Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Do College Rankings Matter?

In helping select a college, many students and parents wonder about how much weight to put on published rankings of the schools. The most well-known ranking is published each year by US News & World Report. But others are around as well, from Forbes, the Princeton Review and others.

I believe the answer is that the rankings matter, somewhat. The best, of course, would be if one could predict what the rankings will be 10-20 years after graduation! That is when the graduate enters key phases of his or her career, and perception of their alma mater will be much more important. My husband is a 1982 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, and he and his classmates often joke that they would never get into the school today!

What is important is to look at recent trends in a school's ranking over a period of years. If a school is steadily moving up the charts, of course that is a good sign. If it remains in one spot or declines, it could help to learn why. And don't select school #22 over school #23 just because it is one spot higher. The rankings are very subjective and often criticized as non-scientific.

A montage of factors will and should play into your college choice. The school's ranking should be one item in the mix. If you're literally at that point of flipping a coin between two good choices, and one happens to be 15 rungs higher on the ladder, maybe that tips the scales. But otherwise, don't obsess much on rankings (your friends will, do your best to ignore them).

Want to learn more? Give a call at 516-721-1858 or email us at yourcollegechoice@yahoo.com. Not local to NY? We can work by email and phone. The first meeting is free and there is no obligation.