PonyFans.comBoard IndexAround the HilltopFootballRecruitingBasketballOther Sports

Incoming Freshman Class

General discussion: anything you want to talk about!

Moderators: PonyPride, SmooPower

Incoming Freshman Class

Postby friarwolf » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:29 am

Setting up to be a big class numbers-wise and the metrics are good.........
friarwolf
Heisman
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:31 am

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby Pony81 » Wed Jul 13, 2016 8:07 pm

Any details you can share?
Pony 81
Pony81
Heisman
 
Posts: 1353
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:09 pm

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby deucetz » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:09 am

I hope that this includes that SMU had a lower acceptance rate.

I would think SMU would want lower its class size so they can be more competitive for US News. I hope they aren't trying to get a larger class for revenue generating purposes.
deucetz
All-American
 
Posts: 619
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 5:08 pm

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby friarwolf » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:56 am

Not a revenue thing, just a larger than expected number of kids committing to come. We're not having to hit the wait list and the scores of the kids on the wait list are really strong. We'll see if this holds up.....
friarwolf
Heisman
 
Posts: 1964
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:31 am

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby gostangs » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:12 pm

We need to get bigger also - which is hard while improving. Hoping we can work up to 8k undergrads within 5 years
gostangs
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 12311
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 4:01 am
Location: Dallas, Texas USA

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby deucetz » Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:38 pm

What's the rationale of getting bigger? I feel until SMU can graduate 90% of graduates in 5 years and have an almost equally high employment or graduate school acceptance than the class size shouldn't be touched.

SMU isn't even in the top 50 of US News, going bigger only hurts the rankings.
deucetz
All-American
 
Posts: 619
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 5:08 pm

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby Greenwich Pony » Fri Jul 15, 2016 8:49 pm

Unless there is a compelling financial reason to do so, we don't need to get any bigger on the undergraduate side.
Support the Commitment! We're all SMU Mustangs fans- we should all be committed!
Greenwich Pony
Varsity
 
Posts: 479
Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 3:01 am
Location: Westport, CT, USA

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby DanFreibergerForHeisman » Fri Jul 15, 2016 8:51 pm

Wouldn't mind slipping a few spots if we were good at sports.
Shake It Off Moody
User avatar
DanFreibergerForHeisman
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 16484
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2000 3:01 am
Location: The 214

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby gostangs » Sat Jul 16, 2016 8:53 am

Bigger means more people that want SMU to do well at everything. The DFW region has doubled in 15 years and we are the same size. There are only three schools smaller than us in D-1. Dallas looks at us as they should - small insular school. We need to get a bigger share of mind and graduating an additional 300 undergrads a year would help a ton. If we did it slowly it wouldn't hirt our academic numbers.
gostangs
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 12311
Joined: Mon Dec 02, 2002 4:01 am
Location: Dallas, Texas USA

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby deucetz » Sun Jul 17, 2016 9:21 am

I didn't go to college at SMU, just went to grad school here so I have a different perspective than some on this board.

I don't think just adding more students will be helpful unless all those students are going to the engineering school and are from another state that also has a booming economy. Since students will hopefully find jobs back at their respective states.

I think Gerald Turner must go, simply for the fact that he isn't good at managing the academic side of SMU. He is a great fundraiser, but brick and mortar can only take you so far. I mean SMU is beautiful, but most liberal arts school in the east coast are as well. In fact, SMU could never look as beautiful since they simply don't make them like they used to. Some of these schools are 300+ years old (I wish the majority of the school looked liked Dallas Hall inside and out). What distinguishes them from SMU, is the academic side. I don't think more students is the answer without a well executed plan.

Even with a smaller institution size, SMU still struggles with attracting students, having them graduate on time, and then once they graduate having them give back. Many of the early alums are from Dallas or Texas. What struck me once I came to SMU, was the lack of pride students had of the institution. Many of the undergrads talked about how rich the students were or how beautiful the campus was in comparison to most schools in Texas. I can assure you students at Rice are not talking like that. That's why it's been great that the Basketball program could help bring alums back together, hopefully the football program will have the same effect. I think beyond sports, SMU could do a better job having students enjoy their academic experience and build camaraderie with their classmates. That's why the new housing model is great. I think for SMU to get better they need to have students stay on campus until junior year and not allow first or second year student with cars on campus.

