'Insider' college rankings give students the scoop

 Here’s a quote prospective students won’t see in a UNC admissions brochure:

“Every student on campus is aware of the disproportionate ratio of guys to girls at UNC. Girls use it to explain why they’re single, and guys use it to brag to their buddies about the huge selection of hotties available to them (they don’t call it ‘Blue Heaven’ for nothing).”

That’s what one student says in College Prowler’s “Off the Record” UNC guidebook, which has more than 160 pages of rankings and uncensored quotes on 20 aspects of campus life such as the weather and drug scene on campus.

College Prowler is one of several companies that take a more playful approach with rankings, claiming to provide students with insider information on a university — an alternative to the academic rankings U.S. News & World Report releases each year.

The rankings can be helpful for students who don’t have a chance to set foot on campus before deciding whether to apply or enroll at UNC, says Steve Farmer, director of admissions.

That was the case for Robby Marshall, a junior applied sciences major who transferred from Oregon State University.

“Since I was all the way in Oregon, there wasn’t much else I could do but look at rankings,” says Marshall, who chose UNC because of “the combination of athletics and academics and an overall best social life.”

In fact, UNC received a grade of ‘B’ or better in more than half of the categories based on a happiness and satisfaction scale in College Prowler. Among the lower grades are ‘C+’ for both diversity and campus dining and a ‘D’ for parking.

Senior Christy Lee says she thinks most of the rankings are accurate and represent the school’s culture, but she’s surprised campus parking earned a passing mark.

“Parking should get a ‘F’ because there is never anywhere to park,” she says. “The administration keeps removing every last parking deck.”

Sophomore Drew Coleman says he thinks the campus dining grade should be higher because of the addition of Ramshead Dining Hall.

Another guide, The Princeton Review’s “Best 361 Colleges,” provides 62 lists that rank schools in various categories — 60 of which are based entirely on surveys of current college students who grade their schools on everything from political views to social outlets.

The University is listed in four categories this year, including an eighth-place spot for “Happiest Students.”

“Anything students want, we’ve got it,” says Coleman, adding that UNC is well-rounded.

UNC also appears in “The Best Southeastern Colleges,” “America’s Best Value Colleges” and “Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement.”

Students and administrators are split on the relevance of the different rank listings, which some critics liken to popularity contests.

Although sophomore Meagan Chiappetta looked at ratings such as those from College Prowler, she says they did not play a critical role in her college search.

“It had all negative stuff about the University and a lot of it was geared toward freshmen,” says Chiappetta, who just transferred from James Madison University.

Such rankings have more sway, however, for Trent Reese, a junior from Highlands. He says the different student perspectives are useful for learning about the school’s culture.

The visibility and reputation of UNC, thanks in part to the rankings, are the benefits of attending a nationally known university, says Reese, who transferred from Gardner-Webb University.

“Good rankings add pride, which I didn’t have in my other school,” Reese says.

However, Farmer says students should not rely solely on rankings when choosing a school.

“We should all be very careful not to let rankings stand on their own,” he says. “I think we all take rankings with a grain of salt whether they treat us well or they treat us badly.”

Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.