There are many definitions of success in Model UN, and awards are only one extrinsic way of measuring success. Nevertheless, awards have existed in Model UN for years. They serve to recognize both individual students and college teams as a whole for their accomplishments in leadership, research, public speaking, resolution-building, negotiation, and diplomacy. This year, the end of the year college rankings were more competitive than ever, with all schools on the circuit bringing forth their best efforts at collegiate competitions. These college rankings are meant to recognize different school teams for their efforts in preparing more students to succeed at conferences, both large and small, both worldwide and local. Our heavier emphasis this year on conference equity hopes to recognize both big and small conferences for their efforts on bringing competition to different regions in the United States.
Methodology
The World Division refers to the circuit of collegiate Model UN teams that are primarily run by college Head Delegates and primarily attend conferences hosted by college Model UN organizations, with the vast majority of those conferences featuring crisis committees. This ranking is only for the World Division.
The World Division Rankings uses a Cumulative Weighted Score Methodology. The Weighted Score Methodology is the same as in Fall 2018 with modifications in conference weightings to reflect attendance and competitiveness this year. Conferences included in the calculations are listed below and grouped with their approximate peer conferences in terms of weighting. Awards data were provided by the conferences, and we could only use conferences that chose to provide data. Tiers are as follows:
- HNMUN
- McMUN
- UPMUNC, ChoMUN, NCSC
- CMUNNY, BarMUN, LAMUN, NYUMUNC
- VICS, UCBMUN, &MUN, SCSY
- TrojanMUN, MUNE, SBIMUN, UNCMUNC, CIAC, QMUNI
- AggieMUN, FLCS, PDI, FCMUN
- PUNC, DISCon, 305MUN, SMUNCI
Proposed Changes to Future Methodology: Best Delegate may consider having a minimum delegate attendance at a conference in order for it to qualify for inclusion above in order to capture the quality difference between competitive conferences and training conferences or scrimmages. Secondly, the current methodology does not place a cap in the number of conferences a team can score from, but one consideration to better capture the balance between quality and quantity is to take the “top x” scores regardless of number of conferences attended (e.g. Top 7 scores from 9 conferences attended).
Editors’ Notes
Best Delegate Co-Founder Kevin Felix Chan and Executive Director of Operations Erik Leiden led the data calculations for the ranking and final editing of the narratives in this article. Editor of BD Content Genevieve Pool put in a tremendous amount of work to make this year’s college rankings possible through the input of raw data, the sourcing of bios, and the editing of this article. Social Media Director Madeleine Northfield edited and wrote conference recognition posts in order to advertise and hype up our annual rankings release.
Each year, rankings margins become closer and closer as teams from all regions of North America change their strategy and learn from each other in the process of competition. This year, rankings and awards were more competitive than ever, and the Best Delegate team would like to acknowledge each and every school in their active participation on the circuit and their increased efforts to inclusivity and diversity. As my tenure as Editor in Chief draws to a close, I would like to thank my media team for an incredible year. Particularly, I’d like to thank my editors (Gen, Curan) and my Social Media Director (Maddy) for holding me up when I was down, for keeping the website updated with interesting new articles, and for keeping me sane when rankings seasons came around.”
Final placement below should be compared to the 2017-2018 Final Rankings as opposed to the 2018 Fall Rankings.
1. Florida International University
Florida International University has knocked the University of Chicago off the Iron Throne of MUN rankings, claiming the number 1 spot for the first time in its competitive history. This is the culmination of nine years worth of hard work switching over from the NMUN circuit to rise steadily up into the Top 5 of the rankings, and now to claim the #1 spot. FIU attended a whopping 14 conferences, sweeping the circuit with the most individual awards (more than 120, including the second most gavels) and the most delegation awards (nine). No other college MUN team came close in any of those measurements. Keep in mind this is a team that had to fly to travel to almost all of its conferences, so it has worked to overcome funding disadvantages caused by not being located in the Northeast.
Out of its nine delegation awards, five were large delegation awards and four were small delegation awards, showing that FIU has nearly perfected its delegation size strategy for ratios. FIU earned five Best Small Delegation awards across the country, including one at McMUN in Canada, two on the West Coast at LAMUN and UCBMUN, and the two others coming from &MUN and FLCS. It was able to receive the Best Large Delegation award from HNMUN for the first time in team history by effectively competing in the GAs there and by having an optimal ratio compared to large delegation rivals UPenn and UChicago. The team also won a Best Large at NCSC, an Outstanding Large at BarMUN, and an Outstanding Large at MUNE. It contended for two more delegation awards with a second place finish at ChoMUN and a fourth place finish at UPMUNC in terms of weighted score. And the team rounded its travel-intensive resume with solid performances at CMUNNY, VICS, and 305MUN. Widely respected across the circuit for the training and hard work that the team puts in every year, FIU demonstrated this year that any university — including public schools outside of the elite Northeast — can become the #1 team in college Model UN.
