New US News Rankings come out tomorrow...predictions?

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onb2014

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How have the rankings not already been leaked?
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why would you want to bother speculating. waste of time.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Ohmigosh, lyke, I totally think Northwestern is going to be ranked ahead of Cornell this year. Dis wud be lyke, SOOOOOOOO EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Whoa, is it that time already? I swear it only seems like yesterday when the last rankings were released. Time flies.
 
i predict it will be 99.1202% as useless as the current one.
 
my money is on a carib school taking the top spot;)
 
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I don't even know the rank of the schools I got accepted at. I looked at the rankings prior to applying, but it did not really influence my choice of schools at all, and it certainly has no relevance to me for choosing where to attend.
 
metallica81788 said:
Hollywood Upstairs will take a stranglehold on the #9 spot, moving back into the Top 10 for the first time in a couple years.
Click to expand...

Dr_Nick.png

sees what you did there.
 
I'm rooting for an upset. We could totally take bets on the rankings and make it into a sporting like event. Any takers?
 
i'll be the first to give the rankings some validation...

I know for a fact Vandy, Pritzker, an Dartmouth take the ranking pretty seriously.

Vandy - they brought it up during second look here and there. They know they didn't accomplish this task: http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=2041 , but they are still looking to move up

UChicago doesn't like the fact that their medical school is the lowest ranked out of all its grad schools, so the administration is working on moving up the list. Heard this from multiple students during my interview.

Dartmouth - Our new President of the College (Dr. Jim Kim) came in with the mindset that DMS could be a top 15 medical school on USNews...this was a breath of fresh air because the students of the undergrad and med school felt that while the rest of Dartmouth was doing great, the former president didn't really care about the med school.

The rankings, if anything, show trends. A school constantly moving up in the #'s is obviously doing something right. I'm not talking about a measly 1/2 spots, but those that have been making significant improvement over the past few years. Same goes with those on the decline.

now choosing #22 over #30 just cause of the ranking...yea, that's dumb.
 
If the school I go to gets a higher rank, it's useful. Otherwise, it's useless. :laugh:
 
ishchayill said:
If the school I go to gets a higher rank, it's useful. Otherwise, it's useless. :laugh:
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How does a school move up the rankings? They get the USNews criteria and directly do things to improve that. It's a little silly IMO. Think there's much of a difference between #4 and #8. I highly doubt it.
 
Just wondering who of you out there that's saying how unimportant the rankings are are NOT gonna check the website tomorrow?
 
Infinitydrop said:
Just wondering who of you out there that's saying how unimportant the rankings are are NOT gonna check the website tomorrow?
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honestly, i wouldn't have had any idea that they were coming out if i hadn't seen this thread. i DEFINITELY will not be running to that website tomorrow like some eager 12th grader runs to the mailbox on april 1st.
 
dw2158 said:
honestly, i wouldn't have had any idea that they were coming out if i hadn't seen this thread. i DEFINITELY will not be running to that website tomorrow like some eager 12th grader runs to the mailbox on april 1st.
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Lol, no one runs to the mailbox on April 1st anymore. It's refreshing like crazy on the school website or your email inbox at 5:00pm EST.
 
schrizto said:
Lol, no one runs to the mailbox on April 1st anymore. It's refreshing like crazy on the school website or your email inbox at 5:00pm EST.
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wow. a lot has changed in the 7 years since i applied to college. i got all my stuff via snail mail. it was fun-- lots of "big envelope" excitement.
 
schrizto said:
Lol, no one runs to the mailbox on April 1st anymore. It's refreshing like crazy on the school website or your email inbox at 5:00pm EST.
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seriously. get with the times dw! you're so old i bet they thought pluto was a planet when you were a kid. yeesh!:smuggrin:
 
University of Phoenix Online is climbing the rankings steadily. /sarcasm

They may be fun to look at but I wouldn't put a lot of stock into the USN&WR rankings.
 
dw2158 said:
wow. a lot has changed in the 7 years since i applied to college. i got all my stuff via snail mail. it was fun-- lots of "big envelope" excitement.
Click to expand...

