College Rankings: Use Them Before They Use You!
It’s that time of the year when the leaves have turned and winter is right on schedule. And right on time, the new college rankings from U.S. News and World Report are out (https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities). Cue the rage and obsession as Alan Blinder says in his New York Times article – 9/24/24. Blinder rightly points to the frustration and fixation colleges and universities have with these national rankings. Secretary of Education Cardona warns of what has become our unhealthy national obsession with college selectivity. Vanderbilt University’s recent study found that these rankings were flawed and subjective. Yet, these rankings continue to play a powerful influencer role in college decision-making. Students and parents use them to narrow college searches and meet their social status and prestige needs. Caught in the middle, what are we to do?
We, at College UnMazed, recommend a 2-step approach, emphasizing that students are the architects of their own success and there are many good college choices that will meet their needs without breaking the family budget. A few highly selective, i.e., extremely hard to get into, colleges don’t control student success and life satisfaction.
Infographic 1: The 6 Keys of College Fit helps students find their path to success.
Infographic 2: Students should consider their Overall Fit with their Chance of Admissions to make informed college decisions.
Step 1 – Help students understand how each college they are interested in fits them on the 6 Keys of College Fit (Infographic 1). Higher ranked, harder to get into colleges, often have additional resources to give as perks to their students. But we can help level the playing field by helping students find those college learning environments that fit them in keyways, like class size and writing preparation. Alumni networks, internships, interaction with faculty, and success rates of students getting into graduate programs and professional schools are some of the many powerful gatekeepers for student success and vary enormously from college to college. Counsel students to identify and locate those colleges that are more likely to provide them what they need and want across 6 dimensions crucial to their success and satisfaction.
Step 2 – Help students develop a short list of good fitting colleges that range from easier to harder to get into schools. These become the colleges where they will apply. Encourage students to make fit and selectivity allies in their college application and decision-making efforts (Infographic 2). Place students in charge, help them avoid prematurely foreclosing on good fit choices just because their college’s national rankings may be lower than what they were hoping for.
For more information on strategies for accomplishing these 2 steps for all your students, please visit us at www.collegeunmazed.com.
Thank you for your work helping our deserving young people.
Dr. Richard Lapan
