<p>I was wondering what criteria, and how often College Confidential ranks the colleges in it's post? It does not seem to mirror the US News Ranking. What stats do they use to make such claims? Do they have the numbers to back-up these ranks? Do the colleges give them advertising money to be placed in the premier viewing positions, or is there actual criteria for being posted in the "Top University" or "Top Liberal Arts Schools" lists? Who pays for CC's services? If they rate colleges based on number of viewings, then the colleges that they deem lesser would be in the alphabetised lists of colleges and not get the same exposure, hence fewer views by students and parents. ANyone have any factual information regarding this?</p>
<p>The schools listed in the "Top Universities" and "Top LAC's" closely mirror the US News rankings as of three or four years ago. It was as good a way as any to pull the most talked about schools out of one huge pile. It was an evolving process. First pulled out were the Ivy League schools, due mainly to the obsession with Ivies on CC. Then adherents of the other non-Ivy "Top Schools" asked for a separate clump. Then proponents of LAC's said "What about LAC's?"</p>
<p>The use of the word "Top" is a shorthand and does not imply an endorsement and CC does not receive an payments for "product placement."</p>
<p>Why would CC use an old list? Why would they not keep the information current annually? Other information is being updated everyday and this is the main page to the website? How do you know thet are not receiving sponsorships from the colleges? If they are using a US News Rank shouldn't that be stated along with the date?</p>
<p>Because the list is arbitrary, there is nothing to update. It's not an "official" anything. There were and always could be discussions about the schools at the margins, either way. The US New Rankings have little underlying validity but were used as rough cut because so many posters are obsessed by them.</p>
<p>As for CC getting paid for sponsorships, there's no way to prove a negative. </p>
<p>The groupings are provided for convenience only. If anyone isn't happy with the groupings, they may start their own website and come up with their own groupings.</p>
<p>Sorry, I was just curious, sounds like I hit a raw nerve. I guess other similar observations have been made in the past.... Since the recent publicity this site has received in the NY Times, etc, I just wanted you to realise what an impact your ratings have on students and parents, and I thought that there should be some validity to them, and that they should not be just a random selection of schools as you have indicated they are based upon.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was wondering what criteria, and how often College Confidential ranks the colleges in it's post? It does not seem to mirror the US News Ranking.</p>
<p>I just wanted you to realise what an impact your ratings have on students and parents, and I thought that there should be some validity to them, and that they should not be just a random selection of schools as you have indicated they are based upon.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I never paid much attention to this "arbitrary" ranking. However, since Tuftsmom might have a point that a perverse ranking might cause unnecessary harm to the fragile psyche of applicants, I decided to spend a few minutes measuring the extent of the randomness. I checked the USNews 2006 and listed the schools according to their rankings. That is the first column below. Then I checked the CC listing and matched them to the US News ranking. Obviously, the Ivies were not listed as they have their own little fiefdoms on CC. </p>
<p>So here is the verdict: </p>
<p>Duke Duke
Stanford Stanford
Caltech Caltech
MIT MIT
WUSTL WUSTL
Northwestern Northwestern
John Hopkins John Hopkins
Chicago Chicago
Rice Rice
Notre Dame Notre Dame
Vanderbilt Vanderbilt
Emory Emory
Berkeley Berkeley
CMU CMU
Georgetown Georgetown
Virginia Virginia
UCLA UCLA
Michigan Michigan
UNC UNC</p>
<p>Did I miss anyone? Of course, dear Tuftsmom, it so happens that Wake Forest and ... Tufts are also tied with UNC for the 27th spot. Coincidence or not, I believe that you would have been better served by sending a small message to Roger Dooley than by trying to establish the nefarious "randomness" of the CC rankings. For some reason, I'd like to believe that he might not have objected to create two additional spots on his list and, by doing this, claim to be as correct or unrandom as the mighty USNews.</p>
<p>USNWR ratings cite the Carnegie Foundation's, Education surveys as the basis for the initial ratings and groupings.</p>
<p>Now that you mention it: It IS sort of surprising to me that Tufts isn't listed there, with Northwestern,etc.</p>
<p>I think you should put it in there. FWIW.</p>
<p>monydad: Northwestern is #12 on USnews ranking, whereas Tufts is tied for 27th as noted by xiggi.</p>
<p>xiggi: why not add U$C as well......</p>
<p>Heh. Once #27 & #28 get added, then the campaign for #29 and #30 begins. Hence the phenomenon of the PR's "Best 3xx Colleges," where xx increases every year. And at some point it becomes so diluted that there's no point in having a selected list. Whereupon there's just one huge alphabetical list. And then someone says, "Let's break out the most popular schools into a separate list." Fiat lux. Plus ca change. Don't give up the ship.</p>
<p>I don't really pay much attention (actually any attention) to US News rankings.</p>
<p>I do pay attention though to the schools my kids and their friends are applying to. And the same sorts of kids that are applying to these other schools are also applying to Tufts.</p>
<p>In the past I've looked at %admit stats, SATs, etc of a lot of these schools and my recollection is that Tufts was hanging right in with this group. It is sought by the same sorts of kids, with the similar academic stats and backgrounds. That's why I think it belongs there. With the other schools that the same kids are looking at.</p>
<p>US News be darned. They have their opinion, I have mine. And mine is that Tufts is in this same group. As far as admissions and desirability of a certain cadre of students goes. The same cadre. And CC is fundamentally about admissions, to a good extent.</p>
<p>Unless: am I wrong about the stats? How does % admit at Tufts compare to these other places? Much easier admit?</p>
<p>I guess the real point ought to be: which schools generate the most interest/posts on CC, typically</p>
<p>what do you make of post #10, monydad? I think he makes a pretty good point.
And if its a CC "popularity contest", then posts of little or no value get created to artificially boost the schools that are being "campaigned" for.</p>
<p>I make of it that the poster has expressed his opinion.</p>
<p>Obviously the constructor of any such section must decide what schools to include. A decision has been made to this point. The decision currently implemented has one arbitrary cutoff point, as all such decisions must have. I have stated that, were I drawing up this section I would do it differently, with a slightly different cutoff point. because of commonality of interest in the school for a good number of academically capable CC kids. That's MY opinion.</p>
<p>FWIW, I'm not sure I'd include Notre Dame. I don't know any of these types of kids who are applying there. but I haven't investigated.</p>
<p>You are of course free to express your opinion as well.</p>
<p>As for your "popularity contest" point, according to post #2 that was in fact the initial intent. I quote:
"It was as good a way as any to pull the most talked about schools out of one huge pile."</p>
<p>engdude
I believe what money dad was saying, is that once the 7 Ivys are taken out of US News Ranking, (which is what CC has done, as they have been placed in a category of their own) Tufts is tied for 20th with UNC which is in the CC top colleges (only 19 are listed). Correct me if I'm incorrect Money dad. This would put Tufts in the top 20.</p>
<p>I can't correct you, as I indicated previously I pay no attention to US News rankings. I don't know what they are.</p>
<p>My reasoning is not based on US News rankings at all. Rather it is based on my perception of commonality of selectivity and interest among applicants to selective schools.</p>
<p>I guess the thread starter (tuftsmom) should have just titled the thread: "Why isn't Tufts listed in CC top colleges?"</p>
<p>LOL. I do understand what he is saying, and would refer you back to post #10 again.</p>
<p>ok. Then I will refer you again to post #14.</p>
<p>Actually, I am surprised that Tufts is not included in the top colleges. Whatever the USN&WR rankings, it is a popular school for many on CC, and deservedly so. And so many mention Tufts syndrome...</p>