School of Business Sees Drop in Number of Applicants

The George Washington University School of Business saw a 3 percent decrease in the number of applicants to its undergraduate program in 2009, going against the overall University trend of a 6 percent increase over 2008. The School of Business was the only school to see a decrease in the number of applicants.

Administrators at the University were quick to blame the decrease not on the quality of the School (it recently jumped 15 spots in the Business Week rankings), but on the recent economic crisis having dulled the glamour of careers in finance, business. The negative shadow cast on the finance and banking industries, as well as the prospects of making an easy fortune having been blunted by the failure of banks and increasing government regulation has made the majors of finance, accounting, and business administration less attractive to high school graduates. In fact, nationwide, applications to universities' business programs is down nearly 20 percent.

GW: Well, The Rankings Count for Grad School

GW is quick to play down US News and World Report's rankings of national universities in which GW hovers in the hi 50's (54th most recently). And I believe we are right in doing so. GW is a unique school that doesn't function like most. An oft cited criticism of the rankings how our high ratio of part time professors to full time drags down the ranking, when in reality our adjuncts are often experts in there field and the experience they bring to the classroom from their day jobs in invaluable.

However, I find it funny that when our grad programs do well in the same publication, the GW PR department issues a press release and touts the results.

"The George Washington University is once again recognized as one of the premier institutions in the country to study law, public policy, and public administration."

Highlighted programs (with national ranking) include:
-CCAS's Public Affairs program (14)
-Law School (20)... a two spot bump from last year
-School of Public Health and Health Services (19)
-Graduate School of Education and Human Development (29)

Well, congrats to GW I suppose...