How accurately do the USNWR rankings reflect a school's strength?

[ucbalumnus]

@Theoden

Here is what he said heavily determines choice for a student:

1. Weather on the day you visited school. Crisp, sunny, fall day with leaves turning gold vs rainy cold day in early April with muddy/soggy quad and bare trees.
2. Quality of your tour guide and overall presentation.
3. Personality of your host for the overnight.
4. Cleanliness or smell of dorm rooms on the overnight.
5. Experience sitting in on a class and/or and talking to a professor.
6. Food in cafeteria on day of visit.
7. Someone really cute smiled at them.

Isn’t there this consideration that overrides all others for most high school students wanting to go to college:

0. Parent limitations on the student’s college choice, including, but not necessarily limited to, how much money the parents are able and willing to contribute for the student’s college costs.