Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:12     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
OP, you are boring me.
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:12     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:A top school may teach you have to analyze The Illiad in 200 different ways but what's the point in that if you end up working at Starbucks after that (extreme example of course).


Yes, an extreme one. Also a false one, and an anti-intellectual one. A bad one all around.
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:08     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Let's set the record straight. UVA is a perfectly fine state school, but at the end of the day, it's a state school like any other. Nobody outside of the mid-Atlantic thinks of UVA as being particularly interesting or prestigious. Locals always think their own backyard is well-known to outsiders, it's a common bias.

And yes, there is more to life than STEM. I'm a research scientist, and even I know this


well at the risk of devolving into a UVA fight as usual, all state schools are NOT created equal and people know that. I don't know who you all talk to, but UVA, UNC, Michigan, UCLA etc all are considered to be a step above other state universities. That's just a fact. I'm in the executive recruiting business and I talk to hiring managers all over the country sand they know what the top state schools are and what they aren't.


OP here.. The first "non-defensive, non knee-jerk" response. Thanks for that. Completely agree with your point. I'd love for DC to go to UVA just for this reason. I also understand that "STEM is not everything" as a few others passive-aggressively pointed out. My point is that given the rise in the importance of STEM, shouldn't it play a stronger role in how schools are ranked? After all, one of the most important reasons everyone goes to college is to get a job that pays well. A top school may teach you have to analyze The Illiad in 200 different ways but what's the point in that if you end up working at Starbucks after that (extreme example of course).
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:07     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Let's set the record straight. UVA is a perfectly fine state school, but at the end of the day, it's a state school like any other. Nobody outside of the mid-Atlantic thinks of UVA as being particularly interesting or prestigious. Locals always think their own backyard is well-known to outsiders, it's a common bias.

And yes, there is more to life than STEM. I'm a research scientist, and even I know this


well at the risk of devolving into a UVA fight as usual, all state schools are NOT created equal and people know that. I don't know who you all talk to, but UVA, UNC, Michigan, UCLA etc all are considered to be a step above other state universities. That's just a fact. I'm in the executive recruiting business and I talk to hiring managers all over the country sand they know what the top state schools are and what they aren't.


PP you replied to. Sure, I can agree with you that there are some quality differences among state schools. But vast differences? No. Equating any state school to prestigious world-renowned universities? Not by any stretch of the imagination. UVA is not the Holy Grail. It's pointless to bicker about a state school, is my point. They're not important enough.
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:04     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
The words "ranked" and "rated" are both being used interchangeably. At the risk of stating the obvious:

If you are asking why a school is ranked at a certain level, look at the formula for the ranking. Too few people do this, and it is pretty illustrative.

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings

Other rankings may or may not reveal all the recipe.

As for "rated", that sounds like a subjective qualification.

Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:03     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:This is a weird post. Why would STEM determine rankings? Why so obsessed with STEM? Many people study humanities or other liberal arts. None of my kids friends are STEM majors.
Are you an immigrant?


So.. do you think only immigrants study STEM or are you a closet racist who only wants immigrants around because you can eat at a variety of restaurants?
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:03     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:
Let's set the record straight. UVA is a perfectly fine state school, but at the end of the day, it's a state school like any other. Nobody outside of the mid-Atlantic thinks of UVA as being particularly interesting or prestigious. Locals always think their own backyard is well-known to outsiders, it's a common bias.

And yes, there is more to life than STEM. I'm a research scientist, and even I know this


well at the risk of devolving into a UVA fight as usual, all state schools are NOT created equal and people know that. I don't know who you all talk to, but UVA, UNC, Michigan, UCLA etc all are considered to be a step above other state universities. That's just a fact. I'm in the executive recruiting business and I talk to hiring managers all over the country sand they know what the top state schools are and what they aren't.
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 10:01     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Here's the thing, if your kid is a STEM oriented kid and they think they like the other school better, well then decision made. UVA has different strengths, and if it doesn't suit your kid, no need to say "why is UVA ranked so high"?
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:56     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?

Let's set the record straight. UVA is a perfectly fine state school, but at the end of the day, it's a state school like any other. Nobody outside of the mid-Atlantic thinks of UVA as being particularly interesting or prestigious. Locals always think their own backyard is well-known to outsiders, it's a common bias.

And yes, there is more to life than STEM. I'm a research scientist, and even I know this
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:51     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
This is a weird post. Why would STEM determine rankings? Why so obsessed with STEM? Many people study humanities or other liberal arts. None of my kids friends are STEM majors.
Are you an immigrant?
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:49     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Serious question. We are in-state for UVA and DC is deciding between UVA and another state school (don't want to name it because that's not the point). All of their focus seems to be on "the college" and STEM education is an afterthought. Career services seem to be quite sucky compared to the other school we are looking at. I'd love for DC to pick UVA given the substantial cost advantage but after every information session DC attends for both schools, they walk away more convinced that UVA is not going to give them what they want. Wondering how other STEM kids are picking UVA if there's a "better" STEM choice. Also wondering why that is not factored into the rankings? For eg. UCB, UCLA, Michigan and UNC have really strong STEM offerings while UVA does not..




Because Virginia has Virginia Tech


this^^
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:48     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:Serious question. We are in-state for UVA and DC is deciding between UVA and another state school (don't want to name it because that's not the point). All of their focus seems to be on "the college" and STEM education is an afterthought. Career services seem to be quite sucky compared to the other school we are looking at. I'd love for DC to pick UVA given the substantial cost advantage but after every information session DC attends for both schools, they walk away more convinced that UVA is not going to give them what they want. Wondering how other STEM kids are picking UVA if there's a "better" STEM choice. Also wondering why that is not factored into the rankings? For eg. UCB, UCLA, Michigan and UNC have really strong STEM offerings while UVA does not..




Because Virginia has Virginia Tech
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:47     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Anonymous wrote:Serious question. We are in-state for UVA and DC is deciding between UVA and another state school (don't want to name it because that's not the point). All of their focus seems to be on "the college" and STEM education is an afterthought. Career services seem to be quite sucky compared to the other school we are looking at. I'd love for DC to pick UVA given the substantial cost advantage but after every information session DC attends for both schools, they walk away more convinced that UVA is not going to give them what they want. Wondering how other STEM kids are picking UVA if there's a "better" STEM choice. Also wondering why that is not factored into the rankings? For eg. UCB, UCLA, Michigan and UNC have really strong STEM offerings while UVA does not..



Do you really have a question or are you just kvetching?
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:45     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Because there’s more to life than STEM.

—parent of STEM senior who is also interested in Classics
Anonymous
Post 04/20/2021 09:42     Subject: Why is UVA rated as high as it is?
Serious question. We are in-state for UVA and DC is deciding between UVA and another state school (don't want to name it because that's not the point). All of their focus seems to be on "the college" and STEM education is an afterthought. Career services seem to be quite sucky compared to the other school we are looking at. I'd love for DC to pick UVA given the substantial cost advantage but after every information session DC attends for both schools, they walk away more convinced that UVA is not going to give them what they want. Wondering how other STEM kids are picking UVA if there's a "better" STEM choice. Also wondering why that is not factored into the rankings? For eg. UCB, UCLA, Michigan and UNC have really strong STEM offerings while UVA does not..