2008 Woodie Awards
Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: News
Quantifying Quality: For a changing university, a lengthy trip to the top five
Deena Greenberg
Part one in a four-part series
Thought seven was a bit low for Penn?
Try 19.
That was the University's spot 19 years ago in the U.S. News & World Report national university rankings - and 24 years ago, it didn't even crack the top 20.
Yet by 2003, Penn ascended to No. 4, and it has remained comfortably close to that spot since.
For those who have been involved with Penn since the beginning of the ranking system, the University's increase reflects a major transformation within the school - although changes to the ranking criteria have played a role as well.
Sheldon Hackney, who served as Penn's president from 1981 to 1993, notes that the climb in rankings is largely correlated with specific efforts made during the time.
Significant changes, he said, included improved undergraduate teaching, an expanded college house system and closer interaction with the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood.
And though those factors didn't tie in directly to rankings criteria, they helped improve Penn's image in the minds of applicants.
"The word got out that Penn was a great place to be an undergraduate, and that word had to be based on student satisfaction," Hackney said.
Quantifying Quality
This week, the 'DP' looks at the history and impact of the 'U.S. News' rankings
- Today: Penn's rise through the rankings
- Tomorrow: An analysis of ranking criteria
- Wednesday: The history of the rankings
- Thursday: 'U.S. News' and lesser-ranked schools
Thought seven was a bit low for Penn?
Try 19.
That was the University's spot 19 years ago in the U.S. News & World Report national university rankings - and 24 years ago, it didn't even crack the top 20.
Yet by 2003, Penn ascended to No. 4, and it has remained comfortably close to that spot since.
For those who have been involved with Penn since the beginning of the ranking system, the University's increase reflects a major transformation within the school - although changes to the ranking criteria have played a role as well.
Sheldon Hackney, who served as Penn's president from 1981 to 1993, notes that the climb in rankings is largely correlated with specific efforts made during the time.
Significant changes, he said, included improved undergraduate teaching, an expanded college house system and closer interaction with the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood.
And though those factors didn't tie in directly to rankings criteria, they helped improve Penn's image in the minds of applicants.
"The word got out that Penn was a great place to be an undergraduate, and that word had to be based on student satisfaction," Hackney said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Alum
posted 9/10/07 @ 9:31 AM EST
"and 24 years ago, it didn't even crack the top 20."
That's because 24 years ago, there WAS no top 20. The first US News ranking, in 1983, listed only 14 schools. (Continued…)
Baba
posted 9/10/07 @ 9:41 AM EST
Yo - Cool Story, but it didn't go into depth at all. Hello - explain what Penn Alexander is.
Wharton Alum
posted 9/10/07 @ 9:47 AM EST
Hopefully, this series will address--and, if supportable, refute-- the often heard allegation that Penn has engineered its dramatic rise in the US News ranking (e. (Continued…)
ROFLMAO
posted 9/10/07 @ 8:11 PM EST
Seconded, Wharton Alum, however based on the quality of the average DP feature, I'm not holding my breath.
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