College Ranking and Selection

August 24, 2008 by Scott  
Filed under Choosing College

Well, Harvard is on top of the list.  Then come Princeton, Yale and so on.   Does it really matter how US News people rank the colleges in the US?  They do give us some objective data, the usual scores, acceptance rates and so on.  Rankings based on numbers alone can be misleading, in selecting the right college for your children, or yourself.  Studying at a top ranked schools can be challenging and rewarding.  Should you try to get into one the top ranked schools?

“Dropping the H-Bomb” is what the Harvard students call it when they let people know that they attend Harvard, and it sounds so cool.  Tons of people would do anything to be able to say it.  Am I trying to put my children into Harvard or Princeton?  Not really.  I want my children to attend a competitive school where they will get good education and have to work for it.  I want them to learn that hard work in school pays off with good grades and apply that later when they join the work force.  I want them to have the opportunities to really test their abilities and still do well. 

“A stretched mind never goes back to its original size.”  As my older son studies in high school, I want him to be prepared to do well in any college he goes.  I try to teach him how to study, how to manage his time, how to prepare for tests and etc.  I want him to make the best of his opportunities and his talents.  College should be the time to have fun, meet different people and also prepare for the future.  I want him to be ready for the right college that he chooses.  Where will he end up?  Harvard? Yale? UCLA? or???  I will let you know in about 3 years; so, keep reading!

Please, feel free to leave your comment.

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Comments

3 Responses to “College Ranking and Selection”
  1. Janice says:

    Read this article published in the Harvard Crimson. http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=523959

  2. ckp says:

    Are you familiar with how U.S. News comes up with their rankings? 25% of the ranking is based on a survey. In this survey, college administrators are supposed to rank other colleges with which they are familiar. This is the largest factor in determining each year’s rankings.
    Only 46% of senior college officials actually returned the reputational survey this year. This is down from 67% response rate a few years ago. Can we trust U.S News college rankings?

  3. prugna says:

    How about ranking college according to how their graduates do in the society? How much better are the graduates prepared because they went to certain colleges and so on? To me that is the most important question.

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