why do universities not admit more students?

[Anonymous]

It all comes down to what makes a school attractive. My daughter went to an Ivy with about 1600 kids in her class. I doubt she would have chosen the same school if her class had been double that size. The size of the school was appealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern does it! They keep buying new colleges.

And the quality at NEU is dwindling, there are issues. More and more kids cannot find coops---despite applying to 200+ jobs. These are kids with 3.5+ gpas, they are doing the "formula" and the jobs just are not there and part of the issue is there are too many students and the university has not widen their footprint for coop employers.
Kids also are having more and more troubles getting the courses they want, because everyone without a coop registers for classes, in the past most would drop the courses when they got their coop, thus opening spaces. Well that isn't happening, so kids cannot get the courses they need.
Then let's discuss taking singles and making them doubles, and taking doubles and making them triples...all so kids have ~65 sq ft to call their own...that's smaller than many parking spots.
NEU is a prime example of growing too fast without enough planning. Because most of the kids that start at the "new campuses" want to be in Boston and will end up there, even if NEU wants them 4 years at the new campus.

[Anonymous]

Some people are pretty clueless as to how expensive it is to run an elite college or LAC. But another reason for not expanding student body - besides the obvious ones - not easy to build new dorms, needing to hire more faculty and admin and facilities people, trickle down effect into more dining halls and student facilities, all which add to the expense of running a university - is that there isn't a shortage of college seats overall. Don't get into Dartmouth or Brown? Ok, go to the next rung of universities. Don't get into those, there's space at the next level down. And all these schools will still give you a pretty good education. Then you get to the level of colleges that are dying due to lack of students and this is a growing problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern does it! They keep buying new colleges.

And the quality at NEU is dwindling, there are issues. More and more kids cannot find coops---despite applying to 200+ jobs. These are kids with 3.5+ gpas, they are doing the "formula" and the jobs just are not there and part of the issue is there are too many students and the university has not widen their footprint for coop employers.
Kids also are having more and more troubles getting the courses they want, because everyone without a coop registers for classes, in the past most would drop the courses when they got their coop, thus opening spaces. Well that isn't happening, so kids cannot get the courses they need.
Then let's discuss taking singles and making them doubles, and taking doubles and making them triples...all so kids have ~65 sq ft to call their own...that's smaller than many parking spots.
NEU is a prime example of growing too fast without enough planning. Because most of the kids that start at the "new campuses" want to be in Boston and will end up there, even if NEU wants them 4 years at the new campus.

This is such a peculiar, passionate and inaccurate statement. I know students at Northeastern that were the top of their high school class, so there is no "dwindling quality". They are happily employed, thanks to Northeastern. I don't know where you are getting your incorrect information, but you seem to be on quite a crusade. The dorms at Northeastern are nice too, and I have heard no complaints from my friends children, who attend. There is no "four years (assigned) at the new campus", unless the student elects that option, which some have (who wouldn't?).

You seem terribly set off and angry about a school that did not accept you. I trust your posting incorrect information is not going to help your state of mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people are pretty clueless as to how expensive it is to run an elite college or LAC. But another reason for not expanding student body - besides the obvious ones - not easy to build new dorms, needing to hire more faculty and admin and facilities people, trickle down effect into more dining halls and student facilities, all which add to the expense of running a university - is that there isn't a shortage of college seats overall. Don't get into Dartmouth or Brown? Ok, go to the next rung of universities. Don't get into those, there's space at the next level down. And all these schools will still give you a pretty good education. Then you get to the level of colleges that are dying due to lack of students and this is a growing problem.

I think the people who have no further down to go are more than a little perturbed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capacity constraints

Mostly artificial ones though. Who gripes most about increasing the student population of elite private universities? Alumni. That’s who. Protecting their exclusive club. Harvard and Yale etc have more than enough endowment to acquire and build on more space. Stanford has more than 8,000 acres, for about 7,000 undergrads. Whatever capacity constraints they claim to have ring pretty hollow to me.

Where exactly is Harvard going to expand? What location? They are someone out of space and the neighbors and local government oppose anything they propose. Alums could care less. Better chance for their kids to get in if it is bigger.

Stanford may have space but almost no one else does. That is why BC spent over $100 million to buy the Cardinal's residence a few years back. That is across the street from one corner of their campus. Neighbors fought like hell to stop students living there and they were backed by the local government.

