<p>just wondering exactly how much a school's rankings reflect upon the educational quality of the school. will i be "selling myself short" in a sense if i turn down a #13 school for a #60 school? does the ranking of your school really affect your life post-college?</p>
<p>It depends on several factors, like your profession. If you're going to grad school, then the grad school name will be more important than the undergrad name (no, undergrad name isn't THAT important for applying to grad school). And if one school is great in one particular program that you plan to major in, you might be better off going there.</p>
<p>But most generally, I'd say go to the #13 if you can see yourself fitting in there at all. If you REALLY think you won't like it...well, that's a decision you have to make.</p>
<p>There are no definitive rankings. The most well-known rankings, US News, are done by a commercial magazine, which tells you something and use data that most colleges, even while trying to gain the highest "score" possible, recognize are flawed, for example: number of applicants to number of students admitted (does not factor in schools whose applicant pools are self-selective like Olin or St. Johns and boosts those schools who encourage thousands of applicants with free easy to fill out web-based applications), or how much money alumni give back to the school (means something but is hardly a measure of the quality of an education.)</p>
<p>What these rankings do measure is the prestige in the eyes of uneducated lay people. So if you are applying for a job and your potential employer is rather ignorant, it may help somewhat. It will not help you get into a better grad school. Grad schools know better than to believe pop magazine rankings. </p>
<p>What matters is that you get the most out of your college education. Go to class, study hard, have some fun, seek out internships and research opportunities, explore the areas that are of interest to you (not just what you thought you wanted to do in 11th grade or what your parents told you to do).</p>
<p>thank you both so much for the insight! as for the matter of the #13, its actually 14th and its washington and lee. i visited and i really dont think i could handle it, so even though i got in im going to turn it down. its good to know that rankings arent really that reliable...</p>