Former head delegate and current advisor Michelle Rosario compliments the new attitude that the FIU team has taken on: “Since the start of the season, we wanted to emphasize diplomacy in every facet, from how we treat our peers on the team, to other delegates on the circuit, to the character that we humbly strive to uphold day to day. This year we were so delighted to find out what could happen if we came together collaboratively, our team dynamic and values truly made the difference at every conference we traveled to. We will carry the lessons, the laughs, the happy tears, as well as the memories in our hearts and we can’t wait to see everyone again in the fall. Special thank you and goodbye to our remarkable graduating head delegates: Syed Fuad Adnan, Alexander Morales, and Mario Treto.”
2. Georgetown University
Georgetown swooped back in to take the #2 rank, a spot they held onto for five consecutive years before last year, by amassing 100 individual awards this year which is the second most on the circuit. Georgetown won four delegation awards but had the unfortunate luck of missing out on delegation awards at six conferences due to ratios as it came in no lower than third place at all of its conferences this year. Their four delegation awards came from deploying a southern strategy, and they won Outstanding Small at VICS, Outstanding Small at &MUN, Best Small at MUNE, and Best Small at UNCMUNC. In the Northeast, the team came up third three times at CMUNNY, NYUMUNC, and BarMUN.
But the real reason why Georgetown is ranked #2 is because it absolutely dominated at an increasingly competitive and larger McMUN — it earned over double the weighted score than the large delegation award winners there — and also placed first in weighted score at ChoMUN and second in weighted score at UPMUNC. The team also attended WorldMUN (not counted in the rankings), where every delegate won an award. So despite not having the delegation awards to show for it, Georgetown was arguably the #1 or #2 team at the most competitive conferences it participated in this year. The team was able to accomplish all this by providing as many travel opportunities as it can to its students, without having tryouts, interviews, or rejections to anyone from the team. Georgetown also hosted an increasingly competitive NCSC in the Fall. After an impressive performance like this year’s, we have to wonder if Georgetown is going to start another streak of #2 placements — or even gear up to take the top spot next year.
Conferences Coordinator Zac Schroepfer shares his Georgetown pride by saying: “Team GU MUN has had a wonderful semester. Adding on some smaller teams to go to conferences we have not traditionally attended, while also expanding teams to conferences we’ve always gone to has allowed us to both bring in more people from Georgetown to the team, while also enabling us to meet more delegates from a variety of schools and geographies! We have an amazing class of seniors that will be missed by the team, but the senior class is excited to see where the team goes in the future under the leadership of the new Head Delegate Suraag! Hoya Saxa!”
3. University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania won the third most individual awards this year and the most gavels on the circuit, which enabled the team to finish third in the rankings. The team won the second most delegation awards on the circuit this year with 7 out of the 9 conferences it attended, the highest ratio on the circuit. UPenn performed best at the mid-sized crisis conferences this year, taking home five Best Large Delegations from ChoMUN, NYUMUNC, CMUNNY, VICS, and SCSY. It also received an Outstanding Small Delegation at BarMUN and contended for a delegation award at NCSC. Its best performance, however, came at HNMUN, where it tied for first place in terms of weighted score at won the Outstanding Large Delegation award. The team also won awards at McMUN, and it hosted UPMUNC in the Fall. Augmenting its reputation for maintaining their work hard/play hard mentality with its new brand of blasting music at closing ceremonies across the country, the University of Pennsylvania brings constant reminders to others on the circuit that they are not just strong forces in the committee room, but are loud personalities in real life too.
Incoming Director of Intercol Jay Vaingankar and Director Emeritus for Life Samuel Becker Dvorak, First of His Name, Winner of Gavels, the Unconscious had this to say about the team’s success this year: “Despite outgoing Director Noah Levine’s advanced age, horrible jokes, and frequent trips behind enemy lines, and vice Director David Wang’s meager 3.9 GPA, deep V-necks, and bad cop routine, Intercol still managed to have a wildly successful year, all thanks to the best draft class in Intercol history. We’d like to dedicate our success this year to Loud Luxury, Baby Shark, and Darude Sandstorm. When all is said and done, we could not be more proud of our rock-solid family, who shared every success and every struggle this year, and we’re looking forward to being the rowdy crew in the back left of many closing ceremonies to come. Thanks to board for your leadership, to this year’s freshmen for sharing your lives with us, and to the whole squad for making Penn a home that we all love.”
