I admit that I myself have seen the list that USNews put out, ranking the universities in the United States. While the list was certainly interesting, I can’t help but think that a lot of people on this board seem to be holding to this list way too much. i.e., they think that #3 actually is a better school than #5 and likewise, if they got into #3, they should automatically get into #5 (just pulled these numbers randomly). I just can’t see employers whipping out that list when they get your application, saying “Well they only went to #5, I don’t think they have what it takes.” Does anyone out there really take the listing very seriously?
<p>Only when the difference is significant between two schools..</p>
<p>Very few people take these lists that seriously but based on these boards you may think otherwise since we wouldn't be here if we weren't a little too obsessed with all of this. The difference between any school, unless you are talking about a huge spread, seems minimal ay best. I can't see how the experience of education can be quantified so rigidly. Weather, proximity to home, merit aid, majors, all these things factor in to school choice. Anyone who makes a decision based solely or almost exclusively on ranking is putting to much credit into a system designed to sell magazines. Sorry if this sounds rough but I agree with OP, a sentiment you will see BTW in several other current threads that question if this process has gotten a little "over the top".</p>