Four out-of-state economists have formulated a new collegeranking system according to where students say they would mostprefer to enroll, according to a recent article in The Baton RougeBusiness Report.
LSU did not make the cut.
Harvard University economists Christopher Avery, Caroline Hoxbyand Andrew Metric and Boston University economist Mark Glickmaninterviewed 3,240 high-achieving students around the country andranked universities and colleges based on where they would mostprefer to go.
Harvard, Yale and Stanford were at the top of the list of 105schools.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Risa Palm said she doesnot think this system is fair or will be taken seriously.
“It is very clear that those places that take as manyapplications as possible while admitting as few students aspossible are clearly going to be highly ranked,” Palm said.
Palm also said she did not believe the list was credible for aschool like LSU.
“This system is credible for highly selective schools, but notfor us,” Palm said. “We don’t want students to apply who don’tqualify. We want to take as many applicants that meet therequirements as we can.”
Palm said she did not believe the ranking system would have anyeffect on LSU’s applicant pool.
“It’s pretty irrelevant to us,” she said. “If we were aselective school that didn’t have a lot of money, we would be onthat list. But that is not the case.”
Palm said she did not expect a response to these rankings.
“We want to concentrate on the Flagship Agenda and on facultyand admission standards,” she said. “We know what we need todo.”
LSU System President and Interim Chancellor William Jenkins saidno college ranking system ever will be perfect.
“Everyone is trying to improve the factors in the rankingsystems,” Jenkins said. “So much of the process is subjective.”
Jenkins said he believed LSU still could rank with the topuniversities in the country.
“We are doing everything we can to recapture our nationalposition,” Jenkins said. “LSU is a very competitiveuniversity.”
Jenkins said he believed people would take the new systemseriously.
“The truth is, the rankings are used whether we like it or not,”Jenkins said. “They are quoted nationally.”
Jenkins said the administration is doing all they can to ensurethat LSU is in the top tier.
“We have to make sure we are recognized at an appropriatelevel,” Jenkins said. “This is a long journey ahead.”