4. University of Chicago
UChicago is still the only team to have maintained a top 5 ranking in nearly a decade of the college rankings. Despite attending the fewest conferences of any top ten team — and half the number of conferences as FIU — the team collected the fourth most awards and third most gavels en route to winning delegation awards at five of the seven conferences it attended. Its best performance was actually at HNMUN, where it tied for first place but lost out on a delegation award due to a non-committee issue. UChicago showed it was a consistently top five team this year, winning Best Large at UPMUNC, Best Large at BarMUN, Outstanding Large at CMUNNY, Outstanding Large at UCBMUN, and Outstanding Small at McMUN. It also contended for a delegation award at NCSC where it finished third. UChicago also hosted ChoMUN to finish the season.
Outgoing president RJ Ruano raved most about his team’s close bond: “While everyone loves taking pictures with award certificates and little hammers; I’ve always told our team that in the end, Model UN should be about a lot more. I’m so proud to say that this year, UChicago prioritized community and learning above all else. Our team brought vastly different delegations to each conference, with most individual delegates only traveling 1-3 times total. The success we had with this structure is remarkable, and it’s truly owed to the extensive support network we benefit from. This team really is a family, and the relationships it cultivates go further than Model UN. I’d like to thank all UChicago delegates for everything you’ve given to one another and to me personally. I’ll miss learning from you while we camp in airports and spend sleepless weekends together. Being your president will always be among the best things I’ve done. I hope you keep being great leaders wherever you go, and I wish everyone the best for next year and beyond!”
5. American University
American University is now a powerhouse team after placing into the top five for the first time in team history for its highest ranking ever. The team strategically divided into different delegations to increase its circuit clout this year, sending different groups of people to conferences that were on similar or the same weekend, using a mix of large and small delegations, and training its team to be equally good in GA and Crisis. The team won delegation awards at half the ten conferences it attended this year, with its crowning achievement being Best Large Delegation at McMUN. It also received Outstanding Small at UPMUNC, Outstanding Small at ChoMUN, Outstanding Large at NYUMUNC, and Best Small at BarMUN. American finished fifth among North American teams (behind only UChicago, UPenn, Yale, and FIU) at HNMUN, and had the highest weighted score when in full force at NCSC. The team also won awards at the mid-sized crisis conferences of CMUNNY, VICS, and &MUN. The current senior class is the first in school history to finish all four years with a ranked team, and it will be up to the next generation to maintain a high rank — and perhaps become the top team in Washington DC.
Head delegate Zachary Bontempo talks about his team’s strategy and mentality going into the 2018-2019 year: “Last season AU lost a very large senior class, but our performance this year proves that our team has built a lasting competitive foundation, and that we intend to be a force on the circuit for years to come. AU saw a record number of new members try out this year, and this resulted in many freshmen getting the opportunity to travel and award at some of the most intense conferences on the circuit. We credit some of our best results to our phenomenal new members, as well as the more rigorous GA and crisis training that was implemented this year. In addition to improving our competitive standing, AU has also continued our team’s tradition of building a supportive team community, and maintaining a strong campus presence. Our team camaraderie got stronger at every conference, and it’s no surprise that our results continued to get better as well. It has been an absolute pleasure to lead this team through our most competitive season yet, and I can’t wait to see what new heights AU will reach in the future!”
6. University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA finished its year with its highest ranking ever, and tied for the highest ranking ever by any West Coast team (Claremont McKenna was #6 in 2014-15). UCLA swept at all four West Coast conferences in dominating fashion, winning Best Large Delegation at UCBMUN, Best Large Delegation at TrojanMUN, Best Small Delegation at SBIMUN, and Best Large Delegation at AggieMUN. In addition to its win at UCBMUN to show that it could compete against the best teams across the nation, UCLA won a Best Small Delegation at ChoMUN and the most gavels there, and placed seventh among North American teams at HNMUN. It also received awards at McMUN and CMUNNY. Ultimately, the team won the sixth most individual awards and fifth most gavels on the circuit. The current senior class is the first in school history to finish all four years with a ranked team, and it will be up to the next generation to carry the mantle that MUN teams can thrive outside of the East Coast — and perhaps break into the top five. UCLA also hosted LAMUN, which has invested in recruiting enough competitive teams to attend to become the highest weighted conference on the West Coast this year.
