Anyone know a smart student who transferred out of UVA? Why and to where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two different things here.

1. Transfers - students who leave at any time the enroll at another school.

2. Rentention Rate - percent of freshman who return for sophomore year.

Some of the people who transfer do it after sophomore year.
Some of the freshman who don’t return for sophomore year might leave for reasons other than transfer.

This is why a 99% rention rate or a 97% retention rate makes me skeptical. Even if you are looking at the best school on the planet, and they are doing absolutely everything right, kids get sick, serious mental illness can manifest at age 18-20 (I knew two girls socially that this happened to when I was in college. One bipolar who took a semester off and came back, one with schizophrenia who left entirely), family emergencies happen, an inability to pay for college happens, kids realize that they want something different out of a college than they thoughtt — different size, different academic program, etc., girls get pregnant or married (see the other thread), kids come unprepared and struggle academically. In many of these case, they might need a smaller school, more supports, to live at home, etc. That’s not a mark against UVA. That’s life.

If they really have 97% of their freshman class show up on campus as sophomores, I would wonder if they were retaining too many kids— giving an academic pass to kids who are underprepared or have poor work habits (and yes, even at UVA, some kids, especially boys, are not prepared to manage themselves in large classes where they are accountable to no one), or making it hard for kids to transfer if they need to. 92% seems like job well,done. 97% seems too high IRL.

I think the 4 & 6 year graduation rate are better benchmarks. But again, I don’t think colleges should be giving degrees to kids who don’t measure up. I also don’t think a lower freshman retention rate is bad. Not all schools are for all kids. It’s better for a kid to move to where they will thrive than double down on a mistake.

This is the problem with USNWR. It makes colleges focus in things that massage their numbers, rather than taking an independent look at what is best for the student body. If UVA relaxes standards to get their 4 year graduation rate up (and I am not saying they do), this May help them stay tied for 25. But it would do a disservice to the actual education. U Chicago style antics to get kids who clearly have no numbers aren’t anything. to apply to drive down acceptance rate does not help the quality of education, and hurts kids who get sold on Chicago and are told they have a chance when they don’t.

And BTW, I went to Wake Forest, which is sitting 1 spot below UVA (#27, with UVA tied for 25). And fully recognize they went test optional early to massage their numbers. Their are good reasons to be test optional. But they were in the process becoming a national university instead of a regional one, and were clearly focused on rankings when they made that decision. I my kids are in high school. So no dog in the UVA fight. But give me a break with the rention rate. No way it is real.

There is probably not an input in USNews rankings that top schools are not trying to manipulate (not saying cheat) to their ranking advantage.

[Anonymous]

If the colleges are all lying, why does anyone care about USNews, which is based on “fake” data?

[Anonymous]

If you think top colleges are gaming this retention rate, how are they? Obviously with acceptance rate you just pump up the apps. But how the heck do you game retention percentage?

[Anonymous]

idk how many transfers per year Duke accepts, but I'd put money on most of them being from UVA and UNC.

[Anonymous]

You all sound like a bunch of Trump conspiracy theory lunatics. Schools are required to report data like retention rates to the federal government for various programs under penalty of law. US News and other rating organizations audit what’s reported to them through these reports. You can’t just make the stuff up. Why do you think schools report making mistakes? They know they’re going to get caught.

Sometimes I wonder about the level of education and sophistication on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t like the social scene at UVA either.

Sorry your kid didn't get in. I had two who went and they loved it.

Like you, your kids are losers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t like the social scene at UVA either.

Sorry your kid didn't get in. I had two who went and they loved it.

Like you, your kids are losers.

Really? WTF is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all sound like a bunch of Trump conspiracy theory lunatics. Schools are required to report data like retention rates to the federal government for various programs under penalty of law. US News and other rating organizations audit what’s reported to them through these reports. You can’t just make the stuff up. Why do you think schools report making mistakes? They know they’re going to get caught.

Sometimes I wonder about the level of education and sophistication on DCUM.

