<p>I was reading another post and there were references to tier 1,2,3,and 4 schools. (I certainly can figure out some tier 1 schools, but after that I have no idea.) I know that there are lots of lists ranking colleges according to various criteria. Is there a ranking or list for tier 1,2,3... just curious? I realize that everyone has different priorities and may not agree, but I would be curious to see a list. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. It seems the more I know, the less I know!</p>
<p>All such lists are debatable. I suppose everyone agrees that Podunk Community College (I hope it is clear that this is a made-up name) is easier to get into, and possibly easier to get straight-A grades in, than Harvard. But not everyone wants to go to Harvard, or to [insert name of other famous college here]. There are a lot of good colleges in the country, and not all seekers of colleges are looking for the same characteristics, so there is considerable disagreement about which colleges belong in which "tier." </p>
<p>The smart way to apply is to look for colleges that fit YOU, and then apply to one sure-bet "safety" college, a college you will definitely get into, and to as many more speculative (for admission chances) colleges as fit your desires and budget. It's best to get more than one offer of admission and financial aid and then compare offers. Your opinions don't have to be the same as anyone else's. </p>
<p>I see you have "mom" in your screen name, so I suppose you are asking to help your children. Best wishes to them, and good luck in the application process.</p>
<p>The list exists. It's in people's heads.</p>
<p>US News and World Report has college rankings and breaks them into tier 1,2,3,4 as well as other categorizations. Their rankings are also debatable but you might want to check them out for some kind of benchmark.</p>
<p>Don't even get me started! Our GC had a nice list grouping by most highly selective, highly selective, selective, etc. if I can find the source I'll tell you. There is no one best college or university in the country. What the lists can do is help you figure out where your child is most likely to be admitted and maybe get merit scholarships. Only research and visits can tell you what the best fit schools might be for your child.</p>
<p>"'There is no one best college or university in the country."</p>
<p>Apparently there is.</p>
<p>I'm glad it is apparent to you, Armando, but it isn't apparent to me. I agree with every other poster here that there is no true #1, and so on.
It's like saying who is the best NFL player?<br>
The real world doesn't rate schools like U.S. News., although I agree that would be the list you are asking for.</p>
<p>Just Google "Hawkette" and College Confidential. You'll find out more about rankings than you ever wanted to know.</p>
<p>Both of my kids attended the college of their choice. For them, THAT college was number ONE. Nothing else mattered to them, or us. In fact, none of us even looked at the rankings when considering applications. We have never owned a US News book or online version. We had never heard of the school DD is attending before being directed there by a CC poster (or several).</p>
<p>ssmom. welcome to cc. Hard to get a question answered directly, isn't it.:)
ucsd dad has it right. The magazine US news and world report publishes a ranking of colleges and universities in August of every year. They divide the schools into tiers. They rank the LAC's (liberal arts colleges) alone and also schools with no Dr. program alone. Top tier in general is regarded as the top 50 schools. , in my opinion. </p>
<p>Some people on this forum are insane for rankings. You will find many arguments about which school is "better" based on these rankings. Some of the HS students especially cannot see past these numbers.</p>
<p>I did use the magazine. It has all sorts of useful information in it about the schools.</p>
<p>I didn't use this forum as I found it too late. I wish I had. It would have answered many questions I had at the time. </p>
<p>I was able to give son facts and he was able to take it from there.</p>