Earlier this afternoon, I attended Alan Ruby's Globalization and the University class. We talked about the ranking system and how it shapes higher education and whether or not it's useful. It was interesting to consider the fact that even we, the higher ed. students who should "know better" than to place our trust in rankings, have by and large consulted them just as avidly as the rest of society! It was also interesting to think about how, for some people, rankings may be the only information they have in choosing where they go to college, due in some cases to being an international student, in others to lower socio-economic status, and in still others to geographical isolation of some kind. And if all these groups are dependent upon the rankings for their information, then don't we have some sort of an obligation to make them as accurate and helpful as possible? If so, then we're soooort of failing a little bit, as US News and World Report bases 95% of its ranking formula on the combined factors of fame, wealth, and exclusivity. The remaining 5% goes toward the much more important quality of outputs (in the form of graduation rates). So, for those of you reading this fine work of blogness, next time you consult the rankings, do it with caution...and perhaps consider instead using my personal favorite tool, the Counselor-O-Matic, which gives a more personal and fit-based analysis of best-match colleges.
Now that class has ended, I'm off to the gym for a much-needed cardio workout, and then I'm going to eat back what I burn off in the form of Bruster's ice cream...this is dumb, yes, but Jayme and I have been having a mutual craving, and it's just a good time for a frozen treat in light of the weather.
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