<p>I do look at the rankings. They do have their uses. What I have noticed is that people do not care as much about rankings when it comes their local schools or schools they know already. But for schools they do not know, the rankings do give them some sort of a picture. One thing that rankings usually indicate is whether the school has a strong campus community and whether the students are from many different areas and not a strong commuter school. That is the drawback of putting your child in a school like the Un of Alabama that I am sure is a great school for those who know it and are in the area. To stick a kid there from, say NY, may not be a great idea unless there is some connection there already. The flagship would be preferable because it has a more cohesive college community there, and more kids from elsewhere.</p>