<p>I'm just curious. If I remember correctly, they came out around late August last year...</p>
<p>well then i guess in about 2 months,lawlz.</p>
<p>Anyone?...</p>
<p>probably the same time as last year. august.</p>
<p>Usually around August 20th.</p>
<p>You can find the "official countdown" on the right side of Morse</a> Code: Inside the College Rankings - Education (usnews.com)</p>
<p>Oh joy, can't wait to see a new ranking where a college drops 2 points and 5 spots or four schools tied for 4th or 5th....</p>
<p>Why do we place such emphasis on USNWR rankings and whether a college is in the ivy league? The USNWR rankings are seriously flawed. Whats most important is the best fit for each student, and the actual quality of the education, not merely ranking or prestige.</p>
<p>Think beyond the name! Where will you be happiest? What's most important is that you think honestly about which colleges provide the right match for you. It's important to look beyond dubious rankings and to research thoroughly an institutions academics, commitment to education, availability of good mentoring and advising, quality of teaching, culture, opportunities, values, social life, etc. Do the faculty value teaching? Are they rewarded for teaching quality or mainly for their research? Are students taught mostly by TAs?</p>
<p>Remember:</p>
<ol>
<li>You dont need to get into the ivy league to be successful in life. </li>
<li>The ratings from the US News & World Report are misleading and lead to a marketing of colleges rather than illuminating true quality and educational value.</li>
<li>The college/university you graduate from does not determine who you are and how you contribute to the world.</li>
</ol>
<p>This says it all: <a href="http://www.educationconservancy.org/smallposter.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.educationconservancy.org/smallposter.pdf</a></p>
<p>Consider these earlier posts: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/491954-don-t-let-prestige-lead-you-wrong-college-please-3.html?highlight=hawkette%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/491954-don-t-let-prestige-lead-you-wrong-college-please-3.html?highlight=hawkette</a></p>
<p>Consider the important work of the Education Conservancy, a non profit committed to improving the college admissions process: Education</a> Conservancy </p>
<p>and the book, College Unranked: College</a> Unranked</p>
<p>Oooooo Ooooooo I can't wait!</p>
<p>Integrity is looney, clearly. I mean, good golly what are you thinking?</p>
<p>Word, integrity09.</p>
<p>Wow. They have a countdown for that? I'm speechless. Countdown and caffeine. Which works better at keeping high school seniors awake? Any guesses?</p>
<p>Um . . . Paerra, pardon the sanctimonious abuse. The answer to your question is August.</p>
<p>Rankings should not be the holy grail, but many people, myself included, are just interested in seeing how their future/current alma mater has done in the rankings. People on CC are generally competitive.</p>
<p>For those who can't wait, why not try other rankings? These are about as trustworthy as USNWR and are updated more frequently:</p>
<p>College</a> Ranking Service: Ranking Choices</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Why do we place such emphasis on USNWR rankings and whether a college is in the ivy league? The USNWR rankings are seriously flawed. What’s most important is the best ‘fit’ for each student, and the actual quality of the education, not merely ranking or ‘prestige’.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>"There is no perfect way to find the best ocllege for you, but by picking up US News guide, you've made a great start We've designed it as a one stop resource with ahrd data and hard analysis to let you make apple-apple comparison of 1400 plus schools.</p>
<p>But numbers are just the beginnnign. EAch school has its own special character which can be understood bonly by going there. We look at how to get most out of a visit and take you through 12 diffeerent schools."
-USNews Editor, first pace of USNews Magazine.</p>
<p>Why is the USNews so help? Its a cold collection of hard data and hard facts that are readily available on schools websites. USNews takes these information that are available in the public and structures them in a fashion that has been battle tested and is much respected by many who take the survey. The system by which they weight factors is tested and is examined closely under tight scrutiny. They put a lot detail and attention to make a completely accurate system model for comparing colleges like apples to apples.</p>
<p>Why do we take USNews so seriously? High education is a commodity that is just equivalent to like buying a car. Not all cars will satisfy the consumer's demands. There are some cars that is just superior. If your going to spend 200K on a undergraduate education, you need affirmation that you are getting the best bang for your buck. US News has a ranking for Great Schools and Great prices which is does just that.</p>
<p>USNews exists only to react to consumer demand for rankings. People want rankings because they want to know what they are getting for their money.</p>
<p>IBclass: I liked your link. Subversive and funny. Particularly enjoyed "the Fairness" ranking. Hitting the refresh button is like playing with a grown-up jack-in-the-box --- a fun surprise keeps popping up in each new list.</p>
<p>IBclass: That needs to become a featured thread! Mods, get on it!</p>
<p>
[quote]
or those who can't wait, why not try other rankings? These are about as trustworthy as USNWR and are updated more frequently: College</a> Ranking Service: Ranking Choices
[/quote]
</p>
<p>IBclass's post is great. Rankings are a business, and not necessarily about quality. </p>
<p>Many ranking systems exist, most about as trustworthy as 'rank your college' listed above. Here are the Forbes rankings:</p>
<p>Liberal Arts Colleges: How</a> to Choose a College - Forbes.com</p>
<p>National Universities:
How</a> to Choose a College - Forbes.com</p>
<p>Bottom line: pick the college that is the best fit for you, not the ranking.</p>
<p>There is a difference between College Ranking Service: Ranking Choices and the the Forbes rankings. While both are pure and unadultered horse manure, the College Ranking Service: Ranking Choices makes only the smallest of efforts to disguise the absolute hoax it is. It does not take much effort to identify the source of the "rankings" and recognize what it attempts to do. On the other hand, the Forbes "rankings" seems to take the pseudo-scientific mental masturbation of Vedder and his "researchers" seriously.</p>
<p>Of course, in a rather strange twist of irony, when it comes to lack of integrity, none of those two rankings can surpass the "other" source linked by ... Integrity. Education Conservancy? Hard to find a more crooked and hypocritical outfit that Lloyd Thacker's!</p>
<p>Keep in mind the objective data provided by USNWR is almost a year old when published. e.g., the admit rates and SAT scores in the '09 edition will be for freshman entering in the fall of 2007. By mid October, most schools will have common datasets info available for freshmen entering fall '08. As for the rankings, they will be little changed from the 2008 edition.</p>