One Big Thing that Dallas Is Missing (Houston, Austin: movies, top school)

[WillysB]

I'm often amused (actually, saddened) to read of moms and pops who expend so much energy to make sure their pre-K's get the best background to give them the best opportunities to get into the 'best schools'. And bear that pressure on those kids to fulfill their end of that pre-ordained bargain.

In this respect ONLY, I can find some support for a 'national work program'. To be implemented for ALL high school graduates. Otherwise, of course, I'm totally opposed to any such program. My only intent would be to get the kids out of the house and away from the parents for a couple of years.

If the child is going to succeed in a 'top tier' school, he'll find his way there. Waaayyy too many kids go off to the big school when they really should have spent some time at the local junior college.

[CMDallas]

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

I would give Rice the slight edge over SMU but I would not put them on the top 25 for top universities in the nation. I doubt anyone on the east or west coast no much about either of the two.

No... People know about Rice, and SMU...
but SMU is like...where Rich people go... Rice is like...where Smart people go...
So naturally there is a correlation between the two, but not to the point to where they're the same.
SMU is hated by many people in the metropolitan area, and despite what any ranking says (which I've seen some that put it at 13th best in the US) its not a world Class...
Rice might not be either, but it is so much more of a better school. Much more prestigious... I agree Dallas is lacking a good university.
I hoping UTD will come up soon, and maybe SMU will lose some of its rich-preppy-daddy's girl reputation like USC and gain some real students.
But yeah...
Chicago-U of Chicago
San Fran- Cal and Stanford
Los Angeles- Cal Tech and UCLA
Houston- Rice
NYC- Cornell
Austin- UT
Detriot- UM (although it is some time away it is in the area)
Pittsburgh- Carnegie Mellon
Boston- Harvard and MIT
etc... so many more but Dallas...
humph...I really UTD will kick it into high gear, it is said they may be able to move up to 1st tier if they have the money. The current student body at UTD is more diverse as a group and has slightly better credentials.

This is something Dallas lacks, UTSW is the educational jewel of Dallas... which isn't a university.
This is the University food chain in TEXAS
Rice > UT > A&M > UTD > SMU > Texas Tech > TCU > UTSA etc...

[aceplace]

Yes, some good things have been said about Rice, but the small size of the school, 2900 students, means it has very little impact on its community, or on the total college-attending population of Houston. There are likely many more students of comparable quality in Houston's other colleges, and they are learning the same material they would learn at Rice.

The question remains... why does Houston need Rice University? And of course... why does Dallas need a comparable college?

There are several ways to educate the most advanced students. One way would be to create a specialized university with programs oriented to their needs. Another way would be to create specialized advanced placement programs in the existing schools.

CMDallas, when you talk about "world class", what do you mean? What is the definition of "world class" in the context of a college?

[Visitor2007]

Originally Posted by aceplace

UT Arlington has to take anybody with a double digit IQ.

Really? Do they really take people with double digits IQ?

Do you know what that mean? That means people who barely graduate from high school.

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by Visitor2007

Really? Do they really take people with double digits IQ?

Do you know what that mean? That means people who barely graduate from high school.

I guess my jibe, if taken literally, means that anyone with an IQ > 9 would qualify.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by zatires

You gotta be joking me, and hundreds and millions of people in DFW area.

On top of that millions of people in the world who know about US colleges would laugh at you when they hear you saying SMU is not on par with UH or Rice.

I have to like find a smile that is a big LOL, like those that is laughing and banging his head to the floor or something.

Over the years I have read these forums, the above quote I have seen was the most useless and most unreal.

I came to another age.

Thou doth protest too much.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by aceplace

Thanks for rejoining the discussion, rb4browns. Sorry if I was a bit sharp about your "average student" comment.

None taken at all

Originally Posted by aceplace

No disrespect intended to UC Berkeley, but I don't think it had anywhere the impact on the Northern California economy that Stanford University has had. When I look at Stanford, I see the Silicon Valley,

Stanfurd is on the Peninsula, not SIlicon Valley but I understand what you are saying. DOn't discount the number of engineers, etc. trained at Cal though that are working in key positions in Silicon Valley companies.

Originally Posted by aceplace

but the East Bay areas around Berkeley are in no way a hotbed of technical innovation.

Only because they don't need to be. That's what Silicon Valley is for.

