<p>OH, NO!! JHU has fallen 3 spots. I hope my S is not doomed! :p</p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for the post. It is fun to see them. Even if it will cause silly weeping and gnashing of teeth in some circles and, I suppose, celebration in others?</p>
<p>I hope everyone understands that my post was tongue-in-cheek. I already see folks on the JHU thread worried, "insulted" etc. about the change in ranking. IMO, it's de minimus. I'm sure there are similar discussions on other school's forums. To me, it makes cocktail party conversation, gives people ideas of schools to consider and see whether they fit. But to think it is the end-all and be-all. Well, 'nuf said.</p>
<p>IF we were really interested in rankings- particulary US NEWs we would have never considered Reed, because although I think they could compare to schools like Carleton and Uchicago , in US News, they definitely have a self selected pool, and their US News rankings lists them much lower down the scale than where they probably belong, going by academics and student body.</p>
<p>But I also don't see Reedies really giving that much thought- on the contrary, after last years featured article in US news, they seemed more concerned, that it would increase #'s of applicants who didnt really "get" Reed.</p>
<p>I still think that US news has some helpful data, although xiggi and others have pointed out that the actual numbers, may not be as accurate as we would like to see, when compared with other numbers from Common Data Set & College Board. Its nice to be able to just check that all at once from the US News, and it is PITA to have to doublecheck it using other sources.</p>
<p>But apparently just as with anything, we have to remember to take even the numbers with a scoop of salt.
I find other guides actually much more helpful to compare schools, and to get the feel of them , without visiting.</p>
<p>Since students need and want something a little different from each other- JHU may actually be a much better school for them than say Columbia.
But I know that I will have to listen to students who only want to apply to the "top"schools as ranked by US News, and oftentimes that viewpoint is supported by their parents who should know better.</p>
<p>( It takes my attention however, away from the fact that even though my daughter is now a junior, the only post high school plan she even wants to discuss is going to Australia- which I suppose seems more within reach than her friends post highschool plans of going to Stanford- this may be a long year)</p>
<p>"Since students need and want something a little different from each other- JHU may actually be a much better school for them than say Columbia."</p>
<p>This can't be said often enough, after all my nephew chose Rice over both JHU and Cornell. #17 vs. #16 or #12. (What was he thinking!?)</p>
<p>lol
My nephew chose university of colorado( #77 Nat U)- boulder over Duke (# 8 National U)
( he graduated- in 2005- so it wasn't because of the "scandal". )</p>
<p>It was the money.
Boulder was instate & he also received merit aid, so it brought the cost way, way down. ( which is a good thing- since he is now a father- twice)
He also started at a job making $60,000, which encourages addtional education by paying for it- so he is coming out way ahead money wise.</p>
<p>Here's an interesting, but not really surprising, quote from it:</p>
<p>
[quote]
"There's no way to verify these figures are reliable and they can be easily laundered," said Lloyd Thacker, executive director of the Education Conservancy.</p>
<p>Thacker said he wasn't speaking specifically of Chicago -- whose admissions dean, Ted O'Neill, is also a prominent critic of rankings. But, he said, "Is there a temptation to do that when the stakes are so high? Hell, yes. Are academics above that? Hell, no."