How Long Until We Pass UT in National Rankings?

[gostangs]

Have heard we may be at 1270 - which is a huge 1 yr jump

It's a package deal that moves us:

Increase endowment (need to hit 2B)
Sat move up to 1300
Increase research dough
Increase percentage of giving by alums (any amount counts)

[friarwolf]

Have heard we may be at 1270 - which is a huge 1 yr jump

It's a package deal that moves us:

Increase endowment (need to hit 2B)
Sat move up to 1300
Increase research dough
Increase percentage of giving by alums (any amount counts)

That is probably the score for the accepted applicant pool but it won't stay there. A 10 point jump is probably more like it........

[ponyboy]

Question. When you quote an SAT score, what scale are you using? The average new SAT score is something close to 1500.

Are you using the old scale, just the reading and math portions?

[RednBlue11]

Question. When you quote an SAT score, what scale are you using? The average new SAT score is something close to 1500.

Are you using the old scale, just the reading and math portions?

no university that i know of uses the writing portion of the SAT as a measuring stick, it is generally considered useless.

4 yrs ago it was baylors policy that if you took the writing portion of the SAT that you would not have to write an essay for your application.

a perfect math/english score is 1600 as each of the three sections of the SAT are worth up to 800 pts

basically the writing portion is so new that most universities do not have a good idea about whether it actually shows anything useful about how well a student can write...mainly because there is literally no environment in college where these same parameters for writing an essay will be duplicated...especially where the person grading the material would be required to stop after 30 seconds of review and make their judgement solely on what they read once.

[ponyboy]

Gotcha. Thanks.

[gostangs]

It will for sure be more then 10 pts. They are encouraged by the lift of the accepting sutdents and the 40% jump in applications is paying off pretty big.

[ponyboy]

All because of football.

[Comet]

You know, I always hear people here say about how SMU needs to attach itself more to the Dallas image. And I've always been cheerleading this major advantage (and potential) of SMU. However, what do you guys think would be the best manner of actually doing that? It's astounding that some people in the DFW area don't even recognize SMU, let alone being the premier university of the region, and one of the top 3 universities in Texas by US News' 2010 rankings. I'm not aware of what alumni are up to (I'm a graduate student), but how would one actually market SMU as the Dallas university? I'd imagine that the persistence of high rankings and the exposure of successful sports will play a large role, but in terms of fundraising, advertising, and academic ordeals, what more can be done (or is being done)?

[mrydel]

As much as some will scream, the Bush Library is going to raise the awareness of the school on a National level. At some point Dallas will have to accept the fact that we are there.

[malachi896]

http://www.golocalprov.com/lifestyle/co ... from-2011/

Acceptance rate for fall of 2011 has fallen 11% to 43%. This will help us shoot up the rankings

[Alaric]

How much credit is our improved football program getting for the uptick in applications?

[RednBlue11]

im sure it's getting some, but let's be honest...

[NickSMU17]

More than the academia will give you credit for....

The peak of college apps occurred 3 years ago...so we can't put it on increased population...the economy is worse than it ever has been, so we can't put it on more people having disposable income to pay for private schools....

The truth is a huge part of the rankings jump and applications is applicable to the free marketing the football team gives the school....I.e. Hawaii bowl, pony excess, ect., and the increase in number of donors...

[gostangs]

combination of following factors:

1) now on common application
2) football success
3) bush library
4) increased academic ranking

[BoazBastard]

An increase in interest of the school is positively related to the increase of exclusivity in the major programs SMU is most-known for. Those being: Cox, Dedman, and Meadows. True getting best teachers money can buy is good and, on paper, looks like it should work out, but the question at hand isn't how qualified the professors are, but if they actually care for the students and stimulate the students' interest in the subjects they are learning about. With these factors comes the increase in research, one, by the professors, but two, by the students who want to keep learning with the professors.

The football team has made strides, sure, but they're not on the national level of recognition because SMU still plays in a 3rd-tier conference. When the athletics program moves from the CUSA to a more notable conference, then will young-people be more inclined to take an interest in the school.