Head delegates Justin, Malvika, and Elaine highlighted the UCLA team’s changing culture as the most important part of their success: “It was a great privilege to be able to lead such a passionate and committed group of new and experienced delegates this past year. Watching our team put together what was far and away the most successful season that Model UN at UCLA has ever had made this year an unforgettable experience for us. This year’s team won more individual awards and more delegation awards than any past UCLA travel team. An equally important accomplishment was our delegates’ consistent effort to create an increasingly inclusive team environment and the commitment displayed toward continuing that effort forward. What we are by far most proud of, however, is the work ethic, talent, and desire to continually improve exhibited by all of our delegates. We can’t wait to see the amazing leadership skills of our three incoming head delegates, Mitansh, Dan, and Adi. They give us complete confidence that next year’s team has the potential to accomplish even more than this year’s.”
7. Harvard University
Harvard won the seventh most individual awards this year and ultimately placed seventh in the rankings this year. The team had two noticeable achievements in terms of awards. First, the team had a few superstar delegates this year as nearly 33% of their individual awards were gavels. Second, the head delegates did a great job optimizing for delegation award ratios, as the team captured six delegation awards at the eight conferences it attended. Harvard won Outstanding Large at UPMUNC, Outstanding Large at ChoMUN, Outstanding Large at NCSC, Best Large at LAMUN, Best Small at NYUMUNC, and Best Small at SCSY. It also contended for delegation awards at CMUNNY and UCBMUN. Harvard hosted the most competitive conference, HNMUN, and also WorldMUN in Madrid this year.
Head delegates Jenna Wong and Safa discuss their mindset throughout this year: “Harvard Intercollegiate Model United Nations prides itself on finding a balance between achieving competitive success and creating a tight-knit team community. We certainly believe that we have accomplished both of these goals, as every delegate who has traveled with the team has put their heart and soul into both the activity of MUN and the social community on the circuit. We are especially proud of the many new members of the team who have surpassed all of our expectations for their involvement. But at the end of the day, our team measures our successes most by the strength of the friendships and connections that our delegates create. We look forward to continuing this and all aspects of our team’s mission in the year to come under the leadership of our new Head Delegates: Davis Tyler-Dudley, Alec Fischthal, Simon Cremer, and Katie Sakys.”
8. Florida State University
The Florida State World Affairs Program had a phenomenal season by dominating the southern circuit and bringing home four Best Large Delegation awards from &MUN, MUNE, FLCS, and UNCMUNC. The team is a beneficiary of the weightings adjustment in the rankings methodology that closed the gap between large and small conferences, which encourages teams to attend more regional conferences, and it was clear that FSU was one of the teams to beat in the southern region this year. In addition to hosting the Regional Training Conference (RTC), FSU also won awards at UPMUNC, NCSC, UCBMUN, and BarMUN. Florida State University’s MUN program celebrated its 33rd anniversary and has made incredible efforts towards the continued sustainability of the competitive travel team.
Outgoing Program Director and Senior, Richard Sommers, had the following to say about the FSU team: “Florida State University’s year on the circuit was one defined with incredible new and dedicated talent, that represents a bright and sustainable future for our Model UN program. Watching underclassmen carry our torch has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am so proud of the exponential growth that they experienced this year. FSU WAP is thankful that it can continually show its talent on the Model United Nations circuit with the fantastic support of its 33 years of Alumni and from throughout the University. The team is undoubtedly only going to get even bigger and better due to their hard work and persistence. I look forward to witnessing their continued success on the circuit next year representing our incredible university.”
9. George Washington University
The George Washington University finished its year in the top 10 by bringing a strong presence and competitive debate to each of the eight conferences it attended (two fewer than last year). GW’s ranking is primarily due to consistently winning many individual awards, showing that bringing in individual awards can propel a team to the top just as much as delegation awards can. This included an Outstanding Small Delegation at CMUNNY and contending for delegation awards with top five placements at McMUN and VICS. The team also placed within the top ten teams at UPMUNC, ChoMUN, NCSC, and BarMUN. Last but not least, it put in a solid performance at HNMUN.
New head delegate Kyle Nichols reflects on his year as a delegate and leader: “GW MUN is always pushing itself for constant and consistent improvement. Years come and years go, but this year GW put on an excellent showing. Whether it was our competitive performances at ChoMUN or at HNMUN, or our stellar performances as a team at our own High School and Middle School Conferences, GWMUN has had a great year. After so many ups and downs we are so proud of our amazing team this year! We hope to use the immense growth our programme has seen this year to springboard us into 2019-2020!”
10. Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna is back in the Top 10 for its highest ranking since the 2014-15 school year — the highest for this current graduating class. CMC’s strength this year was in its impeccable GA strategy, with over half its total individual awards coming from General Assembly delegates. The team dominated the West Coast, winning an Outstanding Large Delegation at LAMUN, a Best Small Delegation at TrojanMUN, a Best Large Delegation at SBIMUN, and contended for a delegation award at UCBMUN. On the East Coast, it captured a Best Small Delegation at NCSC and won a few awards at the more competitive conferences of HNMUN, McMUN, and UPMUNC. But its signature performance was at WorldMUN (not counted in the rankings), where it repeated as the Best Small Delegation and is currently on a dominating run of winning the Best Small Delegation there for five of the past eight years.