+1. I'm a Harvard grad. Traditionally the freshmen are housed in Harvard Yard. There are only so many rooms. The moment you leave the yard, you are in the bustling city of Cambridge. There simply isn't anywhere else to build, although most universities do buy up what they can outside of the campus - but those buildings tend to be dedicated to something other than size of entering class.

[Anonymous]

There are lots of reasons colleges don’t expand, but is a lack of space really one of them?

Most academic facilities are heavily used, what, 9-6 pm, Monday-Thursday, 45 weeks per year? There are thousands of PhDs studying education & business. Could they figure out how to use classrooms more than 20% of the time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are lots of reasons colleges don’t expand, but is a lack of space really one of them?

Most academic facilities are heavily used, what, 9-6 pm, Monday-Thursday, 45 weeks per year? There are thousands of PhDs studying education & business. Could they figure out how to use classrooms more than 20% of the time?

What are you suggesting, turning classrooms into dorms after 6 pm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern does it! They keep buying new colleges.

And the quality at NEU is dwindling, there are issues. More and more kids cannot find coops---despite applying to 200+ jobs. These are kids with 3.5+ gpas, they are doing the "formula" and the jobs just are not there and part of the issue is there are too many students and the university has not widen their footprint for coop employers.
Kids also are having more and more troubles getting the courses they want, because everyone without a coop registers for classes, in the past most would drop the courses when they got their coop, thus opening spaces. Well that isn't happening, so kids cannot get the courses they need.
Then let's discuss taking singles and making them doubles, and taking doubles and making them triples...all so kids have ~65 sq ft to call their own...that's smaller than many parking spots.
NEU is a prime example of growing too fast without enough planning. Because most of the kids that start at the "new campuses" want to be in Boston and will end up there, even if NEU wants them 4 years at the new campus.

This is such a peculiar, passionate and inaccurate statement. I know students at Northeastern that were the top of their high school class, so there is no "dwindling quality". They are happily employed, thanks to Northeastern. I don't know where you are getting your incorrect information, but you seem to be on quite a crusade. The dorms at Northeastern are nice too, and I have heard no complaints from my friends children, who attend. There is no "four years (assigned) at the new campus", unless the student elects that option, which some have (who wouldn't?).

You seem terribly set off and angry about a school that did not accept you. I trust your posting incorrect information is not going to help your state of mind.

Dwindling quality of what the university is offering/providing, not the quality of students.
FYI---my kid was accepted but chose to not attend.

And yes, for fall 2023, there was supposed to be 4 years in Oakland and 3 years in London then transfer to Boston for year 4. The students in that program in Oakland (not global scholars which is 1 year then go to Boston were supposed to spend 4 years there, but now have the option to go to Boston. That was how acceptances went out this past cycle, but then enough parents/students complained and 4 weeks later, it was "you can transfer to Boston after 1 year" for both of those programs. Basically, when NEU realized they would loose some students who did not desire to spend 4 years in Oakland or 3 +1 in London/Boston, they quickly changed the requirements/offer. This will definately impact how many students are on the Boston campus come fall 2024 (hint: I doubt many kids have a desire to spend 4 years in Oakland on the old mills college campus---they applied to NEU to attend in Boston)

Dorms---just search for information about the forced doubles and triples that started last fall at IV--they took rooms that were already small and added a person, go look at the photos it is all readily available. And yes, the smallest spaces now offer only 65 sq ft for each resident (some are forced doubles, some are forced triples). Facts---they are out there if you just look.

Just pointing out the issues that happen when a university grows rapidly without infrastructure changes put into place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are lots of reasons colleges don’t expand, but is a lack of space really one of them?

Most academic facilities are heavily used, what, 9-6 pm, Monday-Thursday, 45 weeks per year? There are thousands of PhDs studying education & business. Could they figure out how to use classrooms more than 20% of the time?