And yet, colleges submitting bad data to USNWR: Real News this week that 8 more colleges admitted to submitting incorrect data

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/08/27/eight-more-colleges-identified-submitting-incorrect-data-us-news

And that’s flat out wrong data. Not choosing to count students this day and not that day or encouraging apps from unqualified students to inflate data.

And, not all of the USNWR data is also collected by the federal government.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all sound like a bunch of Trump conspiracy theory lunatics. Schools are required to report data like retention rates to the federal government for various programs under penalty of law. US News and other rating organizations audit what’s reported to them through these reports. You can’t just make the stuff up. Why do you think schools report making mistakes? They know they’re going to get caught.

Sometimes I wonder about the level of education and sophistication on DCUM.

And yet, colleges submitting bad data to USNWR: Real News this week that 8 more colleges admitted to submitting incorrect data

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/08/27/eight-more-colleges-identified-submitting-incorrect-data-us-news

And that’s flat out wrong data. Not choosing to count students this day and not that day or encouraging apps from unqualified students to inflate data.

And, not all of the USNWR data is also collected by the federal government.

Look at the schools involved...pretty obscure if you ask me. No biggie.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all sound like a bunch of Trump conspiracy theory lunatics. Schools are required to report data like retention rates to the federal government for various programs under penalty of law. US News and other rating organizations audit what’s reported to them through these reports. You can’t just make the stuff up. Why do you think schools report making mistakes? They know they’re going to get caught.

Sometimes I wonder about the level of education and sophistication on DCUM.

Ooh under federal law?! Yeah, no primary, high school or colleges would ever dare toy with that data.... LOL

[Anonymous]

unless someone can define EXACTLY what freshman retention means, I think a public U with a 97 98 99 % return rate smells a bit fishy. idk why UVA boosters hijacked this thread as if to imply NOBODY transfers out of the university. so weird

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all sound like a bunch of Trump conspiracy theory lunatics. Schools are required to report data like retention rates to the federal government for various programs under penalty of law. US News and other rating organizations audit what’s reported to them through these reports. You can’t just make the stuff up. Why do you think schools report making mistakes? They know they’re going to get caught.

Sometimes I wonder about the level of education and sophistication on DCUM.

And yet, colleges submitting bad data to USNWR: Real News this week that 8 more colleges admitted to submitting incorrect data

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/08/27/eight-more-colleges-identified-submitting-incorrect-data-us-news

And that’s flat out wrong data. Not choosing to count students this day and not that day or encouraging apps from unqualified students to inflate data.

And, not all of the USNWR data is also collected by the federal government.

Look at the schools involved...pretty obscure if you ask me. No biggie.

So is it “no biggie,” or “it’s being reported under penalty of law”? I’m confused.

Look, occasionally data is falsified (see the above link). But if you had gone to a college that made you take a stats class, you would know that data can also be manipulated to give you the results most favorable to your point of view. It’s not a lie. It’s alternative counting. Literally, deciding to define what constitutes withdrawing from your college differently, so that kids who are unlikely to come back are still technically enrolled at the time you count. No one lied. They are enrolled. Or having a 6% acceptance rate, but the same class profile in terms of qualifications because you actively seek applications from B students kids with an 1100 SAT. Your class isn’t better. Your application pool is worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:unless someone can define EXACTLY what freshman retention means, I think a public U with a 97 98 99 % return rate smells a bit fishy. idk why UVA boosters hijacked this thread as if to imply NOBODY transfers out of the university. so weird

The school has a 94.6 percent graduation rate. You can't lie about that one. For that many to graduate you'd have to have something like a 97 percent first year retention rate.

[Anonymous]

It’s so evident that scores of people here think colleges are dishonest, but they still want their kid to go to them.

It’s fascinating.

OR deep down, you know the colleges aren’t lying and your reaction to the uncertainty of the admission process is making you post dumb stuff here out of frustration.

[Anonymous]

DH’s brother bailed on UVA after his freshman year in the 80s. Their parents were alumni and I’m sure FIL pressured him into going there without considering whether it was a good fit. It was just too uptight (I think maybe there was a dress code?) for a kid who had grown up in California and Arizona.