The University, which U.S. News & World Report magazine has ranked the number one undergraduate college for the past three years, did not rank in Black Enterprise magazine's 50 Best Colleges for African-Americans. Princeton and Dartmouth were the only two Ivy League colleges not included in this year's rankings. The rankings include a diverse list of historically black colleges and universities, as well as several predominantly white institutions.
University officials said they did not know whether Princeton had been contacted for the survey.
Brittani Kirkpatrick '05, president of the Black Student Union, did not express surprise at Princeton's exclusion from the list. "Princeton brings diverse students here, but doesn't really make them part of the campus," she said.
Other African-American students said they were disappointed that the University was not listed.
'Supportive'
"I feel that Princeton should be on this list," Antoinette Seaberry '05 said. "We have an extremely supportive faculty and administration . . . This university is not given enough credit for the things that they do to enhance the African- American experience."
The magazine's rankings are geared to assist African-American parents and students through the college admissions process.
"I think that it will probably deter many African-Americans from applying," Derrick Raphael '06 said.
Kirkpatrick said she was aware of the magazine's previous rankings which also did not include the University. During her senior year in high school, her guidance counselor gave her the rankings to consider when applying to college. Kirkpatrick said she ignored Princeton's failure to make the 2001 rankings and was skeptical of them while in high school. However, she said her views have since changed. "Once I got here, I was not surprised," she said.
Although Kirkpatrick is not surprised, members of the University administration have questioned why Princeton was not included in the magazine's rankings.
"It doesn't make sense that Princeton would not be on their list," Director of Communications Lauren Robinson-Brown '85 said.
Other rankings
Robinson-Brown cited Princeton's high ranking in this year's Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. Princeton ranked second in the Ivy League for its percentage of black students in the class of 2006.
"Logically, it's hard to understand," she said.
However, the two publications used different methodologies to produce their rankings. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education was based on quantitative analysis, while Black Enterprise judged schools qualitatively and aimed to evaluate academic and social climates for African-American students.
Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson expressed disappointment about Princeton's exclusion from the rankings. However, she also questioned whether or not the University was contacted to submit information to qualify for the rankings.
"If they did not have the information, [the University] may have inadvertently been left off the list," she said.
Robinson-Brown was also skeptical as to whether or not the University was contacted. According to the magazine, the rankings were based on several criteria, including a questionnaire for African-American alumni to fill out about their alma maters.
"I don't think that they talked to African-American alumni from Princeton," Robinson-Brown said.
Representatives from Black Enterprise could not be reached for comment.
Subjectivity
Both Robinson-Brown and Dickerson stressed the subjectivity involved in developing ranking systems and suggested that several other factors should be involved when choosing colleges.
"A magazine cannot tell you what you can find out on your own by visiting a campus," Robinson-Brown said.
These comments contrast with the sentiments of some African- American students.
"I think that the rankings are very fair," Kirkpatrick said. However she said she hopes that the University will make the magazine's future rankings.
"Based on recent conversations with the administration, the University is making a concerted effort to improve its appeal to diverse students. I'm optimistic that in the future we'll make the list," she said.
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