UCF Loves Cherry Picking Statistics

In a memo to the UCF community, Sandy Cherepow, Hitt’s senior administrative assistant, submits:

As we prepare to begin a new academic year, I am delighted to share good news with you. This years U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" guide lauds UCF as a top 5 national university to watch.

This category recognizes national universities that "have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities. UCF, which ranked No. 7 on the list last year, is the only Florida school listed in the category "Top Up-and-Coming Schools."

UCF was voted into this category by our peers from around the country - a testament to our academic, research and partnership reputation.

This is a much better description of the results (from a friend of a reader):

Not surprising, but the lead of this press release is quite misleading. UCF is not a "top 5 national university to watch." UCF is listed as #5 on the list of universities to watch. We're in the "top 5" of unranked, unremarkable universities that may or may not have potential some day to move up from the third tier.