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

[Anonymous]

Because Rose-Hulman is self selecting. Applicants know that if they can get into Rose-Hulman they can get in almost anywhere. So the kids that aren’t super qualified don’t even bother applying.

Remember the type of student that goes to Rose-Hulman is a highly logical person not someone who thinks I will study engineering because of a strong job market.

[Anonymous]

Is this an ad for some school nobody has ever heard of?

[Anonymous]

I’m old enough to remember when Rose-Hulman first started admitting women!

But I’ve got family in Indiana. Never heard it mentioned outside the state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes. Why would think you think the acceptance rate conveys anything about quality, OP?

Acceptance rate can be easily manipulated.

No, the desirability of a product is measured by its demand. More students want a VaTech degree. It is more valuable to the marketplace.

By the same toke, UVA's admission rate is 19%. George Mason's admission rate is 90%. Are you telling me these admission rate doesn't inform the public about the quality of the respective schools??

No one is saying selectivity is irrelevant; just that by itself it does not tell you much about the quality of the school. UVA is more desirable for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with what you actually learn there or the quality of the student cohort. GMU was (and some still perceive as) a commuter college. It’s loaded with Koch money and the strings that come attached to that. It has a bland campus. Few outside the Mid-Atlantic really know about it. It’s not a major conference for sports. It’s not scenic.

People evaluate a lot of non academic factors in applying.

Perceived name brand
Location
Weather
Gender and ethnic and religious proportions
Greek influence
Housing availability
Access to internships

Lol gmu and koch money? Have you seen the professors and student body it's the most diverse in the nation top 10 actually https://www.gmu.edu/news/2022-09/mason-now-top-10-public-university-diversity-innovation-and-cybersecurity-education-us#:~:text=George%20Mason%20University%20is%20among,Colleges%20List%E2%80%9D%20rankings%20released%20Monday.

[Anonymous]

It's a "self selecting" amazing college. Pretty easy answer.

[Anonymous]

How does it compare to WPI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Few outside the Mid-Atlantic really know about it.

Are you sure about that? I've met Ivy grads from outside the area that thought GMU was a academically stronger school than VA Tech. UVA and VA Tech are seen as glorified State Schools to the people in Cali - they look it as we see Texas A&M. Probably a good school but nothing impressive.

Stop your GMU bashing - its an under rated school. mainly because it lacks a nationally ranked football team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes. Why would think you think the acceptance rate conveys anything about quality, OP?

Acceptance rate can be easily manipulated.

No, the desirability of a product is measured by its demand. More students want a VaTech degree. It is more valuable to the marketplace.

By the same toke, UVA's admission rate is 19%. George Mason's admission rate is 90%. Are you telling me these admission rate doesn't inform the public about the quality of the respective schools??

No one is saying selectivity is irrelevant; just that by itself it does not tell you much about the quality of the school. UVA is more desirable for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with what you actually learn there or the quality of the student cohort. GMU was (and some still perceive as) a commuter college. It’s loaded with Koch money and the strings that come attached to that. It has a bland campus. Few outside the Mid-Atlantic really know about it. It’s not a major conference for sports. It’s not scenic.

People evaluate a lot of non academic factors in applying.

Perceived name brand
Location
Weather
Gender and ethnic and religious proportions
Greek influence
Housing availability
Access to internships

Lol gmu and koch money? Have you seen the professors and student body it's the most diverse in the nation top 10 actually https://www.gmu.edu/news/2022-09/mason-now-top-10-public-university-diversity-innovation-and-cybersecurity-education-us#:~:text=George%20Mason%20University%20is%20among,Colleges%20List%E2%80%9D%20rankings%20released%20Monday.

Lot of GMU hate on this board probably from people not very familiar with it. Yes - they took $ from Koch. Polic schi and Econ leans center to left. The law school leans right. People on DCUM get really riled up about it but in the end if you want CS or Poli Sci/Govt, it is a solid choice. Im not spending spending college $ for the scenery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Few outside the Mid-Atlantic really know about it.

Are you sure about that? I've met Ivy grads from outside the area that thought GMU was a academically stronger school than VA Tech. UVA and VA Tech are seen as glorified State Schools to the people in Cali - they look it as we see Texas A&M. Probably a good school but nothing impressive.

Stop your GMU bashing - its an under rated school. mainly because it lacks a nationally ranked football team.

I have no connection to UVA, but I disagree about UVA's perception in California. I grew up in California and was aware that UVA was a strong school on par with many of California's top publics. For reference, I knew very little about colleges and could not have named a Claremont school to save my life. Bashing UVA is just convenient way for many on DCUM to bash publics in general.

[Anonymous]

They are in different categories. You will probably be better off doing your own comparison. You can get some outcomes data from College Scorecard for similar majors and compare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because Rose-Hulman is self selecting. Applicants know that if they can get into Rose-Hulman they can get in almost anywhere. So the kids that aren’t super qualified don’t even bother applying.

Remember the type of student that goes to Rose-Hulman is a highly logical person not someone who thinks I will study engineering because of a strong job market.

LOL MIT is also self selecting, but it has 4% acceptance rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a "self selecting" amazing college. Pretty easy answer.

This but four months ago

[Anonymous]

I've often heard of Rose-Hulman as this little diamond in the rough with one of the best engineering programs. It's a small school with a very niche student. They also do a good job marketing themselves to kids like mine.

As others have explained its #1 because its of schools who don't have a graduate program.

[Anonymous]

My husband went to Rose Hulman and it does seem like no one around here has ever heard of it. Apparently they call it "the MIT of the Midwest" but I'm like, well, one difference is that people outside of Massachusetts have heard of MIT. 😂 Jokes aside though, it does seem to be a well respected institution in his field (software development) and he was well prepared for his career. Not sure it was worth the additional student loans vs going in state to Purdue on merit aid though, tbh.

[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.

For engineering? No not really at all

By junior and senior years, yes it does. Also, Rose Hulman has like 800 undergrads---so there is no way their lab equipment and experience is the same as a somewhat larger school.