Countdown to College: Local University Rankings Published on New Year’s Day

Dec. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- CHICAGO – On New Year’s Day, Chicagoland will know exactly how Chicago colleges and universities are ranked according to B-SMRT (Branding – Syndicated Research Tracker), an independent research study conducted by the Blackstone Group, Inc. in conjunction with strategic marketing partner, New Metaphor Inc.  Rankings will appear in an advertisement in the “Chicago Tribune” on January 1, 2011.

For the first time ever, Chicago’s prospective students will have a locally focused, independent source of comparative rankings on issues they value, such as academics, prestige, campus appearance, safety and location.

While other rankings and studies are national or regional in scope, the research behind B-SMRT’s rankings is based upon a major survey study of the local Chicago general population, including prospective and current students, alumni, employers and donors.

“Most prospective students in Chicago will go to school in the Chicago area and they will ask their friends and family for their opinions,” said David Deyhle, marketing consultant at New Metaphor.  “This new ranking takes this kind of natural networking to the next level by providing a level of statistical probability about area perspectives from those who know Chicago area schools the best—Chicagoans!”

For deeper insights, prospective students and the general public can request more detailed research profiles of Chicago colleges and universities at http://www.newmetaphor.com/bsmrt/index.html on the same day that the results are published.

The Blackstone Group will update and publish new B-SMRT rankings twice a year, allowing Chicagoans to see trends in how area Chicago schools are perceived by their peers and potential employers.

“We view B-SMRT as revolutionary, and the trending factor—seeing how things change in the competitive landscape over time—is an added bonus,” said Ron Pocs, B-SMRT’s lead researcher and a senior vice president at the Blackstone Group.  “As the father of a college freshman, I wish B-SMRT rankings had been available a year ago.  It would have helped my daughter navigate through the numerous Chicago-area choices with more knowledge, insight and confidence.”

After publishing rankings on Chicago’s universities and colleges, the Blackstone Group and New Metaphor, plans to expand the B-SMRT study to other select urban markets, including Los Angeles, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas and Seattle.  Each new urban-centric study will be locally focused and survey that city’s general population about universities and colleges in their area.

About the Blackstone Group, Inc.
The Blackstone Group is a full-service research and consulting firm headquartered in Chicago.  The Blackstone Group has over 23 years of experience delivering strategic research insights for clients in a variety of industries, including financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, energy/utilities, advertising and education.  For more information about the Blackstone Group, visit http://www.bgglobal.com.

About New Metaphor Inc.
New Metaphor is a marketing consulting firm headquartered in Evanston, Ill.  New Metaphor focuses on providing strategic marketing services to non-profit organizations, primarily in higher education, healthcare, associations and charitable groups.  For more information about New Metaphor, visit http://www.newmetaphor.com.

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Blackstone Group is a full-service, custom marketing research and consulting firm providing clients with actionable research insights for 23 years.

We are a certified minority-owned/diversity firm.