App State #15 in list of Universities

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Got to love The Onion.

[DoubleA]

This is really not a list we want to be listed on as it sounds like a backhanded compliment. ASU has come a long ways over the past 30+ years to become a top regional university with excellent facilities and a solid reputation for academic excellence. The progress is pretty remarkable to be sure. Perhaps one area to focus on going forward is to be very strategic to expand degree offerings in fields such as medicine, engineering, law, etc. We need to keep pushing for excellence in everything we do to enhance the Appalachian State University brand so we are no longer viewed as a school to settle on if you can't get accepted somewhere else.

[Gonzo]

This is really not a list we want to be listed on as it sounds like a backhanded compliment. ASU has come a long ways over the past 30+ years to become a top regional university with excellent facilities and a solid reputation for academic excellence. The progress is pretty remarkable to be sure. Perhaps one area to focus on going forward is to be very strategic to expand degree offerings in fields such as medicine, engineering, law, etc. We need to keep pushing for excellence in everything we do to enhance the Appalachian State University brand so we are no longer viewed as a school to settle on if you can't get accepted somewhere else.

I think you may have missed the point. They're making a joke about parents and all public colleges. I saw Ohio State, Kent State ect.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

This is really not a list we want to be listed on as it sounds like a backhanded compliment. ASU has come a long ways over the past 30+ years to become a top regional university with excellent facilities and a solid reputation for academic excellence. The progress is pretty remarkable to be sure. Perhaps one area to focus on going forward is to be very strategic to expand degree offerings in fields such as medicine, engineering, law, etc. We need to keep pushing for excellence in everything we do to enhance the Appalachian State University brand so we are no longer viewed as a school to settle on if you can't get accepted somewhere else.

This is meant to be humorous. I don't mind self-deprecating humor personally, in fact I prefer it over making fun at others expense. Not that I don't enjoy a good jab at others sometimes, but not as much as a jab at myself. I see it as something that at least they know of us and mentioned us by name. And only because we have that reputation of being a great school is why they can get away with saying this. Wisconsin was also mentioned, and that is a major university. This satirical video comes just after the other lists about us being a great bargain.

And with most humor, there is some truth to it. I have had three student teachers from Elon. All were excellent. The first decided not to teach high school and earned a PhD in Physics. The 2 others are teaching high school at present,doing a great job with the students knowing how they did with me and my students. But to be honest I still don't know why they paid what they paid to Elon to get their degree and then teach in North Carolina. Having talked with them about what Elon has for Physics it seems I got more for less money by going to App. (Not that I have anything to say negative about Elon in general not Physics in particular. They produce qualified graduates-but my god the cost.)

[DoubleA]

I agree we have to be able to laugh at ourselves.... but I would rather be included in a Kiplinger list of high quality, affordable universities any day than to be included in a spoof of college rankings that includes many of the schools on this list.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

OK, I guess I missed that this is a total spoof of college lists and rankings. I thought this was an actual survey of "pretty good, affordable schools" with a tongue in cheek presentation, similar to what Kiplinger does. A few of the schools in this list threw me off, which led to the thought this is not a list for us.

The Onion was a print paper and went web only recently. Never take anything from the Onion in anyway except as a joke. Though they have been picked up by news organizations around the world many times as real stories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Onion# ... _seriously

The fact they are taken seriously at this level is in-itself funny.

[DoubleA]

But to be honest I still don't know why they paid what they paid to Elon to get their degree and then teach in North Carolina.

There's definitely value in certain names like UVA, UNC, Wake, Duke, etc, when seeking the first job or two, and in gaining acceptance into medical or law school. I don't know about Elon and certainly ASU has work to do in this area- building recognition for a quality degree and quality graduates. While we may never reach the recognition level of some of the above, hopefully we can firmly entrench ourselves in the next tier. I well remember graduating from ASU back in the early 1980's and trying to explain who Appalachian State was during my job search in another state (in the southeast). But of course everyone knew about UNC-Chapel Hill and what a great school it was.

[Appftw]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/east-c ... tate,6884/

Coulda been worse.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/east-c ... tate,6884/

Coulda been worse.

I had forgotten that one.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

But to be honest I still don't know why they paid what they paid to Elon to get their degree and then teach in North Carolina.

There's definitely value in certain names like UVA, UNC, Wake, Duke, etc, when seeking the first job or two, and in gaining acceptance into medical or law school. I don't know about Elon and certainly ASU has work to do in this area- building recognition for a quality degree and quality graduates. While we may never reach the recognition level of some of the above, hopefully we can firmly entrench ourselves in the next tier. I well remember graduating from ASU back in the early 1980's and trying to explain who Appalachian State was during my job search in another state (in the southeast). But of course everyone knew about UNC-Chapel Hill and what a great school it was.

I am wondering how much of the name recognition is due to just knowing about UNC-CH due to athletics versus the perceived academics. I will not argue with the numbers as it relates to student admission standards, but at the end of the degree time when one compares students from various campuses how much difference is there really? Maybe some in the extreme. But between the vast majority I bet double-blind tests would turn up many graduates looking very similar. Now the name does mean something for some, no doubt. but it is justified, at the undergrad level?