MU's embarassingly high acceptance rate

[Coleman]

Recent experience, grandson of a friend, applied to M.U. and Perdue engineering.  I called admissions on his behalf, he was on the waiting list.  He never got accepted by M.U. so he went to Perdue, his first choice was Marquette as he had a brother in Chicago.

The Chicken AgriBusiness?

[keefe]

Did you mean to use teal?

Not at all. Taking the significant majority of applicants diminishes the brand.

But as we both know, numbers alone don't tell the complete story. If Marquette recruiting is nailing acquisition in its target demographic then the numbers would be appropriate. And that is what neither of us know to be fact.

So, taken alone as an arbitrary stat, that high of an acceptance rate suggests a lower entry threshold. But again, we don't know the composition of those accepted.

What it does underscore is just how silly is the USNWR heuristic model. At the end of the day reputations are forged over years and validated in society through the contributions of those who were graduated.

[GGGG]

Agree with you 100% keefe.

[warriorchick]

Why should the acceptance rate even be a thing?  What does it really tell you about the quality of an institution that the average GPA, class rank, and college board score of accepted students doesn't?

If a school has similar stats to Marquette, but has a lower acceptance rate, what that tells me is that they are wasting time and money marketing to students who don't have a chance of getting in.

Are you telling me that it would be better for Marquette to have a acceptance rate of 25% and an average ACT score of enrolled students of 25 than if their rate was 65% with an average ACT score of 29?

[drewm88]

Understand from very reliable sources that this year's Frosh class exceeds 2000 at this point.  Will be a little melt but every reason to expect that last year's class of about 1825 was an anomaly. Good news.

I wonder if the Illinois state budget issues play a role in that. With MAP grants looking unlikely, more students may look out of state.

Loyola has a massive class incoming, and it's believed some is due to the instability at state institutions.

[GGGG]

Why should the acceptance rate even be a thing?  What does it really tell you about the quality of an institution that the average GPA, class rank, and college board score of accepted students doesn't?

If a school has similar stats to Marquette, but has a lower acceptance rate, what that tells me is that they are wasting time and money marketing to students who don't have a chance of getting in.

Are you telling me that it would be better for Marquette to have a acceptance rate of 25% and an average ACT score of enrolled students was 25 than if their rate was 65% with an average ACT score of 29?

That's the biggest way schools drive down their rate. By playing with the denominator. Washington university in St. Louis is typical of what schools do. Blanket applications to tons of students. Make the process real simple and free.

Now it's obviously a quality school but their acceptance rate has nothing to do with it.

[warriorchick]

That's the biggest way schools drive down their rate. By playing with the denominator. Washington university in St. Louis is typical of what schools do. Blanket applications to tons of students. Make the process real simple and free.

Now it's obviously a quality school but their acceptance rate has nothing to do with it.

That's exactly my point.  And the further towards the top an institution is, the less accurate the acceptance rate would be in determining exclusivity.  For example, Harvard has an acceptance rate of 5%.  But that's only among students who think that they have an actual shot at getting in.  In reality. far less than 1% of high school seniors meet the standards to get into Harvard.  On the other end, a low-regarded state school that accepts 90% of their students would indeed accept around  90% of the high school seniors in the U.S.

[MU82]

At the end of the day reputations are forged over years and validated in society through the contributions of those who were graduated.

True dat. And Chicos is getting really freakin' tired about carrying the school's entire reputation on his back.

The rest of us need to step it up!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Marquette us never gonna be an Ivy or Northwestern. Anywayd, the overall scool acceptance rate shouldn't be an issue it's the individual programs that really matter. I mean hell, the PT program is 9th in the entire nation. That's elite.

[jsglow]

True dat. And Chicos is getting really freakin' tired about carrying the school's entire reputation on his back.

The rest of us need to step it up!

Well done 82.  I was thinking a line like that was overdue and you beat me to it!

HA.  I just realized that MU's alum pool just got 'altered' this weekend.  I'll let you know if jsglow jr. raisers or lowers the overall profile!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Well done 82.  I was thinking a line like that was overdue and you beat me to it!

HA.  I just realized that MU's alum pool just got 'altered' this weekend.  I'll let you know if jsglow jr. raisers or lowers the overall profile!

Oh definitely raises it, but that just ends up offsetting me lowering the profile.

