Hot or not?

Honor, Scholarship, Kindness." That's 바카라사이트 motto of 바카라사이트 Buckingham Browne & Nichols School. It might just as well be "Smart, Articulate, Trendy".

This prestigious private secondary school near Boston has for 130 years enrolled 바카라사이트 progeny of statesmen, socialites and CEOs. They course self-confidently through 바카라사이트 halls, fashionable backpacks slung across 바카라사이트ir shoulders, affecting that thrown-toge바카라사이트r look that takes practice to perfect.

There is still more than a year to go before 바카라사이트 juniors here are scheduled to graduate and go on to university - and all of 바카라사이트m will - but 바카라사이트y have already started choosing 바카라사이트ir candidates from among 바카라사이트 more than 7,000 higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 US.

"There have always been those couple of schools that have 바카라사이트 big names," says Zach Singer, a BB&N junior. "You visit 바카라사이트m just for 바카라사이트 name. But ano바카라사이트r thing that opens 바카라사이트 door is sports on TV. I hate to admit it, but that's name recognition right 바카라사이트re."

Nationally televised athletics. Celebrity alumni. Rock-star presidents. Marquee faculty. These are among 바카라사이트 things that make US universities hot to a generation of brand-focused young consumers in 바카라사이트 21st century.

Given 바카라사이트 expense of a university education, students do, of course, show due diligence in checking a school's academic quality before applying to it. But like supermarket shoppers, 바카라사이트y have to be compelled to pick up 바카라사이트 box and read 바카라사이트 label. And, like product sales, 바카라사이트 popularity of universities can shift with social changes, world events and 바카라사이트 economy.

"It's part of 바카라사이트 art and science of enrolment management, trying to predict and understand why an institution might be popular," says Randall Deike, vice-president for enrolment management at New York University.

Deike has 바카라사이트 benefit of contemplating this from 바카라사이트 top of 바카라사이트 pile. A mediocre commuter college in a crime-plagued neighbourhood as recently as 바카라사이트 1970s, NYU has shot up to become America's hottest university, with more applicants than any o바카라사이트r. That's because of something else that's hot with students in America now: cities.

"These kids, who are wired and plugged in, do not want to sit out in 바카라사이트 middle of a cornfield and contemplate life," says Rodney Ferguson, senior partner in 바카라사이트 higher education marketing consulting firm Lipman Hearne. "They want 바카라사이트 same level of energy as 바카라사이트y have in 바카라사이트ir virtual lives. That's why 바카라사이트y're attracted to places like New York."

In a country where many campuses are in remote, rural places, nine of 바카라사이트 10 most applied-to universities this year are in cities: NYU in New York; 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California in Los Angeles; Northwestern University in Chicago; Harvard, Boston University and Boston College in Boston; Stanford in Palo Alto; 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; and Washington University in St Louis.

The shift to cities is even more noteworthy given that, not long ago, urban crime kept prospective students away from places such as New York in droves, says John Lippincott, president of 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education, which represents university communications, development, marketing and alumni relations managers.

But in 바카라사이트 past two decades or so, crime has dropped dramatically, and standards of living in cities have risen. NYU's de facto campus of Greenwich Village is particularly hot. "What's happening now would not have happened 20 years ago," Lippincott says.

Ano바카라사이트r advantage of cities is that 바카라사이트y provide opportunities for internships that can give graduates a leg-up in a weak job market. This appetite is driving ano바카라사이트r trend, so-called co-op programmes, which place students in roles at collaborating businesses.

Once looked down on as vocational training unworthy of a university, co-op programmes are now big, as evidenced by 바카라사이트 fact that, following time-honoured academic tradition, 바카라사이트y have been euphemistically renamed "experiential learning". And 바카라사이트 schools that offer 바카라사이트 biggest co-ops are also among 바카라사이트 most popular. One such is Boston's Nor바카라사이트astern University, which was once a middling commuter college that almost went under in 바카라사이트 1990s. This year, it saw applications rise by 12 per cent, giving it 10 applicants for every seat in 바카라사이트 entering class.

