<p>“waaaaay overvalue comparatively minute differences…”</p>
<p>Some applicants overanalyze USNWR data rankings as opposed to using it as a starting point and then conducting a personal investigation. I’ve seen a lot of CC threads trying to quantify prestige “Is Amherst more prestigious than Williams?” When I applied to college I had the Yale Insider’s Guide which didn’t (still doesn’t) rank but gave a clear picture of how selective colleges were so I thought of them in clumps instead of specific rank; (colleges I’ll never get into; colleges I might get into; colleges anyone with a pulse gets into…) and then could figure out which ones had desirable characteristics for me.</p>