So you'd like your kid to have class MWF from midnight to 1am, and Sat/Sun at 8am? There's a reason the classrooms are not used for classes outside of those times (except Friday---all universities my kids have attended and I attended had friday classes---most are MWF or TTh classes. Heck, I even had a 4-7pm on a Friday one semester in college (3 hour course met once per week)

[Anonymous]

I’d never suggest that a college schedule activities that might infringe on Muffy’s beauty sleep or Chad’s squash practice. Heavens no. I’m saying the facilities are empty 80% of the time….that doesn’t make you think there is plenty of opportunity to increase students without a massive building initiative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d never suggest that a college schedule activities that might infringe on Muffy’s beauty sleep or Chad’s squash practice. Heavens no. I’m saying the facilities are empty 80% of the time….that doesn’t make you think there is plenty of opportunity to increase students without a massive building initiative?

Both of my kid's colleges use majority of their classrooms M-F from 8am until at 4/5pm. Only way to hold more classes is to use evenings and weekend times...and no, I don't think that is a good idea. You'd also need more professors, more TAs, etc to support all of this. But no, I don't think we need to be using classrooms at 9pm or on the weekends for actual classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Northeastern does it! They keep buying new colleges.

And the quality at NEU is dwindling, there are issues. More and more kids cannot find coops---despite applying to 200+ jobs. These are kids with 3.5+ gpas, they are doing the "formula" and the jobs just are not there and part of the issue is there are too many students and the university has not widen their footprint for coop employers.
Kids also are having more and more troubles getting the courses they want, because everyone without a coop registers for classes, in the past most would drop the courses when they got their coop, thus opening spaces. Well that isn't happening, so kids cannot get the courses they need.
Then let's discuss taking singles and making them doubles, and taking doubles and making them triples...all so kids have ~65 sq ft to call their own...that's smaller than many parking spots.
NEU is a prime example of growing too fast without enough planning. Because most of the kids that start at the "new campuses" want to be in Boston and will end up there, even if NEU wants them 4 years at the new campus.

This is such a peculiar, passionate and inaccurate statement. I know students at Northeastern that were the top of their high school class, so there is no "dwindling quality". They are happily employed, thanks to Northeastern. I don't know where you are getting your incorrect information, but you seem to be on quite a crusade. The dorms at Northeastern are nice too, and I have heard no complaints from my friends children, who attend. There is no "four years (assigned) at the new campus", unless the student elects that option, which some have (who wouldn't?).

You seem terribly set off and angry about a school that did not accept you. I trust your posting incorrect information is not going to help your state of mind.

Dwindling quality of what the university is offering/providing, not the quality of students.
FYI---my kid was accepted but chose to not attend.

And yes, for fall 2023, there was supposed to be 4 years in Oakland and 3 years in London then transfer to Boston for year 4. The students in that program in Oakland (not global scholars which is 1 year then go to Boston were supposed to spend 4 years there, but now have the option to go to Boston. That was how acceptances went out this past cycle, but then enough parents/students complained and 4 weeks later, it was "you can transfer to Boston after 1 year" for both of those programs. Basically, when NEU realized they would loose some students who did not desire to spend 4 years in Oakland or 3 +1 in London/Boston, they quickly changed the requirements/offer. This will definately impact how many students are on the Boston campus come fall 2024 (hint: I doubt many kids have a desire to spend 4 years in Oakland on the old mills college campus---they applied to NEU to attend in Boston)

Dorms---just search for information about the forced doubles and triples that started last fall at IV--they took rooms that were already small and added a person, go look at the photos it is all readily available. And yes, the smallest spaces now offer only 65 sq ft for each resident (some are forced doubles, some are forced triples). Facts---they are out there if you just look.

Just pointing out the issues that happen when a university grows rapidly without infrastructure changes put into place.

You claim to have "turned down Northeastern" - yet what you are claiming is not my friends' experiences, at all. Since I have first hand, reliable and reputable several points of reference, I am going to believe what they tell me, not what you write in your anonymous, almost weekly crusade.

If you don't want to attend a school, allegedly - that is fine, but to come here and make false claims only undermines you, not the school (any school).

[Anonymous]

OP, what part of "there are only so many slots for the top students" - do you not understand? Are you not a top applicant, and therefore, begrudging those who are?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d never suggest that a college schedule activities that might infringe on Muffy’s beauty sleep or Chad’s squash practice. Heavens no. I’m saying the facilities are empty 80% of the time….that doesn’t make you think there is plenty of opportunity to increase students without a massive building initiative?

This isn't hard. A classroom is not a dorm. A dorm is not a classroom.