Yep. COVID and tensions with China changed a lot.
Of interest internationally though is that a former President of South Korea obtained a Masters Degree from Miami.
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Beats me. That was a couple years ago. Hell, I think about doing something and by the time I get out of my chair, the thought is gone and forgotten. Probably a Miami site or The Student.
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As a former international student from China myself, Miami’s recent drops on the US News Ranking might be another reason contributing to the change.
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Possibly, although my understanding is that enrollments of Chinese students is generally down at most schools since COVID. I don’t think attracting international students is exclusively a Miami problem. According to the State Dept enrollment of students from China is down about 22% since 2019. Miami’s drop in percentage is more severe.
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Totally. I am actually not surprised by Miami’s more severe drop in enrollments of Chinese students since COVID because university rankings matter a lot to Chinese students. Most prospective students in China do not have access to the school info besides school rankings, so rankings have become a big deal in their college selection. Their selection is kinda like student-athletes’ college selection: there are “P5” and “G5” schools but given by rankings like the one given by the US News. Since most of them would prefer schools that are high up in the rankings, when those that are high in the ranking take hit from external reasons, those that are not in the highest tier (AND dropping in the ranking at the same time) would take a more significant hit.
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Great perspective. I had heard stories that universities in China had also become more competitive and that had an impact as well. Any truth to that?
Not sure about that. However, what I know is that universities in China that have been highly ranked internationally are very difficult to get in for most Chinese high school students. Much more difficult than becoming a student at most of the top-100 (academically ranked) universities in the US because of the higher exam system in China and the small number of Chinese universities that are globally recognized. Therefore, It’s an easy decision to make for those students who cannot make it into the best universities in China but have enough family fundings to apply and attend globally renowned universities in the US and other English speaking countries.
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The same is true for ROK students.
So, we seem to be saying that, whether one thinks they should or not, rankings do matter in the real world and that Miami needs to de-ass its head and turn around its steep decline.
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The difficulty of ROK’s college admission test is beyond most people’s comprehension.
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Yep. The mothers pray all night on the walls outside the testing facilities when their kids are taking the tests. Getting into the best schools is SERIOUS business.
And all the while, the access to free education online makes the prestige of any school well, less prestigious when you can get the same learnings for less. By the time my son goes to college it won’t be like it is now.
I think there’s two things:
1 - Rankings matter to prospective students, so they matter and Miami should be trying to improve their standings
2 - USNWR rankings are directionally right but still aren’t a great indicator of the quality of education or the outcomes of attending a specific school, so it’s really not worth spending that much time obsessing over it.
Side note: I went to check their methodology and noticed that they’ve updated the weights to not include class size anymore, which previously was 8%. Yet another example of a change which hurts a school like Miami.
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Happens at those exam-prep “factories” in China too
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That may have peaked. Just read that UC wants to grow to 60K students and is building 4 new large dorms in the service of that goal.
Given Ohio demographics and OSU taking in 8K freshman classes (not to mention parking a fair amount of well qualified 25-26 ACT kids at their branch campuses), I just don’t see how UC can get those enrollment gains without digging deeper into their applicant pool.
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I just drove past UC today for the first time in forever on the way to the Zoo. Holy Shegos. Those buildings on the southeast corner of campus are going to be monstrous.
Shegos!
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It’s a bold strategy, Bonk. Let’s see how it pays off for them.
I just don’t know where the students are going to come from. I guess there’s a lot of unmined potential in Ohio outside of their traditional base in Cincy and Dayton. But they’re not going to lure top-tier kids away from Miami and OSU, so poach the next tier from OU, Kent, BGSU et al? I don’t see significant numbers of kids going there from NYC, Florida, California or even Chicago. I just can’t imagine them filling those things without having to lower their admissions standards significantly.
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In the 00s, I met quite a few New Yorkers and Chicagoans, and about a half dozen students from St Louis. Obviously, most of the kids I knew came from Ohio or one of the bordering states, but those 3 metro areas were well-represented.
And there was definitely a strong contingent of Chinese students at that time. My Chem lab partner was Chinese. He was a heavy smoker with terrible teeth. Haha. Great guy though, but I do remember that.