Incoming President Sahib Bhasin comments on his team’s diligence and hard work throughout the year: “CMCMUN’s year was marked by triumphs — we took in a historically large class of freshman; performed exceptionally well on the East and West Coasts; and brought home the crown yet again from WorldMUN. Notably, LAMUN saw us clinch an outstanding large delegation with a wide range of awards, in our opinion the best way to do well. Although I’m happy about these highs, I’m most proud of how this team dealt with its lows: growing pains, a tough travel schedule, and the need to constantly evolve. Like any great team, we banded together, had a good time, and were there for each other when we needed it most. A special thanks to last year’s leadership and the outgoing seniors for helping make that happen. This year, we hope not only to replicate our success on the circuit but also to continue making reforms — diversifying our roster, improving our training schedule, and expanding our role on campus.”
11. United States Military Academy at West Point
West Point was able to hold their own against the top teams and maintain a spot in the rankings by attending the second most conferences among Top 25 teams. This is part of their mission to foster better military-civilian understanding across the country and the world. Traditionally a small team, West Point decided to shake up its strategy this year and send a few large delegations. They are noticeable for more than just their distinct uniforms, constantly up at the front during closing ceremonies with top 5 showings at CMUNNY, SCSY, and NYUMUNC, and top 10 at NCSC, UPMUNC, BarMUN McMUN, UCBMUN, and LAMUN. They also won awards at HNMUN and ChoMUN. Their pair of delegation awards were Best Small Delegation at CMUNNY and Outstanding Small Delegation at LAMUN.
Cadet-in-Charge John Govern talks about West Point’s year of growth: “Having a roster featuring many new and highly performing young delegates, this year was an opportunity for the team to grow and develop. The West Point team implemented new training practices and consistently picked up gavels or delegation awards at conferences. The entire team, from our experienced seniors to our newest members, built together an effective organization. With my time as head delegate drawing to a close, it has been an incredible honor and privilege to have lead our team and accomplished our current record. Above all, I am confident that each team member is better prepared for their future as US Army officers with the skills, experience, and lessons learned through Model UN. The West Point Model UN team will be lead next year by Hunter Hill, who I know will steward the team to continued success and excellence as its leader.” Go Army!
12. University of California, Berkeley
UC Berkeley remains one of the most consistent Top 15 teams on the college circuit, with a steady increase from 14 to 13 to 12 in ranking over the past three years. The team won one delegation award — an Outstanding Large Delegation award at TrojanMUN — but its success is more attributed to racking up a large number of individual awards that rival most of the Top 10 teams. A good example is at LAMUN, where they had the highest weighted score but likely missed out on a delegation award due to ratio. Other awards came from HNMUN, UPMUNC, ChoMUN, CMUNNY, VICS, and AggieMUN. They hosted UCBMUN in the spring, which made a massive effort to provide a safe and comfortable space for all delegates through partnering with PATH to Care, a resource and support network for survivors of sexual harassment and violence. UCB shows themselves to be not only competitive delegates, but also ones who work intentionally to make the circuit a better place.
Head delegates Rose Meinrath and Tanner Yamada look back on their past year leading the UCBMUN team: “UCBMUN made a distinctive shift this year, from a team into a family. This transformation speaks for itself, with the highest number of individual awards earned, highest retention rates, and most dedicated participation this club has seen in recent history. We are so incredibly proud of the work the delegates of UCBMUN have done to create a club, a conference, and a team that fosters a sense of community not just within our own club, but on the circuit as a whole. Although many of our beloved seniors are graduating this year, UCBMUN is in great hands, and we can’t wait to see what they do next!”
13. University of Southern California
The University of Southern California has maintained the incredible growth to achieve their highest ever ranking this Fall and their highest ever end-of-year ranking by breaking into the Top 15. USC did best on the West Coast with Outstanding Large Delegation awards at SBIMUN and AggieMUN and contended for a delegation award at LAMUN. Its ranking is also buoyed by an impressive showing at HNMUN, where it placed sixth among US-based teams (behind only top teams like UChicago, UPenn, Yale, FIU, and American). The team rounded out its resume with awards at UCBMUN, UPMUNC, and CMUNNY. USC hosted TrojanMUN, which boasted diverse committee types and a 3:1 delegate to staff ratio.
