Rankings
Magazine Makes It Official: Eastman Is
‘Hot’
When it comes to the best places to study music, the
Eastman School is “hot.” That’s according to the
latest “How to Get into College” guide published by
Newsweek–Kaplan.
Eastman was one of 25 schools selected as noteworthy
for offering top academic programs and also for generating
“extra buzz” because of recent events or trendsetting
initiatives.
The guide also noted that applications to Eastman were
up 10 percent this year, more than the national average.
“This selection recognizes the innovative and
dynamic opportunities Eastman students have for an unparalleled
artistic and scholastic experience,” says Douglas Lowry, dean
of the Eastman School. “It underscores our commitment to
giving students a well-rounded education thoroughly grounded in the
highest of musical values, yet vigorously presented in order to
prepare them for their professional lives.”
The 2008 ranking by Newsweek is the second
year in a row that the magazine has recognized Rochester. Last
year, Newsweek named Rochester one of 25 “New
Ivies,” noting that the programs and top students of the
select group rival traditional Ivy League schools.
The University was one of only three institutions
listed as a New Ivy and as a category leader this year in the
“hottest” schools lists. The other two were UCLA
(“hottest mega-university”) and the Claremont
Colleges’ Claremont McKenna College (“hottest for
election year”), while Harvey Mudd and Pomona were named New
Ivies. The Newsweek–Kaplan lists are based on
admissions statistics as well as interviews with administrators,
students, faculty, and alumni.
The Newsweek ranking also comes as other
listings place the University in elite company.
The latest college rankings from U.S News &
World Report placed the University as 35th among the best
national universities.
Separately, the Department of Political Science, one of
the best-known programs in the College of Arts, Sciences, and
Engineering, was ranked in the top five in two important national
studies that measured the quality of job placements for Ph.D.
graduates and how often their research was cited in academic
journals. Rochester placed fourth in both studies.
Gerald Gamm, chair of political science and associate
professor of political science and history, notes that only
Rochester and Harvard made the top groups in key parts of each
study. The studies were published in PS: Political Science and
Politics in July.
In its guide, Newsweek–Kaplan cited
Eastman students’ ability to take additional academic classes
in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering and to
participate in Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership.
“The relationship between Eastman and the College
is an enormous benefit with great potential,” says President
Joel Seligman. “And we are working to help our students find
ways to gain even more synergy from that
special relationship.”
In addition, the University was ranked 21st among U.S.
universities in a global listing issued by the Times of
London last fall.
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