Stech asked in a post below whether athletics impact applications. What about an athletic conference membership? I don’t have concrete evidence, but I suspect Cornell benefits massively from being a member of the Ivy League, which is technically an athletic conference. Then what about ACC membership? FSU used to be a bottom feeder but is now ranked 51 in the latest US news ranking. VT also also climbed significantly since joining the ACC. Yes, rankings change every year, and some ACC schools see declines. VT’s rise is mostly due to its own efforts, but I wonder if VT and FSU would have climbed as high without ACC membership. Would VT be in the top 60 if it were still in the A-10? Twenty five years ago, I remember many people in Northern Virginia considered VT a "cow college." Perhaps joining the ACC gave VT the credibility to be seen as a serious academic institution. But what about Louisville? Well even Louisville is on the rise. According to the latest U.S. News rankings, Louisville is now on par with Cincinnati at 158. WVU? They are still at 222. (if you care about usnews ranking, the B12 is not a good conference to join. None of them are in top 80).