I feel SMU should be closer to Rice academically but put more emphasis in sports ( I know SMU won't just jump in rankings but getting higher quality faculty and emphasizing research will help) . In addition, SMU needs to do a better job reaching out to the surrounding communities outside Highland Park, Allen or Plano. I think it's safe that Dallas has grown this much, but the popularity hasn't seen as much of an increase. I obviously don't know the answers but SMU needs to do better. Almost every great city has a great recognizable university, but SMU still isn't that for Dallas. I mean what's the last Rhodes Scholar to come to the university? Most elite schools have an office, that grooms students from their freshman year for awards such as the Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater and Fulbright.

I want SMU to be better for North Texas (I hate that it's become a name for Dallas/ Ft. Worth. Thanks to the Cowboys). I just feel the institution needs to do a better job with a higher quality academic experience, and become more inclusive.
deucetz
All-American
 
Posts: 619
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2013 5:08 pm

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby Greenwich Pony » Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:16 pm

I absolutely agree. We don't need to be bigger on the undergraduate side, we need to be better. Dallas should have a recognizable world-class academic institution, and it doesn't. The Residential Commons is a (half-somethinged) step in the right direction for more school pride and integration, but over the years we have not really increased our academic profile by that much. In fact over the last decade the reps of our law and business school have sagged and seem to just be starting to recover.

I am very understanding that it is a very difficult climb, I work with a number of top academic institutions in my job, but we more or less have remained in the same 60's in the USNWR (and understanding that it not a perfect measure, but it is the one the administration discusses and is the most visible) since the 1990's. In fact we have seen lesser rivals rise far faster than we've ever done while we mark time. We've raised a load of money, we've created some new academic assets but we really haven't done enough to become a top university. We generate little to no academic buzz, we lack a university press, we are largely followers and not leaders and we are seen as a footnote. Until that changes, we're going to watch lesser institutions pass us by.

As to athletics, we are in Texas and not the Northeast. Our academic reputation isn't strong enough to be a draw, we need big-time athletics to create appeal for prospective students, for donors and for brand recognition. This administration has done a terrible job managing a key PR and outreach function of the university. You want the Dallas community behind SMU? Consistently win with local talent and the community will follow. I want to be mentioned in the same breath as top universities and if sacrificing athletics was the way to guaranty that I would be first on board, but the truth is that we need them and we need them to be strong. It may be too late and that is laid directly at the feet of the administration.
Support the Commitment! We're all SMU Mustangs fans- we should all be committed!
Greenwich Pony
Varsity
 
Posts: 479
Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 3:01 am
Location: Westport, CT, USA

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby PonySnob » Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:08 pm

DanFreibergerForHeisman wrote:Wouldn't mind slipping a few spots if we were good at sports.


This!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Peruna is my mascot!
User avatar
PonySnob
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 11516
Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2003 4:01 am
Location: Dallas, TX

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby TidePony » Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:50 pm

Our peers:

Wake Forest: 7591
SMU: 11643
Vandy: 12686
Tulane: 13449
Duke: 14950
Northwestern: 20955
Syracuse: 21267

Source: Wikipedia
User avatar
TidePony
Hall of Famer
 
Posts: 2326
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:36 pm

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby leopold » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:19 pm

Greenwich Pony wrote:Unless there is a compelling financial reason to do so, we don't need to get any bigger on the undergraduate side.


Except for perhaps educating a kid?
Welcome to the 2019 version of 'Cougin' it'
User avatar
leopold
PonyFans.com Legend
 
Posts: 3977
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 4:01 am
Location: Columbia, SC

Re: Incoming Freshman Class

Postby Greenwich Pony » Mon Jul 18, 2016 9:57 am

From an institutional standpoint, there is no compelling reason to expand the undergrad program. We are just within the range where our peer organizations are and what our current resources can handle in terms of undergrads. We do need to expand the graduate program. I note that Tide's numbers include both grad and undergrad students.
Support the Commitment! We're all SMU Mustangs fans- we should all be committed!
Greenwich Pony
Varsity
 
Posts: 479
Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 3:01 am
Location: Westport, CT, USA

Next

Return to Around the Hilltop

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests