What should we believe from sites like campusdirt and studentsreview?

Parents Forum
21

<p>For schools that I am familiar with, I have found students review quite accurate. Nevertheless, I would take these reviews as a point to begin some investigation. If there are a lot of negative comments about something, this might be indicative of a pervasive problem. </p>

<p>Also, you have to take these reviews in context to when they were published. For example, there were many negative comments about University of Cincinnati's construction being very disruptive to students. Today, the construction is completed. Thus, all of those comments are now obsolete.</p>

<p>Bottom line: check for themes and investigate those problems that seems thematic througout the reviews. Focus more on the recent reviews than the older ones too.</p>

22

<p>There is an artform to reading throught he disgruntled. My son uses student review to research professors. It is accurate in that regard. Tough but brilliant professors turn out to be tough and brilliant. The problem is that GPA chasers can use the site to avoid tough grading professors.</p>

23

<p>My kid likes ratemyprof's and has found it to be surprisingly accurate for the exact same course, but that the "ratings" don't always hold for all classes taught by that prof. It's really working real well for her. I wish I had it during school. I could have avoided a doozy or two.</p>