Declining the Big East: Case Study of College of the Holy Cross

This tight focus allowed Holy Cross to flourish academically during Fr. Brooks’ tenure. Today, Holy Cross is described as, “a school with a strong academic tradition” “academically rigorous” and “more selective” (2019). In fact, Holy Cross is consistently ranked high in academic rankings found in Forbes (#22 in national top liberal arts colleges), US News & World Report (#35 in best liberal arts colleges) and Wall Street Journal (#4 in best Catholic colleges (2019).

So my money did not go for naught!

Thanks.
 
The College of the Holy Cross is a very good academic institution for which its grads and their parents should be proud.

However, IMO Holy Cross' interests would have been served by joining the Big East back in 1979,

The positive effect of major D1 conference on applications and academics can be seen with Villanova. I don't have admissions numbers for Holy Cross or Villanova for 1979 but I believe it would be generally agreed that Holy Cross was a better academic school than Villanova in 1979 when the Big East was formed.

Today the College Board provides the following numbers as guidance as to where the schools are:

Total Applications
Holy Cross 7,700
Villanova 22,741

Yield Rate (% of accepted applicants that chose to attend)
Holy Cross 34.6%
Villanova 29.2%

SATs
Holy Cross 1260/1430
Villanova 1300/ 1470

My point is that winning D1 sport teams generate applications for admissions. The more applications then generally the better the applicant pool.

I wish Holy Cross had joined the Big East in 1979.
 
Last edited:
[quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=382268]Nova has 6,500 undergrads

Holy Cross approximately 3,100[/quote]

Not apparent in those numbers is that Holy Cross advocates an entire school year for study abroad, Villanova a semester. Not certain of the numbers but recall that we were told that about half the students did study abroad junior year. Using your numbers, at any time there would only be approximately 2700 hundred kids on campus.

I don't know if HC could have drawn Big East type crowds. They are located in Worcester, a town that has an industrial feel and is not in close proximity to a major city. They tell prospective students that Boston is less than an hour away, but in no way in Worcester a suburb of Boston

It is a very good Academic institution. In 1979 parents and prospective students did not obsess over rankings the way they do today, so I'm not even sure there is an objective way to compare schools at that time.

I know all the published acceptance rate numbers but there are ways to manipulate some of those, and some are relative. Students don't waste their time applying to Harvard unless their ACT/SAT scores near perfection so acceptance rate is not comparable. I can tell you that 1300 in general will not get you into bc, nova or hc.

BC publishes the 10 schools accepted students most frequently apply to. They are the 8 IVYs, Villanova and i believe either Georgetown or Notre Dame.

For the first time, students who make both BC and Villanova are more frequently choosing Villanova.

Saw JSJ at the new Finneran Pavillion where he visited his lovely niece, a student there. Went to the game with my daughter, a Nova alum, and the two girls hit it off famously.

Villanova recently completed a stunning expansion onto South campus and renovated Pavillion, including new dorms, a performing arts center, and on campus bar/restaurant open to public. The campus has a cohesive feel and is as beautiful if not moreso than BC, also a stunning campus.

All aforementioned schools are academically superb with rigorous admission standards.

I will say that I'm very proud of Sju's mission to the poor. Each time we graduate a kid who grew up in poverty, we help transform a life on the verge of breaking the chains of multi generational poverty. Those type of success stories are less significant when you only admit academically superior students.
 
Last edited:
[quote="BrookJersey Redmen" post=382369]daughter got an academic scholarship offer from Nova, wait listed for HC, just saying.[/quote]

How old is your daughter? Because that's what it would have been when I was headed off to college in 1989, and I assume for more than a few years afterward. But going by the numbers posted, it looks like things have flipped a bit. Back then, according to Barron's, HC was solidly in "Highly Competitive," while Nova was in "Very Competitive."
 
[quote="BrookJersey Redmen" post=382369]daughter got an academic scholarship offer from Nova, wait listed for HC, just saying.[/quote]

And you are saying she turned down Villanova scholarship for HC full boat? I'm really surprised because Villanova is not known for academic scholarships. Are you sure it wasn't grant in aid.

All three kids visited and applied to HC. All three felt that even though they visited with school in session, campus was dead. School is on a hill and campus has buildings on different levels. In winter wind whips frigid air. Worcester is a higher crime dingy city, and on tours students told us the city is mostly safe if you travel in groups but be careful at night.

Yes, HC is a very good academic school but for obvious reasons few kids choose it over bc, Villanova or Georgetown today, for obvious reasons. I'm glad your kid had a good experience there. I've hired some bright kids from HC and was pleased
 
As Sal has stated, I have a niece enrolled at Villanova (Nursing)

Her older sister is a Chemistry major at Holy Cross

They both feel they chose the right school for them

Both provide a great educational experience.
 
The problem with SJU's mission isn't a focus on helping the poor, it is that the school distorts that mission by admitting too many mediocre or worse students, regardless of income level. Focusing on helping the poor should not mean that poor students who are admitted should not also be above average students. The size of the student body is too large and the academic standards too weak for the University to have a top academic reputation.
 
My concern overall about private universities is that they are in direct competition with each other for tuition revenue and the highest academic performers. Competitive D1 sports, incredibly expensive amenities (such as high end coffee shops, study halls, student health centers (that rival the best gyms and Villanova has 4 student health centers), restaurants and higher end food choices all drive up the cost of tuition. The centerpiece of U miami's campus is an outdoor swimming pool.

I remember the buildings at HC to be beautiful - the library reminded me of the one in the movie the Paper Chase (which was shot on location at Harvard). I'm not sure of the amenities, but it's hard for private schools to ever offer affordable tuition when they've invested so heavily in high end hotel like amenities.
 
