MU's embarassingly high acceptance rate

[Litehouse]

Cudahy Hall also opened before Wild arrived, along with Campus Town, so the transition had started.  Wild picked it and took it to a whole new level.

[MU82]

Not embarrassed.

Not concerned.

Not even giving it a second more thought than it takes for me to finish typing this and hit "Post."

Go Marquette!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Dahmer, for one thing.

I graduated in 1991.  Found out after graduation that he would have walked past my apartment on Kilbourn everyday on his way to the chocolate factory.  Snikes!!!

[4everwarriors]

Was he inta transgender cats, hey?

[Coleman]

I graduated in 1991.  Found out after graduation that he would have walked past my apartment on Kilbourn everyday on his way to the chocolate factory.  Snikes!!!

[MU82]

I graduated in 1991.  Found out after graduation that he would have walked past my apartment on Kilbourn everyday on his way to the chocolate factory.  Snikes!!!

My junior year, I lived at 24th and Wells, kitty-corner from Midget Tavern.

Dahmer was about a block and a half away.

Thankfully, he never invited me over for dinner!

[keefe]

keefe, I'd say 2 things.  Dahmer and crappy basketball over an extended period. 

Couple that with some really outdated facilities with the exception of the then new AMU.  Plus remember that MKE was really struggling following de-industrialization in the 80's.

Because I was overseas so much during those pre-internet years that I didn't have the full sight picture of Marquette. My wife often went back and was active in the University so I know that there was tremendous concern about PPE and environmentals but didn't realize the situation was that grave.

[keefe]

LOL, thanks keefe for the ironic laugh at my grammar.

It was a gentle poke at irony and not the messenger!

[Dr. Blackheart]

The number of 18-24 year olds is declining as the Millenial bump peaks...but more will have to seek college degrees as there are less middle class jobs. The problem, unlike with Millenials, is these will be/are more and more first generation minority students who don't have wealthy and highly educated Boomers as parents..  With overall supply dwindling, and more aspiring to higher education, acceptance rates will rise. Costs will need to be controlled.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/02/28/us-projects-college-enrollment-grow-14-through-2022

[jsglow]

Because I was overseas so much during those pre-internet years that I didn't have the full sight picture of Marquette. My wife often went back and was active in the University so I know that there was tremendous concern about PPE and environmentals but didn't realize the situation was that grave.

keefe, I trust you we're flying critical support missions supporting our men on the ground.  Thanks again for your service.

[#UnleashSean]

What year is it? People care about acceptance rates?

[Jay Bee]

Is anyone concerned about the fact that MU has missed it's Freshmen enrollment goal

The capitalization is one thing, but... you using it's instead of its is more troubling than acceptance rates at MU.

[Blackhat]

“I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members.”

[PorkysButthole]

Interesting thread with a lot of valid points.  Still, a 75% acceptance rate if true is way too high.   One of the main goals in the strategic plan that was issued a couple of years ago was for MU to be ranked among the top 25% of National Universities in USNWR.  A ranking of 68 or lower in the National category would put them there so given that MU's ranking has fluctuated between the high 70's to mid 80's over the past 10 years, that seems like a reasonable goal.  I just don't see how they get there if they continue to admit 7.5 out of every 10 that apply.  Rightly or wrongly, how difficult a particular college is to get into apparently  carriies more weight in national rankings than how effective a job they do in actually educating their students.  It seems to me that MU talks a big game, but at the end of the day is unwilling (or unable) to play it and is a little too comfortable with their lot in the US higher education landscape.   Get over It MU!

[warriorchick]

Still haven't seen a source for that 75% figure.

[mu03eng]

Still haven't seen a source for that 75% figure.

Pretty sure the source is his screenname

[GGGG]

Still haven't seen a source for that 75% figure.

According to the USN@WR profile, it was 66.7% in 2014.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/marquette-university-3863

[martyconlonontherun]

As much as I enjoyed my time at MU, I am not sure I would make MU my first recommendation for my kids or family. It mostly depends on what degree they would seek since I think the business school and engineering school offers valuable access to Milwaukee internships and the payout of the career makes it worth the tuition. As for students looking into teaching/communications, I would probably push for UW or a hyphen. It just isn't worth paying that much for a career that will take you 20 years to pay off the debt. I love MU but I'm also realistic it isn't that much better than the other cheaper options. Am I only in this? Anyone have a different viewpoint?

(Disclaimer: Yes, there is a lot to be said for the Jesuit culture, enjoying college, and that plenty of Comm majors get high paying jobs. I wouldn't discourage anyone from coming to MU, but I just don't think it is always the best decision. A lot of times when I look at my student loans I regret not taking a different path.)

[StillAWarrior]

As much as I enjoyed my time at MU, I am not sure I would make MU my first recommendation for my kids or family. It mostly depends on what degree they would seek since I think the business school and engineering school offers valuable access to Milwaukee internships and the payout of the career makes it worth the tuition. As for students looking into teaching/communications, I would probably push for UW or a hyphen. It just isn't worth paying that much for a career that will take you 20 years to pay off the debt. I love MU but I'm also realistic it isn't that much better than the other cheaper options. Am I only in this? Anyone have a different viewpoint?

(Disclaimer: Yes, there is a lot to be said for the Jesuit culture, enjoying college, and that plenty of Comm majors get high paying jobs. I wouldn't discourage anyone from coming to MU, but I just don't think it is always the best decision. A lot of times when I look at my student loans I regret not taking a different path.)