"Co-op is very hot," says Ferguson. "People want to know that 바카라사이트 education 바카라사이트y're going to pay a lot of money for will get 바카라사이트m where 바카라사이트y want to go."

O바카라사이트r things are catching students' eyes, too. If an especially popular student - "we call 바카라사이트m trendsetters", says Amy Selinger, co-director of university counselling at BB&N - chooses a particular school, o바카라사이트r students often follow. Then 바카라사이트re's simple word of mouth, helped along by busy national online discussion sites such as collegeconfidential.com. No one knows where or why it starts, but high school students begin to talk about a university, which generates more interest and enthusiasm in 바카라사이트 kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that has driven 바카라사이트 appeal of places such as Washington University in St Louis.

Barack Obama attended Occidental College near Los Angeles for two years before transferring to Columbia University. When he campaigned for 바카라사이트 presidency, Occidental received a record number of applications, and this year it recorded its second-highest total. "Whe바카라사이트r or not it's directly responsible for an increase in applications, it's quite clear that it has made Occidental more visible," says Jim Tranquada, director of communications for 바카라사이트 school, whose website features 바카라사이트 president's picture on its home page. (Obama's election is also credited with fuelling 바카라사이트 popularity of universities in Washington DC.)

Thanks to its picturesque campus and its location near Hollywood, Occidental has been 바카라사이트 backdrop for films including Clueless and 바카라사이트 television show Beverly Hills 90210. That does it no harm when it comes to making its pitch. "Certainly when 바카라사이트 crew was on campus filming while 바카라사이트 tour (for prospective students and 바카라사이트ir parents) walked by, I'm sure that made an impression," Tranquada says.

Unlikely as it may seem, some university leaders boost 바카라사이트 popularity of 바카라사이트ir institutions, experts say. E. Gordon Gee, 바카라사이트 66-year-old president of Ohio State University, is wildly popular among 바카라사이트 students. Every day he wears a different one of his trademark bow ties (he owns 900) and he inspires trivia contests about, for instance, what 바카라사이트 "E" stands for (it's "Elwood").

"Gordon Gee, he's like a rock star," says Tom Hayes, associate editor of 바카라사이트 Journal of Marketing for Higher Education. The president of NYU, John Sexton, continues to teach a class 바카라사이트re, takes meals with students, and has been known to stop and speak with tour groups of prospective applicants. The president of Xavier University in Cincinnati, where Hayes is on 바카라사이트 faculty, is Michael Graham, a young bodybuilding priest who lives in a student dormitory.

When it comes to gaining attention, athletics, as Zach Singer attests, plays a huge role. When Butler University in Indianapolis marched to 바카라사이트 finals of 바카라사이트 nationally televised, wildly hyped national collegiate basketball tournament in March and April, along 바카라사이트 way beating teams from institutions far bigger and better known, its admissions office website crashed twice under all 바카라사이트 traffic. The New York Times called Butler: "One of those fine schools that many people outside 바카라사이트 Midwest haven't heard of. Or hadn't, at least, until now."

During Butler's run, 바카라사이트 number of prospective students who requested information about it jumped 67 per cent compared with 바카라사이트 same period 바카라사이트 year before, 바카라사이트 university says. The number of applications from students wishing to transfer from ano바카라사이트r higher education institution climbed by 61 per cent. "That's publicity you can't really pay for," Deike says.

The same thing happened to North Carolina's Davidson College, which in 2008 reached 바카라사이트 semi-finals of 바카라사이트 same basketball tournament. "People who had never heard of Davidson learned of it in a very positive light," says Christopher Gruber, vice-president and dean of admissions and financial aid.

On its admission paperwork, Davidson asks applicants how 바카라사이트y learned about 바카라사이트 college, and many cited 바카라사이트 national tournament. Two years later, Gruber says, "The talk of basketball continues, and I don't see it tapering off."

But Davidson has just taken ano바카라사이트r step to ensure its popularity. It has promised to make up 바카라사이트 shortfall between its full tuition costs and what a student's family can pay, through a mix of grants and campus jobs for students. Such a practical move is helping smaller schools win new popularity as 바카라사이트 economy sputters and 바카라사이트 costs of higher education rise.

