US News and World Report Rankings-Stop the Frenzy

It's that time of year again, when college advisors across the nation cringe...the release of the U.S. News & World Report College Rankings. While I think we all understand the value in examining colleges by certain criteria, it is just one small piece of information that students and parents should consider. Here are a few of many reasons that families need to stop the frenzy about the "ranking" of a college:

• there are close to 100 colleges (many that are highly competitive) that will no longer participate in the rankings because they feel that the criteria is questionable (these range from Stanford on the West coast to Holy Cross on the East coast)
• less than 10% of American CEO's went to an ivy league college
• students at top ranked colleges may be more likely to be taught by graduate students than by professors (due to pressure on professors to do research and publish)
• it's not about students going to a "top ranked" college, it's about them going to a college that is the "right fit" for them based on academics, extra-curricular interests, location and the student body makeup

Creating a top notch college list is the MOST important part of the college admissions process, but it should not be influenced by college rankings.

Cristiana Quinn, M.Ed.

Founder, College Admission Advisors, LLC

www.collegeadvisorsonline.com