Team President Larissa Qian had the following to say: “Over the past year, USC Model United Nations has shown unprecedented growth with an increased presence at east coast conferences. We were also thrilled to host our best TrojanMUN yet and are eager to host an even more exciting edition this October. This past year, MUNSC was excited to welcome a very strong young and talented group of new members and we are extremely excited for where the next few years will take us.”
14. College of William & Mary
William & Mary has been fluctuating between being in and out of the Top 25 in the past four years, but this year they shot up seven places from their Fall ranking for their highest ranking since the 2012-13 school year. While they did not bring home any delegation awards this year — they are the highest ranked team to not do so — they proved to be competitors at the most competitive conferences and showed clear improvement throughout the year. After primarily winning Honorables and Verbals in the Fall at UPMUNC, NCSC, CMUNNY, SCSY, and BarMUN, William & Mary contended for a delegation award and placed second at McMUN and won several gavels at HNMUN and ChoMUN. Their collegiate crisis conference, &MUN, not only reached its biggest registration yet, but also prioritized diplomacy, women and diversity, and substance.
According to outgoing head delegate Seth Fiderer, “This past year, the William & Mary team destroyed all expectations. We hit our stride and saw an immense amount of growth throughout the year. Some highlights include our highest awards total at McMUN in years, with most of our awards coming from underclassmen, an outstanding performance at HNMUN where a freshman partnership gaveled a GA, and winning five awards at ChoMUN, including two gavels, our best performance to date. This year we totally revamped our training structure and conference strategy to finally find a good balance between accessibility for new members and our competitive edge, and we saw many first time delegates award in competitive committees. William & Mary has had a phenomenal year, and will surely continue this momentum forward to next year under the leadership of incoming head delegate, Graham Pfeiffer.”
15. Indiana University
After breaking into the Top 25 for the first time last year, IU not only furthered their upward trend but has the distinction for being the highest ranked Big Ten team this year. They traveled to five ranked conferences this year, the lowest number of the Top 15, but awarded consistently at each. The team actually contended for delegation awards at most of them but likely missed out due to ratio — it placed second at VICS, fourth at BarMUN, fifth at ChoMUN, and sixth at NCSC. The team also won awards at UPMUNC.
President and Chairman of Indiana MUN Andrew Greco shared the following: “This past year IndianaMUN has experienced tremendous growth and continued our momentum from Spring 2018. The organization managed to win multiple awards at every conference it attended resulting in our best circuit performance in the organization’s 7-year history. Focus on research and preparation along with an incredible group of first and second year delegates, under the guidance and support of older members, helped to repeatedly propel IndianaMUN to success throughout the year. I and the rest of the IndianaMUN Board of Directors are very excited to work with our delegates and continue to see their success over the coming year. We hope to firmly establish ourselves as one of the most consistently successful teams on the circuit.”
16. Princeton University
Princeton has the highest rise of any ranked team this year, shooting from a one-year dip into the Top 75 in 2018 to their highest ranking ever. Competing primarily as a small delegation and exclusively at competitive East Coast conferences, Princeton started the year strong by taking home a Best Small Delegation award at UPMUNC and an Outstanding Small Delegation award at SCSY. The team also consistently won awards at HNMUN, McMUN, CMUNNY, NYUMUNC, and NCSC. Princeton also won an Outstanding Small Delegation award at WorldMUN (not counted in the rankings), and revamped its college conference into PDI. With so many changes, Princeton will become a team to watch on the circuit next year.
Harry Shapiro, the Deputy Captain of the Princeton MUN Team, shared that “This year has been a wild ride for PMUNT – we’ve made a number of changes over the past eighteen months, and our recent success is thanks to the hard work of everyone on the team. We’ve had a number of incredibly talented freshmen and sophomores join the team over the past year, and veteran members have stepped up to do incredible jobs in leadership roles. I think that when we won Outstanding Small at SCSY, our first delegation award after a long drought, we realized just how special the group we’d brought together this year was. After winning as a delegation again at UPMUNC and WorldMUN and having excellent individual showings at NCSC, McMUN, HNMUN, and NYUMUNC, the 2018-19 team has shown just how extraordinary it is.”
17. Boston University
Boston University is starting to develop a reputation as a comeback team, as this is the second year in a row where it had to makeup a weaker Fall performance with a strong Spring performance to maintain its place in the rankings. After not being ranked in the Top 25 in the Fall despite winning some awards at NCSC and UPMUNC, BU stormed back by repeating as the Outstanding Large Delegation award winner at McMUN and by receiving the Outstanding Small Delegation award at UCBMUN on a rare West Coast sighting. The team rounded out its Spring with solid performances at HNMUN and ChoMUN. BU also hosted BarMUN, which has now become a staple on the Fall circuit.