[Benny B]

The Chicken AgriBusiness?

Hah... I saw that and thought to myself how sad it is that being a chicken plucker is now a safety net for Marquette applicants.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Reinstate the FFP and be done with it.  The Poet has moved on and so should MU (back to our roots).  Leave the Elitism to those on Rockville Pike.

[source?]

66.7 or 75%??

The difference between f#cking embarrassing and f#cking shameful. If Marquette is accepting 2/3 or 3/4 of all applicants it means they have no standards. If Marquette wants to be seen as elite it needs to start acting accordingly. Taking all comers hardly communicates exclusivity.

You're not wrong. I wouldn't mind MU getting to the point where they are more selective than they are currently, but the difference between 66.7 and 75% is the difference between being considered a "more selective" university or a "selective" one like Duquesne. It is a significant difference.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/duquesne-university-3258

[keefe]

Reinstate the FFP and be done with it.  The Poet has moved on and so should MU (back to our roots).  Leave the Elitism to those on Rockville Pike.

No FFP No Goose.

Scoop is a better place because of that. Nuff said.

[Tugg Speedman]

That's exactly my point.  And the further towards the top an institution is, the less accurate the acceptance rate would be in determining exclusivity.  For example, Harvard has an acceptance rate of 5%.  But that's only among students who think that they have an actual shot at getting in.  In reality. far less than 1% of high school seniors meet the standards to get into Harvard.  On the other end, a low-regarded state school that accepts 90% of their students would indeed accept around  90% of the high school seniors in the U.S.

Unless I missed it the yield has not be discussed.  You cannot discuss the acceptance rate with discussing the yield in tandem.

The yield is the percentage of accepted kids that actually enroll.  Harvard is the highest at 80%, meaning 1 in 5 accepted go elsewhere.

Many schools are well under 50%, some under 25%.  So they have to accept 200% to 400% percent the size of their freshman class to fill it out (versus 120% for Harvard).

To get the acceptance rate down MU has to get its yield up.  Anyone know what MU's yield is?

Hate to say it but MU has a very good plan to get its yield up ... blowing up McCormick and building a new spiffy freshman dorm.  (I say "hate to say it" because it does come down to these type of factors in deciding where to go the school.)

[Coleman]

Unless I missed it the yield has not be discussed.  You cannot discuss the acceptance rate with discussing the yield in tandem.

The yield is the percentage of accepted kids that actually enroll.  Harvard is the highest at 80%, meaning 1 in 5 accepted go elsewhere.

Many schools are well under 50%, some under 25%.  So they have to accept 200% to 400% percent the size of their freshman class to fill it out (versus 120% for Harvard).

To get the acceptance rate down MU has to get its yield up.  Anyone know what MU's yield is?

Hate to say it but MU has a very good plan to get its yield up ... blowing up McCormick and building a new spiffy freshman dorm.  (I say "hate to say it" because it does come down to these type of factors in deciding where to go the school.)

Chick just started a thread on the number of deposits they got, and it was more than planned. So I assume their yield was slightly higher than expected.

[jsglow]

Unless I missed it the yield has not be discussed.  You cannot discuss the acceptance rate with discussing the yield in tandem.

The yield is the percentage of accepted kids that actually enroll.  Harvard is the highest at 80%, meaning 1 in 5 accepted go elsewhere.

Many schools are well under 50%, some under 25%.  So they have to accept 200% to 400% percent the size of their freshman class to fill it out (versus 120% for Harvard).

To get the acceptance rate down MU has to get its yield up.  Anyone know what MU's yield is?

Hate to say it but MU has a very good plan to get its yield up ... blowing up McCormick and building a new spiffy freshman dorm.  (I say "hate to say it" because it does come down to these type of factors in deciding where to go the school.)

Heisty, your numbers are super high.  The number of schools that get to a 50% acceptance rate is quite low and mostly includes the Ivys and some small colleges that essentially 'hand pick' their tiny incoming class.  As far as I know, only U of C in the Midwest achieves that threshold.   The vast majority have acceptance rates well below 25% as the average college bound kid applies to between 5 and 10 universities, a number that increases every year.  Frankly, Marquette's new targeted approach seems to be paying dividends.  So instead of getting 23,000 apps, handing out 11,000 acceptances and (last year) getting only 1825 Frosh, they have tailored their recruiting.  I don't have exact numbers yet but the results are positive.  We already know that this year's incoming class is currently approaching 2050.