I think it's better this way. The poor kids in California don't have to wait way after April 1st for their Ivy decisions to come in the mail. There's still some colleges that mail their decisions and it sucks compared to online decisions. :D

And you save trees. I remember a prestigious college rejecting me by email and saying they wouldn't send a hard copy rejection letter unless you specially requested one, so they could save some trees. Worded much more nicely, of course.
 
red10 said:
seriously. get with the times dw! you're so old i bet they thought pluto was a planet when you were a kid. yeesh!:smuggrin:
Click to expand...

who would have thought i'd feel so old in my early twenties...
 
Jolt21 said:
i'll be the first to give the rankings some validation...

I know for a fact Vandy, Pritzker, an Dartmouth take the ranking pretty seriously.

Vandy - they brought it up during second look here and there. They know they didn't accomplish this task: http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=2041 , but they are still looking to move up

UChicago doesn't like the fact that their medical school is the lowest ranked out of all its grad schools, so the administration is working on moving up the list. Heard this from multiple students during my interview.

Dartmouth - Our new President of the College (Dr. Jim Kim) came in with the mindset that DMS could be a top 15 medical school on USNews...this was a breath of fresh air because the students of the undergrad and med school felt that while the rest of Dartmouth was doing great, the former president didn't really care about the med school.

The rankings, if anything, show trends. A school constantly moving up in the #'s is obviously doing something right. I'm not talking about a measly 1/2 spots, but those that have been making significant improvement over the past few years. Same goes with those on the decline.

now choosing #22 over #30 just cause of the ranking...yea, that's dumb.
Click to expand...

How does this validate the rankings? The fact that schools try to game the system?

Divining a trend when schools move up and down that actually means anything is useless for comparing schools. Often the reason schools move around in the rankings is due to some tweak that USNews has made to their formula.

The only use of the rankings is as a guide to the competitiveness of admissions when coming up with a list of schools to apply to. Applying to schools only the Top 15 to 20, for instance, is ill advised for anybody but the superstar applicants.
 
flip26 said:
How does this validate the rankings? The fact that schools try to game the system?
Click to expand...

you can't really "game the system". there is some validation in their rankings any way you look at it. the fact that 70% is Quality Assessment and Research (40% composed of Peer Assessment Score & Assessment Score by Residency Directors, and 30% composed of various Research #'s) can tell you a positive if the school keeps moving up the rankings. If outside peers are viewing the medical school more favorably year after year, would you not consider that a positive?
 
flip26 said:
The only use of the rankings is as a guide to the competitiveness of admissions when coming up with a list of schools to apply to. Applying to schools only the Top 15 to 20, for instance, is ill advised for anybody but the superstar applicants.
Click to expand...

this is also a good use for the rankings...and a necessary one a well.
 
Jolt21 said:
you can't really "game the system". there is some validation in their rankings any way you look at it. the fact that 70% is Quality Assessment and Research (40% composed of Peer Assessment Score & Assessment Score by Residency Directors, and 30% composed of various Research #'s) can tell you a positive if the school keeps moving up the rankings. If outside peers are viewing the medical school more favorably year after year, would you not consider that a positive?
Click to expand...

peer evaluations can be pretty subjective, though.
 
I predict the rankings will be just as worthless for anyone not interested in a research career as they always have been. I also predict that pre-meds will continue to quote them as gospel and use them to determine the "best" med school.
 
schrizto said:
peer evaluations can be pretty subjective, though.
Click to expand...

this is also true, which is why they go to those that matter and not just some joe schmoe...those asked include: medical and osteopathic school deans, deans of academic affairs, and heads of internal medicine or the directors of admissions. And for the residency stuff: a sample of residency program directors in fields outside primary care, including surgery, psychiatry, and radiology

i'm just quoting the website. it's people like these residency directors that will eventually have a hand in where you end up for residency. so why not hear what they have to say?

i'm in no way saying the ranking are the gospel. i for one am choosing between a top 5 and one under 25 and threw out the schools in between for personal reasons. i dont think someone should make a decision based off rankings....but they can provide some perspective.
 