Incoming Head Delegate Julia Mullert had this to say: “The Boston University International Affairs Association continues to be a consistently ranked team, pulling delegation awards at McMUN and UCBMUN, as well as strong performances at NCSC and ChoMUN. The organization also hosted a rapidly growing collegiate conference, BarMUN. Under the leadership of Head Delegate Danielle Wallner, we had a year of growth and development with the youngest team in the history of the organization. The Boston University team has had a year of exceptional growth with an extremely talented new class of recruits. We are incredibly excited to see where next year takes us, and are grateful for our seniors, who will be dearly missed.”
18. McGill University
Traveling to only five conferences this year, McGill maintained their consistent presence in the Top 25 through being a competitive delegation and raking in awards each time they traveled. The team started the school year strong by taking home an Outstanding Large Delegation award at SCSY and and Outstanding Small Delegation award at NCSC. Afterward, the team put in solid performances at UPMUNC and HNMUN before closing out the year with a Best Small Delegation award at VICS. McGill hosted a noticeably larger and more competitive McMUN this year.
19. Emory University
Emory is a perennial Top 25 team and maintained a strong presence on the circuit this year. The team did best at two smaller southern conferences — it won Best Large Delegation at DISCon and Outstanding Large Delegation at &MUN. However, it also had solid performances at HNMUN, UPMUNC, ChoMUN, BarMUN, and FLCS, showing that their delegates are adaptable to different committee types. The team’s slight dip in ranking is primarily due to traveling to two fewer conferences this year. Emory also hosted an increasingly larger MUNE.
Head delegate Jake Grant Gore shares the following: “Though it will be difficult to say goodbye to a number of graduating students who were instrumental in making the Emory team what it is today, they will be leaving behind strong foundations and an expectation of excellence. 2018-2019 saw an incredible new pool of talent join Emory’s team through many first years with amazing potential, as well as continued success from our returning members. Our crowning achievement this year was MUNE VII, where we were able to run a number of highly ambitious committees, including a 24 hour crisis committee and an Ad-Hoc JCC.”
20. Clark University
Clark had previously been a perennial Top 25 team, and the team is back in the rankings after a two-year drop-off. The team saw massive growth in number of awards this year while traveling to eight conferences, including the five most competitive ones: HNMUN, McMUN, UPMUNC, ChoMUN, NCSC, NYUMUNC, BarMUN, FCMUN. Unlike previous years when it relied on a strong performance at HNMUN to maintain a spot in the rankings, this year’s team was much more consistent across the conferences it attended.
Head Delegates August and Antonella provided this blurb: “Clark’s Model UN Team rounded off this conference year with a series of wins at both HNMUN and ChoMUN, constituting one of their most successful runs on the circuit of the last few years. Though the team has had to work overtime to overcome some hurdles in the fall semester, their dedication and team spirit has paid off. This year’s Head Delegates are handing off the team to a talented bunch of underclassmen, and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for this team.”
21. New York University
NYU relied on the performances of its top delegates this year, as 40% of the individual awards they won were gavels, the highest percentage of any team in the Top 25. The team tended to do better at the mid-sized crisis conferences like ChoMUN, NCSC, CMUNNY, and SCSY than at the large competitive conferences like HNMUN and UPMUNC. They also won a Best Small Delegation at the smaller FCMUN. Breaking tradition for being road warriors on the circuit, this year’s team attended two fewer conferences than last year’s. They also ran a memorable joint crisis conference in NYUMUNC.
Incoming head delegate Remie Arena paid tribute to some of the greats of NYU’s team, writing: “Led by head delegates Areesha Irfan and Mohammed Sharaf, the NYU MUN team has had an incredible year on the circuit and at home. With a large influx of new delegates this year, we have been able to train and, more importantly, create friendships with a vast number of under class-men and upper class-men alike. We were awarded a Best Small Delegation and many other individual awards. Sadly, we must say goodbye to our lovely seniors—Areesha Irfan, Margaret Zhang, and Luc Lavatai—who have been so integral to our team the past few years. Still, we are incredibly excited to see where our talented delegates will lead us next year and could not be prouder of our 2018-2019 NYU MUN family.”
22. Columbia University
After dropping from the Top 25 by a narrow margin last year for the first time ever, Columbia has jumped back into the Top 25 by awarding at 7 conferences this year. While predominantly crisis conferences like NYUMUNC, &MUN, and ChoMUN posed some challenges, with only a few small awards received, Columbia made up for this at competitive conferences with powerful GA performances. The team put in a solid performance at HNMUN and contended for a delegation award at UPMUNC. They also won a Best Small Delegation award at the smaller CIAC.
