Why is Rose-Hulman Ranked #1 w/ 75% acceptance but Virginia Tech is Harder to Get Into?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been looking into Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which has a 75% acceptance rate and is ranked #1 for undergraduate engineering programs. I’m confused why Virginia Tech, which has a much lower acceptance rate, isn’t ranked as high. What is Rose-Hulman doing differently? Shouldn’t Virginia Tech, being a state school, be more accessible to Virginia residents who want to study engineering or computers?

It seems crazy that Virginia Tech is so competitive while Rose-Hulman is more open, especially considering their top ranking. I’ve heard Rose-Hulman also offers excellent financial aid, which can bring costs down to in-state tuition levels. It might be worth looking into for my kid instead of Tech.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rosehulman-institute-of-technology-1830/overall-rankings

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Should Virginia Tech reconsider their admissions process to better serve Virginia residents interested in STEM fields?

Talk about overthinking things. You do understand literally none of this matters, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because acceptance rates are a function of how desirable a school is, not how good it is. Those are not the same thing. Many, many people would prefer Blacksburg and its environment and football games etc to Terre Haute and a college that’s 70%+ male.

This - thanks for framing this so well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been looking into Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which has a 75% acceptance rate and is ranked #1 for undergraduate engineering programs. I’m confused why Virginia Tech, which has a much lower acceptance rate, isn’t ranked as high. What is Rose-Hulman doing differently? Shouldn’t Virginia Tech, being a state school, be more accessible to Virginia residents who want to study engineering or computers?

It seems crazy that Virginia Tech is so competitive while Rose-Hulman is more open, especially considering their top ranking. I’ve heard Rose-Hulman also offers excellent financial aid, which can bring costs down to in-state tuition levels. It might be worth looking into for my kid instead of Tech.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rosehulman-institute-of-technology-1830/overall-rankings

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Should Virginia Tech reconsider their admissions process to better serve Virginia residents interested in STEM fields?

Terre Haute, IN is a real tough sell. Plus it's only number one for schools that do not award doctorates. Research matters.

Never been to Terre Haute, but middle of nowhere Blacksburg (which I have been to) is that much more desirable?

[Anonymous]

Never heard of Rose-Hulman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been looking into Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which has a 75% acceptance rate and is ranked #1 for undergraduate engineering programs. I’m confused why Virginia Tech, which has a much lower acceptance rate, isn’t ranked as high. What is Rose-Hulman doing differently? Shouldn’t Virginia Tech, being a state school, be more accessible to Virginia residents who want to study engineering or computers?

It seems crazy that Virginia Tech is so competitive while Rose-Hulman is more open, especially considering their top ranking. I’ve heard Rose-Hulman also offers excellent financial aid, which can bring costs down to in-state tuition levels. It might be worth looking into for my kid instead of Tech.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rosehulman-institute-of-technology-1830/overall-rankings

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Should Virginia Tech reconsider their admissions process to better serve Virginia residents interested in STEM fields?

Terre Haute, IN is a real tough sell. Plus it's only number one for schools that do not award doctorates. Research matters.

Never been to Terre Haute, but middle of nowhere Blacksburg (which I have been to) is that much more desirable?

DP. Beautiful mountains compared to flat midwestern geography? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been looking into Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which has a 75% acceptance rate and is ranked #1 for undergraduate engineering programs. I’m confused why Virginia Tech, which has a much lower acceptance rate, isn’t ranked as high. What is Rose-Hulman doing differently? Shouldn’t Virginia Tech, being a state school, be more accessible to Virginia residents who want to study engineering or computers?

It seems crazy that Virginia Tech is so competitive while Rose-Hulman is more open, especially considering their top ranking. I’ve heard Rose-Hulman also offers excellent financial aid, which can bring costs down to in-state tuition levels. It might be worth looking into for my kid instead of Tech.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rosehulman-institute-of-technology-1830/overall-rankings

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Should Virginia Tech reconsider their admissions process to better serve Virginia residents interested in STEM fields?

Terre Haute, IN is a real tough sell. Plus it's only number one for schools that do not award doctorates. Research matters.

Never been to Terre Haute, but middle of nowhere Blacksburg (which I have been to) is that much more desirable?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been looking into Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, which has a 75% acceptance rate and is ranked #1 for undergraduate engineering programs. I’m confused why Virginia Tech, which has a much lower acceptance rate, isn’t ranked as high. What is Rose-Hulman doing differently? Shouldn’t Virginia Tech, being a state school, be more accessible to Virginia residents who want to study engineering or computers?

It seems crazy that Virginia Tech is so competitive while Rose-Hulman is more open, especially considering their top ranking. I’ve heard Rose-Hulman also offers excellent financial aid, which can bring costs down to in-state tuition levels. It might be worth looking into for my kid instead of Tech.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rosehulman-institute-of-technology-1830/overall-rankings

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Should Virginia Tech reconsider their admissions process to better serve Virginia residents interested in STEM fields?

People don't apply to Rose Hulman unless they are serious students of engineering and know what they're looking for. Acceptance rate does not equal quality in this case. It's a very good school, but not a lot of people know about it.

[Anonymous]

The competition from Purdue don't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because acceptance rates are a function of how desirable a school is, not how good it is. Those are not the same thing. Many, many people would prefer Blacksburg and its environment and football games etc to Terre Haute and a college that’s 70%+ male.

Exactly! Can't believe how many posts I've seen in the past two weeks with folks contributing acceptance rate to ranking.

it is attributing. not contributing.

I knew that didn't sound right!

[Anonymous]

High school students don't waste their time applying to Rose if they don't have the grades in high school. Also, they don't waste their time applying to Rose if they are not really focused on math, science or engineering. So there is a very narrow pool of applicants to start with and self selection leads to a fairly high acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

Small engineering school are niche. They should have their own category like LACs.

[Anonymous]

According to their web-site they have been #1 for 26 yrs; why is it I never heard of it? met anyone from there? you'd figure in the DMV area someone ... right?

[Anonymous]

Would Rose-Hulman be equivalent to Colorado School of Mines?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would Rose-Hulman be equivalent to Colorado School of Mines?

Nothing in Terre Haute Indiana could ever be comparable to anything in Colorado.

[Anonymous]

#1 according to whom?

Look at acceptance rates for the desirability of the product.

Ask yourself, "WHo matters more? Those applying to the schools trying to get in? Or a magazine?"