<p>Hi. Newbie, here. </p>
<p>I just found these boards yesterday and am still kinda learning my way around. </p>
<p>I notice that posters often refer to "Top 10" "Top 50" and "Second Teir" schools. Where can I get a list of these? </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>there is no official, definitive, list of top 10 schools, top tier schools, top 50 schools, etc. Generally though the US News and World Report Rankings (USNWR) is taken as a good guideline. It ranks the top about 150 schools, and breaks the remaining into third and fourth tier. The definitions are subjective, but generally around USNWR rank 50 is considered the borderline between first and second tier. (Another terms you may hear brandied about when referring to top schools is HYP, HYPS, HYPSM, etc. which refers to, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT)</p>
<p>Here's a few links you can check out:
USNews.com:</a> America's Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Top Schools
USNews.com:</a> America's Best Colleges 2008: Liberal Arts Colleges: Top Schools
USNews.com:</a> America's Best Colleges 2008</p>
<p>OMG! Is it really that simple? We subscribe to USNWR. I love to flip through that issue. </p>
<p>I have to admit I'm surprised it's so highly regarded on this site. I thought the experts here would have something "less common" to go by. But, if that's all we need, then we're set.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>There isn't any consensus list of college rankings, as the first reply said. I tend to look for colleges that are repeatedly mentioned in multiple sources as having strong major programs (including graduate-level courses) in the subjects my children are most interested in, and then from there look at overall characteristics of the colleges, especially affordability. Other parents weigh different factors with different emphasis. I hope every family lets the child (high school student) decide where to apply and decide which offer of admission to accept if more than one is received. </p>
<p>See </p>
<p>for two different looks at rank-ordering colleges.</p>
<p>the us news rankings isnt that highy regarded on this site.</p>
<p>indeed, I didn't mean to imply USNWR is taken as the definitive standard here. It's not. Where a school ranks, and what constitutes first-tier is different for everyone. The reason USNWR gets brandied about so much is that it is probably the most widespread of college rankings. And as much as people bicker about a place or two or five, it's generally not all that far from the general consensus, taken as a whole. Most rankings (at least not those that aim to base it on a specific criteria, like best-value or best grad-school placement) will place HYPSM at the top, it's not just USNWR.</p>
<p>(and of course, simply "flipping through" that issue is not enough for CC. The true faithful have the top 50 nationals tattooed to their right arm, and top LAC's to their left ;) )</p>