The competition is heating up two weeks into Forbes’ second annual #MyTopCollege social campaign, as students at colleges across the country have shared their school spirit with nearly 4,000 tweets. Launched on June 22, the campaign allows students to share how their school has helped them grow by using the #MyTopCollege hashtag and their school’s handle on
In a change from last year, photo submissions this year feature more people and fewer campus statues and buildings. The best give a close-up look at the many ways students are taking advantage of the special opportunities offered by their schools, such as study abroad programs and job fairs. Many also illustrate the sense of community students feel at their school, whether through newfound friends or student clubs and organizations.
The Appalachian Highlands region (which includes KY, TN, WV, VA and NC) has seen the highest participation in the campaign, with 1,886 submissions so far. The Midwest and Pacific have also seen significant contributions, with 439 and 403 submissions, respectively. But we’re still hoping to see greater involvement from the Heartland (we’re looking at you, ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA and MO).
Best in show belongs to California State University, Fullerton. The public university won the entire campaign last year and is looking to replicate its success. Two consecutive victories would make a story almost as inspiring as Titanic, directed by notable Cal State Fullerton dropout James Cameron.
Showing both spirit and spirituality, the Catholic school Franciscan University of Steubenville claims second place so far. Making a strong case that the West Coast is the best coast, San Diego State University takes third place so far. Colorado State University leads the pack in the Mountain region, despite a heated bout of submissions from rivals the College of Idaho and the University of Idaho.
The University of Central Oklahoma has given a strong showing for the Southwest, with inspiring submissions from students on its cheerleading squad. Ouachita Baptist University and Mississippi State University have really helped out the Southeast. Bryant University and the University of New Hampshire remain the ringleaders in New England, although we’d love to see more representation from the many, many top colleges in the region. We refuse to believe Ivy League brainiacs and progressive school hipsters are too cool to be sincere about their school.
Regional upsets include Franciscan University of Steubenville’s rise over Michigan State University in the Midwest, as well as Gettysburg College’s ascent over Saint Lawrence University in the Mid-Atlantic.
A note: For the second week in a row, fans of Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, VA, sent in thousands of submissions. The school certainly has an inspiring story: On the brink of closure, the small all-women’s liberal arts college was kept open last month through a deal involving funds drawn from an alumni nonprofit and the endowment. Though impressive, the sheer volume of submissions, mostly from a single Twitter handle, has compelled us to add a new guideline: No more than 25 submissions per individual handle will be counted in the final results. Remember, we evaluate each submission manually and don't rely on bots. Winners will be judged on both quality and quantity of submissions.
Share Your School Spirit: Who Will Win #MyTopCollege 2015?
Want Forbes to know why your school is better than the rest? Our new @ForbesEDU Twitter account will continue running the campaign for four more weeks, and it’s not too late to get involved! Just use the #MyTopCollege hashtag and your school’s handle on Twitter or Instagram, and your submission might even be featured in the next Forbes update post!