Originally Posted by aceplace

I have a theory regarding this, that the old Mason-Dixon line, if extended through the continent to California, would seperate the Silicon Valley from the rest of the Bay Area. Everything south of that line is innovative, dynamic, and wealthy, whereas anything north of it is somewhat moribund.

Well, technically Palo Alto is south of Fremont, which is one of the key cities that comprise the "Silicon Valley."

Originally Posted by aceplace

I seriously doubt that people go to college in order to become well-read intellectuals. go in order to enhance their career prospects and to benefit their economic futures.

Perhaps, but I think it is more of a portion go for intelelctual pursuits, a portion go for career prospects and economic futures, a portion go to drink beer and get laid and a portion go because their parents tell them to do and they don't really have a clue on what else to do.

Originally Posted by aceplace

The question is this... how are we going to evaluate and measure the ability of a college to serve this need.

You got me there. I don't think it is really possible to do so outside of conjecture or opinion.

Originally Posted by aceplace

We have other questions as well. Does Dallas need a separate institution to cater to the most academically advanced students? Do we need to improve mid-level colleges that cater to mid-level students? How do we measure the quality of teaching in a college?

I think if it is a zero sum game then the focus should be in beefing up UTD, UNT, SMU and other area schools to bolster the workforce with middle managers and professionals. As you pointed out, elites will go where the opportunities are more-or-less (I'm referring to CEO types or visionary captains of industry). Corporations will grow or move to areas with a mid level workforce in place. The latter is IMHO more value to a community writ large.

Originally Posted by aceplace

I'm sure that Dallas would benefit if the quality of the teaching process were improved across the board, in every college, from the junior colleges that cater to vocational training, to the large state universities like UTD, UNT and UTA. I'm not so sure, however, that we need to establish a separate institution to cater exclusively to the top 10% of the IQ range.

I agree.

[CMDallas]

I mean a place where International won't go "wha???" when you say the name of the school.
Now I will say some countries are biased, I went to Mexico to visit some relatives and they all think UC Riverside is like Da-bomb...it's not bad...
When I mean world Class I mean on par with the best of the world's universities...IE: Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Princeton... and basically the list finished with schools like Rice and Carnegie Mellon...
I give it to Houston this time, Dallas doesn't have a University worth much...
UTA isn't that bad, I knew someone smart who got rejected from that place. It may not be a Harvard but its fine...

[aceplace]

Originally Posted by CMDallas

I mean a place where International won't go "wha???" when you say the name of the school.

Anyone who watches the old Dallas TV show would recognize SMU as the place where the Ewing granddaughter attended college. But that is just publicity. If international recognition is all that the DFW schools need, then a good advertising campaign would do it.

In actual practice, people in other countries would just focus on a handful of colleges in the US, and be oblivious to most of them. This is a result of media exposure more than anything else.

The Indian city of Bangalore has become one of the world centers of the high-tech information Technology industry. CMDallas, are you able to name the top 3 universities in Bangalore? No? Well, so much for your international reputation theory.

Now I will say some countries are biased, I went to Mexico to visit some relatives and they all think UC Riverside is like Da-bomb...it's not bad...
When I mean world Class I mean on par with the best of the world's universities...IE: Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Princeton... and basically the list finished with schools like Rice and Carnegie Mellon...

The question is... what does a Dallas university have to do, or be, in order for you to put it on the list with Carnegie Mellon? Specify the criteria it has to meet.

I give it to Houston this time, Dallas doesn't have a University worth much...
UTA isn't that bad, I knew someone smart who got rejected from that place. It may not be a Harvard but its fine...

You say Dallas doesn't have a university worth much. Then you contradict yourself, saying UT Arlington is fine. Which is it?

I think the major schools in the DFW area are all pretty good. They have supported the development of DFW into one of the most dynamic and high-growth city regions in America. In this thread, there has been no discussion of the criteria that would technically rate our universities against others. Yes, there are differences in reputation or in publicity, but that does not imply a real difference in quality. Yes, a Harvard University can specialize in iltra-high-IQ students, whereas UNT accepts high and mid IQ students, but that does not mean that UNT's quality of instruction is better or worse than Harvard's.

As for Rice... it's such a small school that its impact doesn't matter.

[Visitor2007]

Originally Posted by CMDallas

UTA isn't that bad, I knew someone smart who got rejected from that place. It may not be a Harvard but its fine...

What's his GPA and SAT?