Head delegates Berkley and Dylan discussed the inclusivity and learning-focused culture, writing that “Columbia’s delegation has continued to set a foundation for future success by putting people first. Our long-standing no-cut policy has grown both our roster and our place in the Model U.N. community. We’re proud to say that our entire organization, not just the travel team, encourages a culture where Columbia delegates contribute to a positive learning environment in and outside of committee. This year we continued to grow our conferences (CMUNNY, CMUNCE, CESIMS), and secured our highest fall ranking in years. We’re excited to build upon our success and connect with others over our love of diplomacy and culture well into the future!”
23. The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University is back in the final Top 25 for the first time since the 2014-15 school year, which is a first for the current class of graduated seniors. This is due in part to their taking on two additional conferences, with many more awards and double the amount of gavels the Buckeyes received last year. Ohio State was consistent with winning awards all year at McMUN, UPMUNC, ChoMUN, NCSC, CMUNNY, and BarMUN. Their best performance was at the smaller PUNC, where they received half of the gavels available and Best Large delegation.
According to head delegate Piper Womelsdorf, “The Ohio State University’s Model UN team, run by the Collegiate Council on World Affairs experienced a year of exciting growth and change as the team welcomed in one of its largest new member classes ever. Our new members displayed an impressive dedication to learning and competing on the circuit, and the team as a whole experienced a renewed enthusiasm for MUN. This was a transitional year for the Ohio State team and we feel that we are on an upward trajectory. We are incredibly proud of our team’s performance this year and are looking forward to continued growth and success.”
24. Yale University
Yale can compete against the best teams when it needs to. This was demonstrated by its third place performance and contending for a large delegation award at HNMUN, the most competitive conference. The team also won awards in the Fall at UPMUNC and BarMUN. Yale’s lower place in this aggregate scoring-based ranking is because they attend the fewest conferences of any team in the Top 25. The team also had competitive success at WorldMUN (not counted in the rankings) and hosted SCSY.
Head Delegate Victoria Mak reflected on a season of growth for Yale: “The 2018-19 season was transformative for our team. The Model United Nations Team at Yale (MUNTY) invested in training younger delegates and was well-served by doing so—many new members won awards for the first time. On the whole, the team had strong showings at HNMUN and WorldMUN, where delegates brought home gavels and more than 75% of our team won awards. As the incoming head delegate, I’m excited to build on those successes by focusing on the personal growth of our delegates and continually strengthening the MUNTY family.”
25. Concordia University
Concordia University has made the top 25 team for the first time in its history, due to its strategic attendance of key competitive conferences and their commendable performances at each. After warming up their season at the competitive NCSC and UPMUNC, Concordia contended for a delegation award at McMUN in their home city of Montreal, Canada. It then followed up with a solid performance at HNMUN, the most competitive conference of the year. If Concordia continues to represent their team well at highly ranked conferences, they could continue this admirable growth for years to come.
Anthony Di Benedetto, President of the Concordia External Delegation, shared that “Concordia’s quest in getting its name on the circuit has finally been rewarded with breakthroughs in many highly competitive conferences. With awards at HNMUN, MCMUN and NAMUN, Concordia has a become a force to be reckoned with. As a growing and passionate family our strength comes from the fact that every delegate plays a part in the success of another. Concordia will always continue to surprise while upholding its values, the legacy of its veterans and the vision of its freshman. Being the most tchatcheur delegation we’ll make sure our voices are heard. ‘Day by day we get better and when we win it won’t be by luck.”
Top 50 (alphabetical order)
The five teams closest to breaking into the Top 25 were: Michigan State, Florida, Miami, Tennessee, and Michigan.
- Carleton University
- Cornell University
- Elon University
- Michigan State University
- Northeastern University
- Northwestern University
- Pomona College
- Queen’s University
- Seton Hall University
- Tufts University
- United States Air Force Academy
- University of Alabama
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Santa Cruz
- University of Central Florida
- University of Connecticut
- University of Florida
- University of Maryland
- University of Miami
- University of Michigan
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Virginia
- Wilfred Laurier University
Top 75 (alphabetical order)
- Brown University
- Carleton College
- Case Western Reserve University
- College of the Canyons
- George Mason University
- Ithaca College
- Johns Hopkins University
- Kutztown University
- Middlebury College
- Norwich University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Royal Military College
- Ryerson University
- Stanford University
- State University of New York, Geneseo
- Tulane University
- University of California, San Diego
- University of Georgia
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Toronto Mississauga
- Vanderbilt University
- Western University
- Wheaton College
- York University
Congratulations to all the College Model UN teams and conferences for a fantastic 2018-2019 school year. Enjoy your summer and see you on the circuit next year!
