Should Northeastern be T20? Or even T10?

[Anonymous]

Growing up in the Boston area some three decades ago, I confess that I didn't know of Northeastern. It was largely a commuter school back then. But, now, I have moved back to my hometown, and, WOW, what a difference a few decades make.It seems that Northeastern has all of a sudden become such a high-class school. It is now even displacing the other directional university, Northwestern.

I feel that universities should be ranked largely on how desirable they are to students. After all, that metric cannot be faked (looking at you Columbia). And students are actually voting with their feet which should count for the rankings more than anything else. I mean, if a university gets 90,000 applicants like NEU does, surely that should put it in the T20. Or even T10, I think. I see the Ivies boasting about crossing 50,000 applications and I am thinking: wait till Northeastern crosses 100,000 at twice that amount (!!!).

So, why isn't Northeastern getting the respect it should on this blog and it is IVY-IVY-IVY all the time? Is it just older folks sticking to their old views, not wanting to change? Thoughts welcome.

[Anonymous]

I think it is very popular in here and with students.
Most students are preferring it more than BU.
The location and the internship opportunities is helping.

[Anonymous]

I would rank Northeastern ahead of Duke, but below Princeton and Stanford.

[Anonymous]

Why would you ever “rank” a college based on how many applications it receives? That makes zero sense. What is the quality of the faculty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Growing up in the Boston area some three decades ago, I confess that I didn't know of Northeastern. It was largely a commuter school back then. But, now, I have moved back to my hometown, and, WOW, what a difference a few decades make.It seems that Northeastern has all of a sudden become such a high-class school. It is now even displacing the other directional university, Northwestern.

I feel that universities should be ranked largely on how desirable they are to students. After all, that metric cannot be faked (looking at you Columbia). And students are actually voting with their feet which should count for the rankings more than anything else. I mean, if a university gets 90,000 applicants like NEU does, surely that should put it in the T20. Or even T10, I think. I see the Ivies boasting about crossing 50,000 applications and I am thinking: wait till Northeastern crosses 100,000 at twice that amount (!!!).

So, why isn't Northeastern getting the respect it should on this blog and it is IVY-IVY-IVY all the time? Is it just older folks sticking to their old views, not wanting to change? Thoughts welcome.

Isn’t it way past your bedtime?

[Anonymous]

Is it co-op semester at the Northeastern troll farm already?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Growing up in the Boston area some three decades ago, I confess that I didn't know of Northeastern. It was largely a commuter school back then. But, now, I have moved back to my hometown, and, WOW, what a difference a few decades make.It seems that Northeastern has all of a sudden become such a high-class school. It is now even displacing the other directional university, Northwestern.

I feel that universities should be ranked largely on how desirable they are to students. After all, that metric cannot be faked (looking at you Columbia). And students are actually voting with their feet which should count for the rankings more than anything else. I mean, if a university gets 90,000 applicants like NEU does, surely that should put it in the T20. Or even T10, I think. I see the Ivies boasting about crossing 50,000 applications and I am thinking: wait till Northeastern crosses 100,000 at twice that amount (!!!).

So, why isn't Northeastern getting the respect it should on this blog and it is IVY-IVY-IVY all the time? Is it just older folks sticking to their old views, not wanting to change? Thoughts welcome.

Teen popularity contests are respected as teen popularity contests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you ever “rank” a college based on how many applications it receives? That makes zero sense. What is the quality of the faculty?

OP is basically right. How do you rank cellphones? iPhone out-ranks every other phone. Because more people are willing to spend money to buy an iPhone than any other phone. That is basically it. Everything else that you think should matter, say, call quality, battery life etc, is already factored into this single attribute.

Same way for colleges. Everything you can think about (faculty quality, teaching effectiveness etc) are factored into the single attribute: how many are willing to apply to your college to spend the $$.

Good thinking, OP. I know it puts USNews out of business. But you hit the nail on the head. NEU is more successful than the so-called elite schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you ever “rank” a college based on how many applications it receives? That makes zero sense. What is the quality of the faculty?

OP is basically right. How do you rank cellphones? iPhone out-ranks every other phone. Because more people are willing to spend money to buy an iPhone than any other phone. That is basically it. Everything else that you think should matter, say, call quality, battery life etc, is already factored into this single attribute.

Same way for colleges. Everything you can think about (faculty quality, teaching effectiveness etc) are factored into the single attribute: how many are willing to apply to your college to spend the $$.

Good thinking, OP. I know it puts USNews out of business. But you hit the nail on the head. NEU is more successful than the so-called elite schools.

OP is basically you.

[Anonymous]

Um - no. Northeastern is a solid school but not T20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would rank Northeastern ahead of Duke, but below Princeton and Stanford.

Agree. It's slightly lower than UVA.

[Anonymous]

Omg. The number of kids applying to a school doesn’t make it any good. In fact in many ways higher numbers = more kids think they will be able to do well or get in so it’s actually a lesser school. Truly elite schools should only be applied to by the top students - those who can handle the rigor and expectations.

[Anonymous]

It is well known and well documented that Northeastern gamed the ranking better than any other school out there and it is not even close to as good as its ranking says it is, probably closer to 200...


https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2014/08/26/how-northeastern-gamed-the-college-rankings/

[Anonymous]

Some truth to what OP is saying. Happened to me this weekend.

Me: My kid goes to Northwestern
Friend: You mean the one down in Boston. Heard they got co-ops.
Me: No, the one near Chicago
Friend: Oh...Haven't heard of that

Granted my friend is confused. But I am wondering if it is Northwestern going down or Northeastern going up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some truth to what OP is saying. Happened to me this weekend.

Me: My kid goes to Northwestern
Friend: You mean the one down in Boston. Heard they got co-ops.
Me: No, the one near Chicago
Friend: Oh...Haven't heard of that

Granted my friend is confused. But I am wondering if it is Northwestern going down or Northeastern going up.

How about didn't happen?