(07-30-2013 09:18 AM)Longhorn Wrote: (07-29-2013 07:37 PM)JMU Wrote: FYI. Alabama has the most national merit scholars than any other university in the country. They attribute the increasing quality of its student body due to its football success. There was a recent forbes article about it i believe. On my phone so cant post a link. Alabama is one of JMU's peer institutions.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/...o-alabama/
Are you sure about that fact? Kudos to AL if they are stepping up their game.
Harvard has traditionally enrolled the largest number of NMF students...and for over a decade UT-Austin was #2...but that was because Texas made the executive decision to basically "buy" those kids with full rides. Texas has since moved away from that "throw money at it plan" because of a number of reasons...one being the Fisher vs. The University of Texas admissions case that went to the Supreme Court.
When I wrote that I recalled all universities. However, after rereading the article it states all
public universities in the nation. In any event, still quite an accomplishment. Also, it says that 1 in 4 admitted students have a 4.0.
The article illustrates how the success of an athletic program can benefit the an entire university and also justify outrageous coaches salaries like Saban's.
From the article:
"...For the admissions office, more applications mean
more selectivity. Six years ago, 64% of students applying to the University of Alabama were accepted. By 2012,
the acceptance rate had dropped to 53%. About one in four students from the 2012 freshman class carried a 4.0 high school GPA. The class also includes 241 National Merit Scholars, more than any other public university in the U.S.“The quality of our students has never been higher,” says Mary Spieigel, executive director of undergraduate admissions. “Our recruiters across the nation emphasize all aspects of the University.”
That comes from tapping the cash to build and renovate around campus. The final phase of a four-building Science & Engineering complex, first begun a decade ago, is scheduled to be completed this summer. In 2010, the school opened the Capstone College of Nursing building, which features classrooms, labs and an auditorium. Campus housing has also been upgraded: a new facility called Presidential Village, which holds nearly 1,000 students, opened last summer. A second phase that includes a rec center is slated to open in 2014. There’s more, but you get the idea.
The administration’s strategy to leverage Saban’s program into additional selling points is working like a charm right now."