Here's what I measure.  Top 10%, ACT, and class size.  If those remain strong, it's all good.

[Tugg Speedman]

How much does MU spend per student?  Anyone know?


As 'yield rates' fluctuate, colleges work to protect reputations

http://college.usatoday.com/2015/02/07/as-yield-rates-fluctuate-colleges-work-to-protect-reputations/

In recent years, universities have found it challenging to boost their yield, as students apply to more schools per admission cycle, which can increase their options when it's time to make a decision. A 2011 Noel-Levitz report on undergraduate enrollment trends shows that private universities spend about $2,185 per student in recruitment.

Mollie Berg, a junior at the University of Southern California, says she applied to 23 colleges and universities her senior year of high school because the process seemed like a "random lottery system" to her.

"The college application process felt so competitive and the decisions so arbitrary that I had no idea which schools I would actually get accepted into," she says. "I felt like I had no idea what colleges were looking for."

After receiving 14 acceptances, Berg says she had "big decisions to make" when it came time to narrow down her picks.

While the gifts universities sent her didn't determine which school she'd enroll in, Berg says it gave her a glimpse as to what attending those universities might be like. Tulane gave her a shirt, and the University of California at San Diego sent a 3D acceptance letter that she says put the school ahead of the UCLA. On a visit to New York University, Berg says admitted students received shirts "10 times your size" and attended a short tour with speakers she couldn't relate to.

"Before applying and being accepted to schools, NYU was actually always one of my top choices, but they did a lousy job pampering and welcoming students to the school compared to USC," Berg says. She says USC "rolled out the red carpet" for admitted students, giving them a specialized tour of both the entire campus and their school within USC, alongside a series of "incredible, relatable" speakers and presentations.

[vogue65]

The Chicken AgriBusiness?

That's why I retired.   Purdue, even proof reading does not help. 

[Coleman]

That's why I retired.   Purdue, even proof reading does not help.

Just pulling your drumstick 

[vogue65]

Marketing to fickle H.S. seniors is very challenging, not to mention their parents.

[Tugg Speedman]

Heisty, your numbers are super high.  The number of schools that get to a 50% acceptance rate is quite low and mostly includes the Ivys and some small colleges that essentially 'hand pick' their tiny incoming class.  As far as I know, only U of C in the Midwest achieves that threshold.   The vast majority have acceptance rates well below 25% as the average college bound kid applies to between 5 and 10 universities, a number that increases every year.  Frankly, Marquette's new targeted approach seems to be paying dividends.  So instead of getting 23,000 apps, handing out 11,000 acceptances and (last year) getting only 1825 Frosh, they have tailored their recruiting.  I don't have exact numbers yet but the results are positive.  We already know that this year's incoming class is currently approaching 2050.

Here's what I measure.  Top 10%, ACT, and class size.  If those remain strong, it's all good.

You are correct, only 25 schools have a yield above 50%
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2016-01-25/national-universities-where-students-are-eager-to-enroll

Some of interest ....

Chicago has a 9% acceptance rate and a 60%
http://chicagomaroon.com/2015/04/14/record-low-acceptance-rate-as-applicant-numbers-increase/

Northwestern has a 10% acceptance rate and a 45% yield
http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/05/lets-hear-it-for-the-class-of-2017.html

Wisconsin has a 68% acceptance rate and a 40% yield.
https://colleges.niche.com/university-of-wisconsin/admissions/

Notre Dame has a 21% admit rate and a 53% yield
http://ndsmcobserver.com/2014/08/class-2018-arrives-notre-dame/

Vilanova has a 49% acceptance rate and a 23% yield
https://colleges.niche.com/villanova-university/admissions/

Depaul has a 60% admit rate and 20% yield
https://colleges.niche.com/depaul-university/statistics/

Georgetown has a 48% yield
http://www.thehoya.com/admissions-yield-dips-for-2018/

[jsglow]

Walter, you worked way harder on that than I was willing to!

[vogue65]

Looks like Ms. Mollie Berg figured it out, she wanted to be in control and not let the helter-skelter admissions process be the driver of her life.  Good for her.