What happened to W&M, Brandeis, Tulane, Pepperdine and others..from historically T50 to outside looking in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

Seems like you missed some of the other threads this week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this thread is any evidence, students who get into both UVA and WM and choose UVA will just move on with life. Those that choose WM will spend their time justifying their choice.

You could say the same thing about the UVA boosters constantly talking about how it's so much better, how W&M is a safety for UVA, Ivy level, yada yada - if it's clearly better you wouldn't need to rub it in everyone's faces 24/7 esp when the stats don't agree with that. Why does every thread that so much as mentions W&M draw a hoard of haters that make their entire DCUM brand attacking it?

+1
If UVA was that much better they would have 100% submitting test scores and a 1570 median like the ivies but they don't and in fact have the exact same test stats as W&M.

+2. WM is just as good as UVA and we just need to spread the facts to as many people as we can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this thread is any evidence, students who get into both UVA and WM and choose UVA will just move on with life. Those that choose WM will spend their time justifying their choice.

You could say the same thing about the UVA boosters constantly talking about how it's so much better, how W&M is a safety for UVA, Ivy level, yada yada - if it's clearly better you wouldn't need to rub it in everyone's faces 24/7 esp when the stats don't agree with that. Why does every thread that so much as mentions W&M draw a hoard of haters that make their entire DCUM brand attacking it?

+1
If UVA was that much better they would have 100% submitting test scores and a 1570 median like the ivies but they don't and in fact have the exact same test stats as W&M.

+2. WM is just as good as UVA and we just need to spread the facts to as many people as we can.

Idk about spreading the facts but it is a truth that exists.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that it's not wise to rely on rankings without context. As noted, the current rankings are made up of criteria weighed in ways which likely matter only to some people. If you care about academic excellence, you have to drill down to those specific criteria - admitted student GPA and test scores, class sizes, % of classes taught by actual faculty instead of by TAs, % of students graduating in 4 years, etc. If you care about, or more highly value, other criteria, look at those. In the end, the specific ranking given a school reflects the ranking formula, which may not reflect any particular applicant's or employer's values.

In other words, to evaluate a school you have to weigh for yourself the criteria which matter to you, not blindly accept the conclusory ranking derived from criteria which matter to the ranking organization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that it's not wise to rely on rankings without context. As noted, the current rankings are made up of criteria weighed in ways which likely matter only to some people. If you care about academic excellence, you have to drill down to those specific criteria - admitted student GPA and test scores, class sizes, % of classes taught by actual faculty instead of by TAs, % of students graduating in 4 years, etc. If you care about, or more highly value, other criteria, look at those. In the end, the specific ranking given a school reflects the ranking formula, which may not reflect any particular applicant's or employer's values.

In other words, to evaluate a school you have to weigh for yourself the criteria which matter to you, not blindly accept the conclusory ranking derived from criteria which matter to the ranking organization.

TAs are better teachers than professors.

[Mambojambo2024]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Improved or not, US News shifts were due to methodology change. Discussions of possible advancement or lack thereof are not pertinent.

Pepperdine was slipping before usnews ever changed their methodology.

Factually incorrect….8 years of USNWR rankings from 2015 to 2023 for this school:”

Pepperdine 54 52 50 46 46 50 49 49

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this thread is any evidence, students who get into both UVA and WM and choose UVA will just move on with life. Those that choose WM will spend their time justifying their choice.

You could say the same thing about the UVA boosters constantly talking about how it's so much better, how W&M is a safety for UVA, Ivy level, yada yada - if it's clearly better you wouldn't need to rub it in everyone's faces 24/7 esp when the stats don't agree with that. Why does every thread that so much as mentions W&M draw a hoard of haters that make their entire DCUM brand attacking it?

+1
If UVA was that much better they would have 100% submitting test scores and a 1570 median like the ivies but they don't and in fact have the exact same test stats as W&M.

+2. WM is just as good as UVA and we just need to spread the facts to as many people as we can.

+3 W&M community sharing their truth. Students at both schools equally impressive and make their final selection based on fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

I’m a well educated and culturally literate person, and I have zero opinion on whether Tulane or Emory is better/more prestigious. If I saw a resume with either one listed, I’d just process it as “Southern private college I have heard of.” Literally no difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

I’m a well educated and culturally literate person, and I have zero opinion on whether Tulane or Emory is better/more prestigious. If I saw a resume with either one listed, I’d just process it as “Southern private college I have heard of.” Literally no difference.

Cool story? You’re not really a good source for evaluating prestige so I’m not sure what the purpose of this comment is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

I’m a well educated and culturally literate person, and I have zero opinion on whether Tulane or Emory is better/more prestigious. If I saw a resume with either one listed, I’d just process it as “Southern private college I have heard of.” Literally no difference.

+2 Agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

I’m a well educated and culturally literate person, and I have zero opinion on whether Tulane or Emory is better/more prestigious. If I saw a resume with either one listed, I’d just process it as “Southern private college I have heard of.” Literally no difference.

This is the norm for people outside of the south or terminally online college forum posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to Brandeis, Pepperdine, Tulane, etc. some schools just improved more.

Tulane is in a city that was devastated by a hurricane and had some bad press. I'm sure that influenced some potential students to look elsewhere, to Emory, etc. Also, Florida and Georgia were not nearly as strong academically as they are now.

Brandeis loses a lot of potential students who are Jewish to other Boston schools like BU and NEU. Supposedly BC has been trying to grow its Jewish student population.


Pepperdine is a religious school and much like Brandeis maybe they are just losing some students who in the past might have considered them due to changing demographics.

Some of you are really trying to push this Emory vs Tulane thing. Katrina happened 20 years ago.

Emory versus Tulane? Don’t they select completely different students and Emory is much more competitive to get into. What a strange comparison.

I’m a well educated and culturally literate person, and I have zero opinion on whether Tulane or Emory is better/more prestigious. If I saw a resume with either one listed, I’d just process it as “Southern private college I have heard of.” Literally no difference.

Cool story? You’re not really a good source for evaluating prestige so I’m not sure what the purpose of this comment is.

newsflash: if only a tiny proportion of people can evaluate prestige, it’s not actually real. lol.

[Anonymous]

Mambojambo2024 wrote:I apologize for starting this thread. I truly thought I was the one out of touch. But after reading through, I’ve learned a valuable lesson. The tragedy of it all: little Henry or Olivia might have to endure the unimaginable, an education at a school ranked gasp outside the top 60. How will they ever recover from such a blow to their carefully curated LinkedIn profiles? It seems the only thing standing between some parents and total societal exile is the prestige of a college bumper sticker. After all, it’s all about winning the imaginary game of "Who Raised the Most Ivy League-Adjacent Prodigy." Truly, hats off to the unsung heroes of priorities gone awry.

Not everyone on DCUM is Ivy-obsessed.

Go Tufts!

🙂