[quote="BrookJersey Redmen" post=382369]daughter got an academic scholarship offer from Nova, wait listed for HC, just saying.[/quote]

Getting accepted for one school and wait listed for another depends on a lot of variables including number of open spaces for the school, size of the school and program, geography (and yes demographics also).My daughter was accepted to one school and wait listed for another (the only one of nine applied to) while someone else I know son in the same class was accepted to the school she was wait listed for and wait listed for the school she was accepted to.
 
[quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=382400]As Sal has stated, I have a niece enrolled at Villanova (Nursing)

Her older sister is a Chemistry major at Holy Cross

They both feel they chose the right school for them

Both provide a great educational experience.[/quote]

Noticed your niece is a nursing major at Villanova. Does anyone know why SJU has never had a school of nursing? It would seem to fit the school's mission agenda, and be a source of enrolling more academically competitive students.
 
[quote="Las Vegan" post=382439][quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=382400]As Sal has stated, I have a niece enrolled at Villanova (Nursing)

Her older sister is a Chemistry major at Holy Cross

They both feel they chose the right school for them

Both provide a great educational experience.[/quote]

Noticed your niece is a nursing major at Villanova. Does anyone know why SJU has never had a school of nursing? It would seem to fit the school's mission agenda, and be a source of enrolling more academically competitive students.[/quote]
 
[quote="Proud Alumn" post=382406]The problem with SJU's mission isn't a focus on helping the poor, it is that the school distorts that mission by admitting too many mediocre or worse students, regardless of income level. Focusing on helping the poor should not mean that poor students who are admitted should not also be above average students. The size of the student body is too large and the academic standards too weak for the University to have a top academic reputation.[/quote]

There was a profound awareness when I was in the STJ Grad School of Education of the impact of inferior secondary education on many new STJ undergrads and a concerted effort to address that issue both through the curriculum and through teacher training.
 
[quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=382418]My niece, who goes to Holy Cross, just proudly pointed out to me that Dr. Fauci is a Holy Cross grad.

He also went to Regis High School.[/quote]. Obviously Dr Fauci , from Brooklyn , is a very bright guy and when he talks about the Virus , everyone should listen intently . Hard to believe he’s 79 years old . Wonder if he went to Regis HS at same time as Regis Philbin ? Think RP might be a bit older . It’s interesting to me that 2 Jesuit Schools , G’Town and BC opted to join the BE , yet really haven’t harmed their Academics or Rankings . Holy Cross is about the same size as Providence in terms of students . I think HC felt it’s mission was strictly to the undergrad Liberal Arts curriculum and not to Law School or other Grad schools . After reading the thesis of the Elon student , it seems the President and AD at the time at HC didn’t want to deter from their stated Mission and felt they might have to lessen Admission requirements to admit BE level BB players . While G’Town and BC didn’t feel the same way . Since 1979 Holy Cross has drifted to several other Conferences , more suited to their size and Academic standards . One could say , Holy Cross Athletics , has been a Mediocre one over that time period . They didwhat they felt was best for their school . And , no question it’s a great school .
 
[quote="SLYFOXX1968" post=382491][quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=382418]My niece, who goes to Holy Cross, just proudly pointed out to me that Dr. Fauci is a Holy Cross grad.

He also went to Regis High School.[/quote]. Obviously Dr Fauci , from Brooklyn , is a very bright guy and when he talks about the Virus , everyone should listen intently . Hard to believe he’s 79 years old . Wonder if he went to Regis HS at same time as Regis Philbin ? Think RP might be a bit older . It’s interesting to me that 2 Jesuit Schools , G’Town and BC opted to join the BE , yet really haven’t harmed their Academics or Rankings . Holy Cross is about the same size as Providence in terms of students . I think HC felt it’s mission was strictly to the undergrad Liberal Arts curriculum and not to Law School or other Grad schools . After reading the thesis of the Elon student , it seems the President and AD at the time at HC didn’t want to deter from their stated Mission and felt they might have to lessen Admission requirements to admit BE level BB players . While G’Town and BC didn’t feel the same way . Since 1979 Holy Cross has drifted to several other Conferences , more suited to their size and Academic standards . One could say , Holy Cross Athletics , has been a Mediocre one over that time period . They didwhat they felt was best for their school . And , no question it’s a great school .[/quote]

Regis Philbin went to Cardinal Hayes HS
 
[quote="Proud Alumn" post=382406]The problem with SJU's mission isn't a focus on helping the poor, it is that the school distorts that mission by admitting too many mediocre or worse students, regardless of income level. Focusing on helping the poor should not mean that poor students who are admitted should not also be above average students. The size of the student body is too large and the academic standards too weak for the University to have a top academic reputation.[/quote]. I agree with your points . When I attended St John’s in the College of Business 1964-1968, the University had a Junior College to admit students for 2 years and award a Associate Degree. These students studied together in a separate curriculum from the other Students . They would not have qualified for admittance to St John’s otherwise . At the end of 2 years , the Junior College students could opt to transfer or apply to the regular University College’s and many did and finished up their Bachelor’s after 4 years . I have no idea why this Junior College wasn’t continued going forward and it appears the overall Academics of St John’s has been impacted by admitting students who are marginally qualified and often don’t graduate at all or , take more than 4 years to complete their degree . My Granddaughter attends Notre Dame in South Bend and the Order that runs ND has a Junior College called Holy Cross across the street . It admits students who might have been borderline for regular admittance to ND . At the end of 2 years , if the Holy Cross Student graduates with a B average or higher , they are automatically admitted to regular ND if they apply . They then finish the last 2 Years and get a regular ND degree . While at Holy Cross they have full access to ND’s campus , etc . It would seem having just such a similar type arrangement at St John’s , might improve the University ‘s overall Rankings ? Lastly , Rudy was a Holy Cross graduate before he could attend ND . Just saying .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top