Rankings that work: avoid the 'school by the numbers' trap with college-choice criteria of genuine value - The Admissions Angle

University Business, Feb, 2003 by Howard Greene, Matthew Greene

STATISTICAL DATA

* Retention of students/graduation rate as a sign of student motivation, commitment, and satisfaction, as weft as of college resources, faculty interaction, and program offerings.

* Percentage of students attending graduate school as a sign of intellectual priorities, strength of academic foundation programs and specific disciplines, and reputation of the cortege among graduate schools.

* Number of award recipients, especially graduate and other national/international fellowships.

* Job placement success/campus visits by companies and other private and public organizations.

* Campus resources for quality-of-life and educational counseling.

* Financial aid programs: percent of students on aid, as a sign of commitment to and ability to attract outstanding students and a diverse student body.

* Endowment relative to enrollment.

* Student-to-faculty ratio for undergraduate education.

* Average undergraduate class size, median crass size, and percentage of classes that are non-lecture style.

* Number and breadth of majors/courses offered; opportunities for inter-disciplinary studies.

* Foreign study and/or internship opportunities and percentage of participation.

* Varsity, intramural sports, and other major campus activities: percentage of students who participate.

* Overall diversity of student body: racial, religious, ethnic, international, socioeconomic, and geographic.

SPECIAL QUALITIES OF CAMPUS LIFE

* Campus spirit, morale, sense of identifiable community, pride in the institution.

* Satisfaction factor: Would majority of students attend again on the basis of their experience?

* Satisfaction with fellow students and faculty.

* A purposeful environment and a balanced social/academic/activity formula.

* Atmosphere of academic challenge, academic concern, individualized support.

THE SPIRAL EFFECT

These are the elements we lay out to students searching for the right college for themselves--not for their peers or their families who might be obsessed with pecking order, as dictated by a third party. Our hope is that students and families will use this model of assessment to explore any institution of potential interest.

Most of the data are readily available directly from the colleges and universities, and while no institution can be perfect in every way, if a majority of these qualities are present, the odds are good that students will value their choice over their lifetime.

Concentrate your efforts on extolling as many of these qualities as you honestly can, and the right student will find you for the right reasons. Then watch the spiral effect take hold: Student satisfaction and retention will increase, as will campus morale and spirit and--as a natural extension of these dynamics--student applications and yield. There should be no need to play with statistics to move up in the rankings, when the true strengths of your institution will be far more effective in recruiting qualified and enthusiastic students.

Howard Greene and Matthew Greene ere independent education consultants, and the authors of the Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning. Their television focus, "Ten Steps to College with the Greenes," will air nationally on PBS in March; check local listings. The Greenes have produced a pledge program as well us a regular video presentation and an interactive DVD featuring interviews with college admission officers from over 25 IHEs, for distribution through PBS, schools, and libraries. For information, e-mail education@greenesguides.com, visit www.qreenesguides.com or www.pbs.org.