US News Top 25 for 1991-2007

College Search & Selection
41

<p>“The point really is, doesn't this really show how unreliable this ranking system is?”</p>

<p>-Not so much that it shows that the ranking is unreliable, but, like was mentioned, the schools from say spots 5 to 15 can be shuffled around pretty easily because they are so similar. Penn fell 3 spots, Northwestern 2, Hopkins 2, Chicago moved up 6, Cornell up 1, Duke down 3, etc. We all know schools don’t change that rapidly. All US News is doing is shifting schools around every year to sell magazines, it is, after all, a business. When I applied to Northwestern, it was in the top 10, now it’s 14, I’m sure, however, that the education that I have received has not changed in any meaning full way in the last three years.</p>

<p>Also, we shouldn’t put too much weight in the entire history of the rankings, just from one methodology change to another, as, any rankings produced with a different methodology is essentially a different ranking system.</p>

42

<p>I agree that nobody should place too much weight on the history of the rankings. This information was provided to stimulate discussion, but the bottom line is that every school on this list of the Top 25 is excellent. (There are also many that have never cracked the Top 25 that are every bit as good.) The US News rankings also fail to provide comparisons between LACs and National Universities, and many students will have to decide between the Amhersts and the Dartmouths. These decisons are not supposed to be easy, but for the most part, students faced with these choices should not agonize too much over them...all of these schools offer a great education and a great college experience.</p>

43

<p>what does everyone think of Rice University?</p>

44

<p>What do you think of it? It is, by every measure, a great school. Exactly what are you trying to find out?</p>