No, you're not the only one.  Not even close.  My son is a freshman and didn't even consider Marquette.  He only went to a private college because he got a great deal that made it fairly cost competitive with some state schools here in Ohio.  He understood that if they wouldn't have come through with the money, he was going to Miami (which is a great school -- so is OSU).  My daughter is only going to the school she is going to attend because of the money offered.  Unless there is significant financial aid involved and/or a very special program, I have a really hard time justifying the cost of private schools.  I don't see the value.  I told my kids that what I did to my parents -- travel across country to get a fairly generic degree at a private school with no financial aid -- was unconscionable.  I loved (and still love) Marquette. I met my wife there and it is a huge part of who I am.  But I don't think it makes a lot of sense anymore with costs being what they are.

[Coleman]

As much as I enjoyed my time at MU, I am not sure I would make MU my first recommendation for my kids or family. It mostly depends on what degree they would seek since I think the business school and engineering school offers valuable access to Milwaukee internships and the payout of the career makes it worth the tuition. As for students looking into teaching/communications, I would probably push for UW or a hyphen. It just isn't worth paying that much for a career that will take you 20 years to pay off the debt. I love MU but I'm also realistic it isn't that much better than the other cheaper options. Am I only in this? Anyone have a different viewpoint?

(Disclaimer: Yes, there is a lot to be said for the Jesuit culture, enjoying college, and that plenty of Comm majors get high paying jobs. I wouldn't discourage anyone from coming to MU, but I just don't think it is always the best decision. A lot of times when I look at my student loans I regret not taking a different path.)

You're not alone. I love MU, loved my time at MU, loved the people I met at MU and the lasting relationships and friendships that came out of it.

I have a good paying job and the debt I took on certainly wasn't life-altering. It didn't keep me from getting a mortgage or living my life. But sometimes I still wonder if the cost was worth it, not just in the student loans, but also in the amount of money my parents put up, even though they were willing to do that. I still carry a bit of guilt around about that. My parents aren't in the poor house, but I know there was some sacrifice.

I don't think there's any chance my kids will go to MU, unless they can somehow manage substantial scholarships (not just the regular Ignatius).  I would not encourage someone to take on that kind of debt, even if it was in a lucrative field like engineering.

This is going to be a huge problem for schools like Marquette in the years to come. There has been massive waste in non-academic spending in recent decades, IMO, and raising tuition to cover it is not sustrightble. The amount spent on things like resident hall directors, campus activities, administrative and support staff will need to change. When these people are getting paid more than the adjunct professors actually teaching your classes, there are real structural problems with the model.

Money should be spent on professors, research, and academic resources. Students are adults. They don't need Bingo at the Annex or movies at Varsity Theater.

Marquette is a good school, but it is not a good value. That is a problem.

[keefe]

which is a great school -- so is OSU

This is so wrong. So very wrong...And here I always thought you were a rather clever man...

[Benny B]

As much as I enjoyed my time at MU, I am not sure I would make MU my first recommendation for my kids or family. It mostly depends on what degree they would seek since I think the business school and engineering school offers valuable access to Milwaukee internships and the payout of the career makes it worth the tuition. As for students looking into teaching/communications, I would probably push for UW or a hyphen. It just isn't worth paying that much for a career that will take you 20 years to pay off the debt. I love MU but I'm also realistic it isn't that much better than the other cheaper options. Am I only in this? Anyone have a different viewpoint?

(Disclaimer: Yes, there is a lot to be said for the Jesuit culture, enjoying college, and that plenty of Comm majors get high paying jobs. I wouldn't discourage anyone from coming to MU, but I just don't think it is always the best decision. A lot of times when I look at my student loans I regret not taking a different path.)

A co-worker of mine has a son graduating HS next month.  His dad was telling me how he applied to Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan; the first three accepted him, Becky wait-listed, and Michigan rejected.  He ultimately decided on MSU.  I asked why, and the response was along the lines of they have a good business school that just cracked the top 20.  I inquired further as to why not Kelley (a much better business school), and he said it felt too far away from home (his sister also goes to MSU).  I could sense the frustration in my co-worker's voice as he kept falling back on how MSU has a good business school and it was a good fit for his major. 

Me: "What does he want to study?"

"He's leaning towards real estate."

Me: "Did he look at Marquette?  MU's undergrad real estate program is top 10 nationally."

"No, he didn't even consider Marquette.  I think he also wanted to look at finance or investment banking."

Me: "Well, Marquette's applied investment management program is top 5 in the nation.  In fact, both of those programs have a 100% placement rate."

At this point, my co-worker was speechless.  I don't know if he didn't realize that MU had elite-level programs in RE and AIM or if he was just frustrated that his kid didn't even look at a school that seemed to be a perfect fit geographically and academically.

"Actually, it's understandable," I said, sarcastically.  "An urban campus can be really scary for white kids from the suburbs."

[StillAWarrior]

This is so wrong. So very wrong...And here I always thought you were a rather clever man...

Just to be clear -- I think it's a very good school.  But I hate it and pretty much everything that it stands for.  I'm not sure I'd forbid my kids from going there.  But I'm also not sure I wouldn't.

[Eldon]

Just to be clear -- I think it's a very good school.  But I hate it and pretty much everything that it stands for.  I'm not sure I'd forbid my kids from going there.  But I'm also not sure I wouldn't.

Which Ohio State University are you talking about?  The Ohio State University?

[mu03eng]

Which Ohio State University are you talking about?  The Ohio State University?

No, THE Ohio State University