<p>I was in an admitted students chat last night for Bowdoin College and one of the admissions officers said, </p>
<p>"Choosing colleges based on US News rank is like buying CDs based on the Billboard charts...not many of you own a Britney Spears CD, do you?"</p>
<p>Personally, I disagree...I mean there are very miniscule differences between the top top top colleges, but we all know there's a huge difference between Yale and a 3rd tier school, or even Yale Brandeis (1st tier), or even Yale and Bowdoin (unless you really want the small liberal arts college setting in a rural place). </p>
<p>In a way, though, I see the point. It depends on what you are looking for. A student who is undecided about a major or who has a very general, common major in mind will pick colleges based on general factors that may be rated in the rankings. However, if a student has a very particular major in mind, the best school for that major might be one that is not ranked high nationally overall, but is excellent in that area.</p>
<p>Even a student with a general major in mind may find that certain colleges are just not a good "fit," regardless of their rank. A lot is a matter of preference, just as in choosing a CD--only a lot more important, of course. </p>
<p>My son's possible choices rate from nationally ranked 1st or 2nd tier to ones that are down on lower tiers--I actually have not checked them all out, because it isn't that important to us. What is important is finding a place he feels comfortable and feels he can get what he wants out of the college.</p>
<p>hrm i don't think its a very good analogy at all.</p>
<p>not to be picky...but billboard ratings fluctuate. Who's to say the better CD is actually number 50 vs. the popular cd at number 1? And sometimes that CD at number 1...IS the best CD to buy on the charts. Plus it's all based on musical preference. So you don't like the rap album at number one, but instead the jazz one at 86. Someone else might like rap....</p>
<p>haha i guess that's kinda a stupid way to relate to the quote, but...it's the same with colleges. Sometimes there is a better school "down the list", perhaps smaller LACs, that would fit certain types of people. Other times the more popular choice aka. the Ivies are a great fit for certain people.</p>
<p>wow the more i think about it...the more i do not like that analogy.</p>
<p>It would be a good analogy if you were going to be judged for the rest of your life based on your CD purchase, and if the quality of the CD were largely determined by the quality of the people interested in buying it, because your fellow listeners made most of the music.</p>
<p>The admissions officer is right to stress that taste (or put another way, fit) matters. But while the USNews rankings aren't gospel, they aren't just a popularity contest like Billboard. Crummy analogy.</p>