I think Wash U takes the game into overtime and wins the #1 spot by a field goal.
 
Jolt21 said:
i'll be the first to give the rankings some validation...

I know for a fact Vandy, Pritzker, an Dartmouth take the ranking pretty seriously.

Vandy - they brought it up during second look here and there. They know they didn't accomplish this task: http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/reporter/index.html?ID=2041 , but they are still looking to move up

UChicago doesn't like the fact that their medical school is the lowest ranked out of all its grad schools, so the administration is working on moving up the list. Heard this from multiple students during my interview.

Dartmouth - Our new President of the College (Dr. Jim Kim) came in with the mindset that DMS could be a top 15 medical school on USNews...this was a breath of fresh air because the students of the undergrad and med school felt that while the rest of Dartmouth was doing great, the former president didn't really care about the med school.

The rankings, if anything, show trends. A school constantly moving up in the #'s is obviously doing something right. I'm not talking about a measly 1/2 spots, but those that have been making significant improvement over the past few years. Same goes with those on the decline.

now choosing #22 over #30 just cause of the ranking...yea, that's dumb.
Click to expand...

Would be pretty awesome if Dartmouth moves up this year and the years following! The new president is amazing and definitely will bring about changes!
 
umm, i don't put too much credence into the rankings.

BUT, I would be excited if the school I am attending this coming year moves up a spot. Im sure many of you who deny looking at the rankings would be JUST A LITTLE excited if your school increased its rank....
 
Jolt21 said:
i'll be the first to give the rankings some validation...

I know for a fact Vandy, Pritzker, an Dartmouth take the ranking pretty seriously.
Click to expand...
Add Pitt to this. A student told me how they're emphasizing certain things more in admissions to make a push for the top 10.
 
Steeler7588 said:
Add Pitt to this. A student told me how they're emphasizing certain things more in admissions to make a push for the top 10.
Click to expand...

Schools in general take it pretty seriously. I'm personally interested to see if the prediction of Baylor bouncing back happens now that the rice deal broke down.
 
i'm going to be on the cover. lol. :rolleyes:
 
I would personally be worried as a student about going to a place that goes out of its way to protect its image with rankings.
Makes me wonder what they have to hide.

If a place happens to get ranked highly, GREAT, but to emphasize getting number 9 over number 11 seems a scary mentality in approaching the process of attracting candidates and producing physicians.
 
I don't know if this applys to med schools, but the year after UChicago broke into the top 10 in undergrad rankings, the number of apps to the school went up 45%
 
I think rankings play a part in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Much of the rankings is based on peer assessment, but what people perceive isn't always what really is. Yet if others rate a school highly, its rank will become high and attract better students and faculty, and really will become as good as believed.
 
bamtuba said:
I would personally be worried as a student about going to a place that goes out of its way to protect its image with rankings.
Makes me wonder what they have to hide.

If a place happens to get ranked highly, GREAT, but to emphasize getting number 9 over number 11 seems a scary mentality in approaching the process of attracting candidates and producing physicians.
Click to expand...

why would you think they have something to hide? theres nothing wrong with attracting more research funding or pumping out students that residency director will like more, is there?
 
lakerfan38 said:
I don't know if this applys to med schools, but the year after UChicago broke into the top 10 in undergrad rankings, the number of apps to the school went up 45%
Click to expand...

Could be, but UChicago also happens to be a school that is known for creative essay prompts on their supplement. I know many people who seriously considered applying there but were turned off by the essays because they're ones you'd have to write specifically for Chicago and can't really reuse. They use a different set of essays each year, and it's possible that this year their essays just happened to appear more manageable.
 
schrizto said:
Could be, but UChicago also happens to be a school that is known for creative essay prompts on their supplement. I know many people who seriously considered applying there but were turned off by the essays because they're ones you'd have to write specifically for Chicago and can't really reuse. They use a different set of essays each year, and it's possible that this year their essays just happened to appear more manageable.
Click to expand...
i doubt 45% increases can be attributed to essay prompts
 
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