Forbes magazine recognized two DMV-area universities, the University of Virginia (UVA) and the College of William & Mary, as “Public Ivies” in their annual list.
Each year, Forbes selects 10 public schools and 10 private schools as “New Ivies,” judging by their capacity to connect students with employers. UVA and William & Mary have moved up in the national rankings due to their improved networking opportunities, which enable students to find jobs and internships directly after graduating. The accolade recognizes schools that are putting very qualified candidates into the workforce.
In the past, individuals have criticized college rankings for placing too much weight on prestige. Rankings may omit important aspects of universities’ academics in favor of reputation.
Counselor Anne Fletcher noted some of the possible factors in selecting “Public Ivies.”
“I think we are approaching the idea that you can be successful everywhere,” Fletcher said. “That’s as long as you are a student who is going to do your work, do your best, and work to make connections.”
An NIH study shows how higher prestige can have potential drawbacks. Universities’ brands influence individuals’ sense of identity, often swaying students to prioritize status over attending an institution based on what they want to achieve.
Many often debate the factors in determining college rankings. This controversy has led schools like Columbia University to abstain from popular rankings such as the US News and World Report’s annual university ranking.
Senior Lewis Westerman applied to colleges last fall and said that all students should consider academics and other various aspects of a university, regardless of prestige.
“Calling schools Public Ivies is a disservice to them, because they may be better than Ivy Leagues in some regards and worse in some regards, and you really have to consider them like any normal school,” Westerman said. “Even when you look at Harvard, you have to consider what are the pros and what are the cons?”
Students across the nation have begun to change where they apply. For the class of 2029, Ivy League acceptance rates have increased slightly.
While rankings have changed where students apply across the nation, here at Whitman, there is less of a shift in applications. Fletcher noted that many of the students at Whitman already apply to UVA and William & Mary, so the public ivy rankings won’t have much effect.
Senior Jack Gilpatrick is attending William & Mary next year and believes that college rankings and titles can have some value other than influencing application numbers.
“When it comes to college, the career you’re probably going to do after is probably the most important,” Gilpatrick said. “Finding internships and finding colleagues is very important, so I’m very glad that William & Mary was recognized.”
