<p>it would be interesting to see rankings disappear and i find it nice to see some colleges trying to put an end to it, but what i’m saying is that rankings are inevitable. if magazines don’t publish it, word-of-mouth or some less official source will then be the leading authority on where universities stand based on some standard (arbitrary or not). i’m not saying that rankings are always a good thing either. however, ranking do help people get a grasp on where certain schools have strengths and where certain schools have weaknesses. the person who uses these rankings as the sole reason in selecting his or her college is the one who needs changing. the magazines can publish whatever they want, and the magazines even claim that their rankings should only be used as a guide. people are motivated by self-interest. so when i see colleges that are not in the “top tier” coming together and forming a group, i interpret this as an act to push their name into the public for publicity and perhaps future popularity. college is a filthy, money-hungry business. only through this lense do all of their actions and decisions make sense.</p>
<p>annopolickkccssss, annapolis, annapooooolls… whatever. i think group formation is very relevant to the discussion and not superficial at all. the ivy league is a group that boosts prestige. the 100 or so colleges are forming another group because they don’t have this prestige. how much more relevant can it get? and please don’t call me elitist because i disagree with the prestige associated with colleges. i’m just voicing what i think is the way colleges operate.</p>