Forbes 2014 Best Colleges: SMU #101

[StallionsModelT]

Looks like we've fallen from #81 all the way out of the Top 100. Missed it by one. For comparison here are some other schools of note:

Rice (32)
UT-Austin (76)
SMU (101)
Trinity (132)
Texas A&M - College Station (137)
Tulane (147)
LSU (190)
Baylor (195)
Southwestern (197)
University of Oklahoma - Norman (202)
University of Dallas (212)
University of Tulsa (213)
TCU (216)
Austin College (271)
Oklahoma State University - Stillwater (369)
University of Houston (389)
Saint Mary's (390)
Texas Tech University (402)
Saint Edward's (473)
University of Texas - Dallas (494)
University of Texas - El Paso (511)
Abilene Christian University (526)
Texas Women's University (573)
University of North Texas (581)
Sam Houston State University (587)
University of Texas - Arlington (601)
Lamar University (602)
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi (604)
Texas State - San Marcos (615)
Stephen F. Austin University (617)
Texas A&M - Kingsville (631)
University of Texas - San Antonio (641)
Texas A&M - Commerce (644)
Texas Southern University (649)

[gostangs]

Nobody pays any attention to Forbes. US News is the only one to watch.

[StallionsModelT]

Very true. I just thought it was worth posting.

[gostangs]

agree - always want the direction to be the right one, regardless of the source.

Tulane is way below what I would think - and the TCU ranking is sobering. yikes.

[ideal]

there will always be naysayers

[StallionsModelT]

Yeah Tulane below Texas A&M? Not sure I agree on that. TCU ranking is just further evidence that they are not a peer institution to SMU. We are simply on a different level and no amount of football success will ever change that.

[tristatecoog]

Only one TX school in the top 75. Ouch!
LSU > Baylor and TCU
UH > TX Tech
Austin College, UT-D and UTSA are lower than I would have thought. UTSA worse than SFA and TX State.

[StallionsModelT]

I was stunned by UT-D coming in at #492 on that list. Tech at #402 and I consider UT-D to be a much better institution.

[Nacho]

http://www.forbes.com/colleges/williams-college/

seriously i have never heard of this place.

[malonish]

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... rsity-3613

#60

UH 190

TCU 82

[StallionsModelT]

That is last years US News ranking. I'm hopeful we move up into the mid to upper 50's in the new rankings that come out in September.

[Boston Pony]

Williams is a great New England School. Think Trinity (San Antonio) with even more rich, prep school kids. A bunch of Wall St. types including Steinbrenner.

[smudubs]

I have been looking for a thread on which I could post this question, and this seems to be the best. I have two kids going into their sophomore and junior years of high school. Accordingly, we have been visiting schools this summer and will continue doing so next year. My son is near the top 10% of his class, was a member of the state champion academic decathlon team, placed third individually in academic decathlon, scored in the 97th percentile of all test takers on the PSAT as a sophomore, and is ranked in the top 30 in the nation in four track & field events in his age group. He has decided to focus on track and hopes to do decathlon in college, which the coaches on his club team believe he can do.

Against that backdrop, what schools would all you suggest we investigate? He visited Rice while we were in Houston for Junior Olympics last week and really enjoyed the visit. He has already told me that he will not consider following in our footsteps and going to SMU because a) it's too close to home and b) doesn't have a men's track program. Thoughts?

[gostangs]

my suggestion is that he drop track since it is a waste of time and cant help him feed anybody.

Once he gets on SMU's campus he will never see anyone from Dallas. Tell him you will pay for SMU or he can pay for college. That should clarify things for him. With his academics he should get about 50% off our retail tuition bill.

[ideal]

student/parent satisfaction, brand value
SMU is at the, very top,
all that eastern rating bs is claptrap.