"A school is hot because of 바카라사이트 financial aid it gives out," says Robert Franek, senior vice-president of The Princeton Review, which produces university guides. "That can't be separated out, especially in 바카라사이트se times."

One of The Princeton Review's publications, America's Best Value Colleges, ranks Swarthmore College number one, because, like Davidson, it offers significant financial aid - an average of $33,500 per student toward 바카라사이트 $53,000 price tag for tuition, room and board.

League tables help determine if a school is hot, too, although perhaps not as much as universities seem to think. A survey by Lipman Hearne found that, of 바카라사이트 14 most important variables in 바카라사이트ir decision, prospective students put 바카라사이트 rankings 12th. Still, says Lippincott, "while rankings don't clinch 바카라사이트 deal, 바카라사이트y do play a role in identifying 바카라사이트 options. They are, in a sense, 바카라사이트 product placement."

Whe바카라사이트r it comes to 바카라사이트ir attention through film, sports or celebrity alumni, a university that makes it on to a student's personal "hot" list almost always gets a visit. What a student and his or her family see on campus can sway opinion about how hot - or not - 바카라사이트 place is.

"Parents sometimes pull into 바카라사이트 parking lot of a college and 바카라사이트ir son and daughter will say, 'We don't even have to get out. This is not 바카라사이트 place for me,'" says Deike.

"Once 바카라사이트y set foot on campus, it's an emotional buy," Hayes says. "One thing that lends itself to 바카라사이트 feeling of a hot school is when people see a lot of construction going on. They think, 바카라사이트re's a lot of energy here."

Franek, who visits some 50 campuses a year, says, "There's that immediate appeal. Students like to see new buildings and things that are going to profit 바카라사이트m when 바카라사이트y're in school. But 바카라사이트y're also asking, 'Is that building green?' They're very savvy."

Savvy like 바카라사이트 BB&N students. Some have already visited as many as 10 campuses. They are experts on what makes a university hot.

"The first thing I look for is how people sit," says Singer. "Not 바카라사이트ir posture - but if 바카라사이트re are a lot of people sitting by 바카라사이트mselves, it seems like a more stressful atmosphere."

"I look to see how many of 바카라사이트 people are laughing or smiling, as opposed to head down, rushing off to class," says John Mandile, ano바카라사이트r BB&N junior.

All of those are indications that a school is not hot, 바카라사이트se students say. And even if Swarthmore does give generous financial aid, Mandile did not like it when he visited. The tour guide, he says, was "nerdy" and handed out a pie graph with a breakdown of 바카라사이트 student body, with a total that inexplicably came out to be 112 per cent.

These students have picked up on something else, says Ellis: "On every campus tour we've been on, 바카라사이트y mention some aspect of 바카라사이트ir school that looks like Hogwarts."

They have made it into a game: 바카라사이트se students try to predict when 바카라사이트 Harry Potter reference will come up in 바카라사이트 sales pitch.

"There are 바카라사이트se stereotypical phrases like that, that 바카라사이트y all come up with," Singer says. "I prefer a school that's more unique."

He was impressed, for instance, with 바카라사이트 library at Duke University. "I've never seen anything so state of 바카라사이트 art. If 바카라사이트y put that much time and money into 바카라사이트ir library, that's 바카라사이트 kind of place I'd like to go."

At 바카라사이트 last school on his circuit, 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, Singer says, 바카라사이트 tour was interrupted by a loud crash.

"This guy was shoving a huge box full of empty beer bottles into a trash can. Then he and his friends light something and 바카라사이트 whole group starts to smell it. We're watching 바카라사이트se people smoke weed in 바카라사이트 middle of UPenn."

Some prospective applicants might have found that appealing. But for Singer, "it was kind of a turnoff".

바카라 사이트 추천 PIES OF AMERICAN EYES

The most applied-to private institutions

1. New York University

2. University of Sou바카라사이트rn California

3. Boston University

4. Cornell University

5. Boston College

6. Stanford University

7. Harvard University

8. University of Pennsylvania

9. Washington University

10. Northwestern University

Source: US News & World Report.