<p>I like the ability to change the weightings any way that you want to. </p>
<p><a href=“BETA: Create Custom College Rankings 2.0:”>BETA: Create Custom College Rankings 2.0:;
<p>“To confirm your interest in our school, please write a short essay about why a third-tier ‘news’ magazine woefully underrates us year after year.”</p>
<p>@FCCDAD I am not sure which college you are referring to, but remember that the list includes Research Universities, and Liberal Arts colleges. Since the two lists are combined, the results may all seem to be worse for almost everyone.</p>
<p>I’m not trying to indicate any specific school. </p>
<p>I’m trying to skewer the absurdity of a magazine (not generally connected to higher education) assuming for itself the authority to compile a master list ordering colleges and universities, to determine which is “best,” and what is worse, the significant number of colleges who are disgusted by the absurdity of it but find themselves having to dance to that magazine’s annual tinkering with their rankings formula, simply because so many consumers don’t know any better than to accept it.</p>
<p>When I went to college, I went to my state flagship university (and loved it there). I was never even tempted to apply anywhere else, and no magazine decreeing that some other school that was “worse” last year was now “better” would have had any effect on my selection. But even if I had applied widely, my options would have been researched and chosen, with my GC’s help, without regard to any magazine rankings. </p>
<p>I’m happy to say D1 has put together her list of colleges to apply to, with some parental suggestions, not only without waiting for magazine rankings, but so far as I know without even being aware that the new magazine rankings were forthcoming. She found several intriguing schools that I had never known of, she will apply to some state schools and some nationally known schools, and her list is all over the map compared to the magazine rankings. No consistency whatsoever. And that’s fine.</p>
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<p>I, too, took a “gamble” on choosing to attend a small college in Arizona and it paid off enormously. This school is well-known and ranked highly in engineering and aerospace, but virtually unheard of outside of these areas. I visited the school during my junior year of high school and was immediately hooked on the place. Beautiful location, tight-knit and friendly campus environment, and loads of outdoor activities all around the school. The fit could not have been better!</p>
<p>I now have my engineering Master’s from a top school, a career I love, and some truly amazing memories to look back on from my undergrad school. It kinda feels like I found the perfect fishing hole that few people know about… </p>
<p>@FccDAD</p>
<p>Significance of Rankings
I hear what you are saying. The key question is what does “Best College” mean? Additionally, I agree that none of the myriad rankings are individually significant per se. What does have significance is the specific reasons that those rankings come out the way they do. What exactly is “better” and are those factors that matter in my students situation?</p>
<p>USA Today Rankings
Well, USA Today brand may not be perceived as the pinnacle of sophistication or closely linked with higher education. However, when I look at the metrics and the process that was employed in these rankings, I have to say that they are significantly more substantial than one might surmise. I think you will agree with that if you read through the methodology. Additionally, I like the tool that allows an individual to change the weightings that are used to reflect what particular metrics matter to them. Do you want a school with a very academic student body, or where graduates starting salaries tend to be higher than students from other schools, then you can weight the factors that are priorities for you.</p>
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<p>Well said.</p>
<p>The ability to chose your own factors should be the gold standard for college rankings IMO. It would be great if USNWR also allowed you to do this, but I think thier ranking system is too political. </p>
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<p>The Alumni Factor allows you to change the weighting of each factor in its rankings, and they are an attempt to measure things like a school’s contributions to the intellectual, social and spiritual development of its alumni rather than…peer assessment, RateMyProfessor tabulations, and Payscale data!</p>
<p><a href=“The Alumni Factor: A Revolution in College Rankings (2013-2014 Edition) - The Alumni Factor - Google Books”>The Alumni Factor: A Revolution in College Rankings (2013-2014 Edition) - The Alumni Factor - Google Books;
<p>Best undergraduate rankings that I know of.</p>