U.S. News Rankings= Collegiate Beauty Contest

  Well, if we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times at Collegewise... "don't give much credence to the U.S. News and World Report's survey of top American colleges." It seems that the presidents of some of the nation's top liberal arts colleges are finally in agreement with Collegewise. I guess you could say they're finally wise like us.

In a recent CNN Article, the title alone explains how colleges view the report: Many American Colleges Balk at U.S. News Rankings. A number of collegiate presidents met in Annapolis this week to discuss a possible boycott of the U.S. News and World Report's reputation survey, which asks academic leaders to rate other colleges. Their survey responses then become approximately 25 percent of the school's ranking in the U.S. News' article. But many school presidents agree that the results do not provide any educationally valid research. A director at Sarah Lawrence College called the reputation survey nothing more than a "collegiate beauty contest that is not a valid basis for judging the quality o f education."

As the article concludes, the U.S. News and World Report's ranking system breeds unnecessary anxiety in students. Their efforts become refocused on gaining admission to a name-brand school, when often, these schools are not the best fit for that student at all.

And at Collegewise, we totally agree. So, grab a good book, go for a walk, read our blog [shameless plug]... anything! But leave the copies of the U.S. News and World Report's rankings on the shelf. If top university presidents don't want to read it, then you shouldn't want to either.

Comments

[Misha]

It is interesting that Reed College, one of the subjects of your campus visit 'Photo Album' feature, was not mentioned here. The discussion by collegiate presidents highlighted in the CNN article cited above is the culmination of a debate started by my alma mater, Reed College, and its then-president Steven Koblik TWELVE years ago in 1995 (see references below). There was much press in the years immediately following Reed's formal and public withdrawal from participation in the U.S. News report. It's refreshing to see other colleges finally taking up the issue en masse, and other sources like yours continuing to report on it.

[Misha]

It is interesting that Reed College, one of the subjects of your campus visit 'Photo Album' feature, was not mentioned here. The discussion by collegiate presidents highlighted in the CNN article cited above is the culmination of a debate started by my alma mater, Reed College, and its then-president Steven Koblik TWELVE years ago in 1995 (see references below). There was much press in the years immediately following Reed's formal and public withdrawal from participation in the U.S. News report. It's refreshing to see other colleges finally taking up the issue en masse, and other sources like yours continuing to report on it.
http://web.reed.edu/apply/news_and_articles/college_rankings.html