Students laud YSU's top rankings

YOUNGSTOWN — It may not have been ranked as a top academic school, but Youngstown State University did make a couple of other top lists in U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges of 2007.

YSU was recognized for its low tuition rate on the “Cheapest Public Schools” list and for the high percentage of applicants it accepts as students on the “Highest Acceptance List.”

The ranking in the latter category can be traced directly to YSU’s open access admissions policy, which essentially gives just about everyone a shot at getting into college.

The trick, of course, is then performing at an academic level that allows one to remain a student.

YSU accepts 99.38 percent of its applicants, and students on campus Thursday thought the open access mission of the university has worked well.

“It’s a good thing. It gives everybody a chance to be educated,” said Michael McGiffin of Poland, a junior finance and accounting major.

That, and YSU’s relatively low tuition at $6,713 a year, allow people to go to school who might otherwise not get that opportunity, he said.

Open access is good for this area, said Mark Jones of Youngstown, a freshman physical therapy and exercise science major who has seen a bit of the world.

He’s a veteran of the National Guard and a year ago was on deployment in the South, helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

If someone is trying to get an education, trying to make something of themselves, open access can be a real benefit, he said.

Phil Kinney of Cleveland, a senior marketing major, said he’s seen open access work for more than one of his friends.

One, in particular, was on academic probation at another school and was accepted as a transfer student at YSU and has since done quite well, Kinney said.

Pam Abbey, of Hubbard, a senior education major, has seen it work for a family member who struggled in high school but wanted to go to college. He was accepted by YSU, she said.

Ariel Foster of Youngstown, a senior nursing home administration major, offered the most personal observation about open access.

“I wasn’t a straight ‘A’ student in high school, but I became a straight ‘A’ student when I got here, “ she said.

YSU making the list of highest acceptance rates means the university is ”being true to our mission,” said Jonelle Beatrice, associate director of student life and director of the Center for Student Progress.

YSU wasn’t the highest Ohio school on either the tuition or acceptance rate list.

For full story, see Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.