The Grothe Effect

[Mama_Bull]

There has been debate over whether The Flutie Effect is real or imagined.

The "Flutie factor" is now received wisdom. But is it true?

"Whether it's called the 'Flutie factor' or 'mission-driven intercollegiate athletics,' the effect of having a winning sports team is showing up at admissions offices nationwide." —USA Today, "Winning One for the Admissions Office," July 11, 1997

http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/spring_2003/ll_phenomenology.html

In that article, it mentioned USF:

"In a January 2003 New York Times Magazine cover story called "Football Is a Sucker's Game," writer Michael Sokolove said that officials at the University of South Florida were building a major football program in the hope that "the kind of magic" ascribed to "the Flutie effect" would then strike the Tampa campus."

As we all know, USF admission standards have gone up greatly, especially since joining the Big East. In fact, "Last week, U.S. News and World Report named USF one of the nation's top 20 'Up and Coming' colleges."

I suspect that similar articles will now be debating The Grothe Effect.  ;D

Academic Quality Highlights USF's New School Year

TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 25, 2008) - The class of 2012 began classes at the University of South Florida today with the strongest academic credentials of any freshman class in the university’s history. While official enrollment numbers are not available until after the first week of class 45,585 students enrolled at USF today: 3,909 new freshmen, 4,652 new transfer students and 2,359 new graduate students.

The university has carefully managed and closely monitored its undergraduate freshman and transfer enrollment in Tampa in response to reduced state funding for higher education. While growth on the Tampa campus is slowing, the academic strength of the university is rapidly increasing.

Less than half of freshman applicants were offered admission, and the newest Bulls have impressive grades and test scores. The average grade point average of the freshman class is 3.73, with an average SAT score of 1159 and ACT score of 25. The USF Honors College also enrolled more than 400 members of the class of 2012 with an average SAT score of 1359, a 31 point gain from last year.

http://usfweb3.usf.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=798&z=31

[JoeB]

I'm glad I went to USF when I did.  No way I would get in with the grades I had.

[smazza]

I'm glad I went to USF when I did.  No way I would get in with the grades I had.

grade inflation

nobody had a 4.5 gpa in 1974

[IncrediBULL]

True, it is grade inflation.  But it is due to the volume of Honors and AP style classes kids can get these days.  It is possible, via dual enrollment, to complete your freshman year of college by taking college classes at high school, during your jr/sr years.  this was not possible even 15 years ago.  So some of it is due to the improvement of the public school system in offering more options to the smarter kids.

My daughter is in 9th grade and is currently taking about half of her courses in honors or via the honors track. That will increase next year, and she will probably take college level classes by her jr year.  I suspect her sr. year will mostly be dual enrollment type courses.  She took the SAT in 7th grade as part of a Duke University program she was in.  I think I was a sr when everyone was taking the SAT in the old days.....

Not trying to brag, but these are the types of kids that USF is accepting these days.  Most of my daughter's soccer teamates, and friends are of a similar track and will graduate with extremely high GPA's and SAT scores.  Hopefully many will consider USF.  It is doubtful my daughter will go anywhere but USF... 

She is a bulls fan.  And it is due to the football program and going to so many sporting events that she is such a huge fan.

[BULLfreak]

I'm glad I went to USF when I did.  No way I would get in with the grades I had.

I said the same thing

[TheBullies]

grade inflation

nobody had a 4.5 gpa in 1974

Even so... SAT scores?

You should download a practice test and give it a go.

[Bullpride08]

True, it is grade inflation.  But it is due to the volume of Honors and AP style classes kids can get these days.  It is possible, via dual enrollment, to complete your freshman year of college by taking college classes at high school, during your jr/sr years.  this was not possible even 15 years ago.   So some of it is due to the improvement of the public school system in offering more options to the smarter kids.

My daughter is in 9th grade and is currently taking about half of her courses in honors or via the honors track. That will increase next year, and she will probably take college level classes by her jr year.   I suspect her sr. year will mostly be dual enrollment type courses.  She took the SAT in 7th grade as part of a Duke University program she was in.  I think I was a sr when everyone was taking the SAT in the old days.....

Not trying to brag, but these are the types of kids that USF is accepting these days.   Most of my daughter's soccer teamates, and friends are of a similar track and will graduate with extremely high GPA's and SAT scores.  Hopefully many will consider USF.  It is doubtful my daughter will go anywhere but USF... 

She is a bulls fan.  And it is due to the football program and going to so many sporting events that she is such a huge fan.

Congrats incredibull!  Sounds like your daughter is on a great fast track.  Bestow some wisdom on a few of us parents with young children on how to keep them focused.  I've got a 7 and 3 year old, boys, and my wife and I push school, and sport.  Any advise is appreciated.

[Guest chuszai]

Heh, it's good to know that I could still get into USF, but I'm really glad they raised the standards.  I swear, I can't understand how some of these people even graduated high school sometimes.

[The Sheriff]

And they wonder why students graduate and then move back in with mom and dad. They are not mature enough at 21 to be thrown into the real world. I'm all for education... but maybe that says something about our education system. College is suppose to be the best four years of your life. Most kids now look at it as a drive thru by taking "honors" classes in high school that allow them to complete a year before they even get to college. Someone needs to wake these kids up and tell them to enjoy their college experience. Rodney Dangerfield said it best in "Back to School" in his graduation speech (I know someone can find it on You Tube).

I'd say my 2.19 GPA from high school in 1993 is easily comparable to students that are getting 4.0's now. Think of the teachers that are currently educating these students. Most of them ended up as education majors by default. Considering a majority of them defaulted into their education positions, do you honestly believe they are going to fail current students... nah, no child left behind. Parents coddle kids so much, teachers feel threatened if they actually fail a student because the parents berate them from every angle.

I remember Reaper on here going back to school to get his education degree. There are very few on here that start with that as their intended goal. Congrats Reap... now fail some students and get those inflated GPA's down!

And as Chuszai just stated... "I swear, I can't understand how some of these people even graduated high school sometimes". Refer to my statement above. A low 2.19 GPA back in the early 90's was very equivalent to a 4.0 GPA now. My frosh year, I tutored 33 girls in College Algebra (or maybe hooked up with them)... and God knows how many papers I proof read for people in Fontana Hall. I too was amazed by what I saw. I proudly can talk about my high school GPA now. But maybe that is the difference between education in Northern VA and Florida in general.

[JerseyBull06]

gotta agree with the inflated GPAs to a degree...I graduated high school with a very high weighted GPA, but they still have unweighted that is just a straight GPA without considering honors/AP. I know when I graduated my GPA included courses I'd taken in 8th grade and I didn't even know what a GPA was until halfway through my junior year in high school!

I always favored AP over dual enrollment as AP will be accepted by almost any college in the country and dual enrollment is mostly, if not completely restricted to FL.

to say I was amazed when I started at USF by the "quality" of some of its students would be an understatement. I spent most of my time in class rolling my eyes at some of the things people would come up with. This was in 2003 and my 3rd year in college. I"ll be honest and a lot of people probably won't like it...but if I had children right now (which I don't) I'd want them to aspire to a better school than USF. This may change as time goes by if USF continues to excel academically, but that's just my opinion right now.