
Vanderbilt
Tier in which your school doesnt matter unless you stay in that state upon graduation:
Everyone Else
THIS.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:31 pm to McRebel42
Anyone else ever notice how Mississippi has an EXCUSE for EVERYTHING? Mississippi just needs to get their shite together and stop whining.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:32 pm to gorillaballin
Now that napolitano is head of the uc system, look for their rankings to plummet.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:40 pm to Monticello
quote:
No one is getting hired in New York or Chicago primarily because their resume says Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, etc...
I got hired straight to Wall Street in NYC out of undergrad. I know what you're saying though, I'm definitely an outlier but it's not as difficult as you would think. You just need to be good and get an opportunity.
ETA: Nevermind I see you were talking about the prestige of the university name. Yea, completely agree.
This post was edited on 7/25/13 at 4:43 pm
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:46 pm to Jefferson Davis
quote:
LSU's PE program is ranked in the top 10 nationally year in and year out.
.. how many schools even offer a PE degree?
Most schools worth noting - I would assume - only offer the chemical engineering degree rather than the specialized PE degree.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:48 pm to Jefferson Davis
quote:
LSU's PE program is ranked in the top 10 nationally year in and year out.
Truth. I know quite a few LSU petroleum engineers. Some of them have some awesome, and better paying jobs than me. Texas A&M's program, is still universally viewed as better. A lot of people are required to communicate in a language other than cajun, and LSU grads really struggle with this.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:48 pm to Monticello
quote:
I loved the UA campus back in 04 when it was about Ole Miss' size. Now the campus has doubled with most of the scholarships going out of state, and I have not seen a bit of relevant academic improvement other than some stupid rankings that mean nothing to employers. What is so wrong with having a state funded university designed to benefit the residents of the State of Alabama?
I agree with this point of view.
Arkansas has also grown tremendously in the past several years and I think the campus feel is going to suffer for it. Lottery scholarships happened.
The Fayetteville campus has grown from 17k students in 2007 to over 25k this fall and is projected to be over 28k in 2015. Its not a "big school" by a lot of standards, but I don't think it should overgrow what the state needs. Raise standards, improve infrastructure, and keep enrollment at sane levels.
This post was edited on 7/25/13 at 4:52 pm
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:48 pm to CapstoneGrad06
quote:
I worked for Shell in Texas and Wyoming. I got to hear all about it. I've since left that industry for another.
What was your major?
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:49 pm to Bassmanbruno
quote:
.. how many schools even offer a PE degree?
Most schools worth noting - I would assume - only offer the chemical engineering degree rather than the specialized PE degree.
Not that many. And a petroleum engineering degree is closer to a physics/civil/mechanical degree than it is a chemical degree.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:49 pm to finestfirst79
quote:
This sort of thing is fun but ultimately meaningless. What defines "top"? Business schools, pre-law, engineering, what? I'm sure #1 Stanford turns out top-notch engineers, and I'm also pretty sure Vanderbilt is an overall very good school. But I've never met or even heard of a Vanderbilt engineer, and I'm old.
This is true - most of the elite Tennessee students opt to goto UT or TTU if they want to study engineering and stay in state.
Posted on 7/25/13 at 4:50 pm to TeLeFaWx
quote:
Not that many. And a petroleum engineering degree is closer to a physics/civil/mechanical degree than it is a chemical degree.
How so? When I was considering UT's CBE program they tried selling me on becoming a PE after graduation and earning the top engineer discipline salary out there.
Page 7 of 10
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News