<p>Hi lookingforward,
Thank you again for taking such time with this thread. I certainly did not mean to get off topic with the introduction of genres here so I will instead focus on your other remarks.</p>
<p>As I am no longer associated with any university, I think it is not my place to comment about methodology. I know some members of admission offices contribute to this site. I would encourage you to direct the question to them.</p>
<p>I will, however, answer in a way that I think is appropriate. I agree with you 100% about your marketing comment. I tried to say this when I invoked Gladwell’s New Yorker piece: a quick and deadly dismissal of the methodology of US News earlier in this thread.</p>
<p>But it really is not what US News does that matters. They are simply doing what any market driven business does: give the people what they will buy. And they have been great at doing this. It is the only thing that has kept them from being a web only operation in recent years.</p>
<p>And whether the schools think US News is accurate does not matter either. They know, beyond any reasonable doubt, a phrase I used before, that even very bright people who should know better, put virtually all their stock into this rating.</p>
<p>I use the word stock here on purpose. I would ask that you google a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Paul Tutor Jones on the mess that affected his university this summer. In it, he cites the sinking ranking in the US News as the one significant factor that would justify some pretty rash actions on the part of some people. I give his name as he is famous. Not all that long ago he was identified as not only having the biggest house in Greenwich, CT, but as also earning more on Wall Street than any other trader in a particular year. And yet this man, clearly gifted when it comes to stocks and therefore very much aware of how much data is needed to make decisons, cites only this single statistic to justify his point. If the guy in the whole US who whose job it is to look far and wide for useful data in his field simply pushes forward one ranking to prove his point, then I am afraid there are quite a large number of people who do much of the same. In fact, I am sure of it. I have seen it again and again.</p>
<p>I would comment much more on this but I am helping my daughter move into college. I am so proud of her and so happy too. What a great kid!</p>
<p>In addition, last night I posted in another place some advice to all parents and students about what they need to do as they start at university that is based on a number of speeches I have made. It is getting lots of feedback so if I am going to be on-line today it will have to be with that. You can google me to find it I think. </p>
<p>I will try to get back to this thread tomorrow.</p>
<p>Thank you so much again for all your help. As I said before, I am simply amazed at how my paltry few posts have been given so much attention by senior members on this site. I hope you and others will pick my brain with things I know something about. It would be a challenge and an honor.</p>