College Rankings...Forget Them

Recently an article appeared in USA Today about how some colleges and universities are planning not to participate in college ranking surveys. The topic of college surveys has always fascinated so much my original doctoral dissertation was going to attempt to rank Sport Administration/Management programs. As I started to do the background research, I became convinced that many of the popular rankings that are sold to the American public use very questionable methodology. And after working in college admissions, I could see first hand how schools try to increase their appearance of being selective by playing with the numbers when it comes to admitting, deferring and denying students. All-in-all I learned not to put much stock in the popular rankings.

As a private admission counselor, I try to counsel students and his or her parents on how to not get caught up in the rankings game. Its hard, because everyone wants the opportunity to brag about where they are going to school and all it's wonderful attributes, but the reality is almost all schools have 'brag-worthy' qualities. So regardless of where you choose, you will likely find something unique to talk about when it comes to your school and/or experience.

Choose to attend a school because you truly want to go there. Yes, the name of an institution sometimes can open doors for you, but if you are not talented, successful, or with a good work ethic, it won't matter what school you went to because no one is going to want to work with you anyway. I believe you should spend your college years learning to become the person you want to be in the professional world, instead of trying to plan on how you can name drop your school to make things happen.

Take Control Back

I recently was contacted by the creator and president of Zinch.com, a web site specifically designed to help college applicants get some control in the college admission process. I think it is a wonderful option that college students should really check out.

Colleges generally buy information about students from clearinghouses like the SAT and ACT who collect data about students. Most, if not all the information, you fill out on your standardize test can be purchased by any college in the world. Often we you receive information from a school you have never heard of, it is because they have purchased your name and information from someone and that college thinks that you would be fit because of something related to the information they have about you.

What I like about the idea with Zinch is the fact that you can still put all the standard information: grades, test scores, major choice etc., but you also have the opportunity to put information that showcases who you really are, such as essays, links to your artwork, movies you may have produced, etc. You can help colleges begin to see the person behind the name.

There are also several other features that I think would be attractive for college applicants including e-mail that you can use specifically to communicate with colleges and universities, and a link to your information that you can include on resumes. The site is not like other social networking sites because the only individuals who can access your profile are colleges, or individuals that you chose to provide them the link.

It may be some time before the majority of colleges catch on, but I really think that Zinch is onto something that will help students empower themselves during the college admission process.

Rankings and You

I guess this is the time of year when you start seeing the new rankings of colleges come out. Most popular magazines find a way to rank schools based on something, such as: Best School, Best Party School, Best College Buy...etc. Although the magazines try to justify their rankings through whatever methodology they choose to use, for the most part always remember that they are really trying to sell their magazine. Students who are in the process of choosing and deciding on where they should attend college are just another 'target market' that magazines are aiming to generate more sales of their magazine.

Unfortunately, to many students and parents trust the list as gospel and leave off their list some really good schools with really good programs. Personally, I obtained my bachelors and masters degree from a school that consistently ranked on the Best Party School list for years. Did they party? Yes. But so did the students at schools who didn't make the list. Thankfully I did not avoid applying to my college based on the party school ranking or I would have missed the great education that I received from Ohio University, who is also ranked as having some of the best programs in sport management, journalism, and medicine!

I think it is ok to read the rankings, but remember that only you can make the right decision for you. You have to go the school that is the right fit for you. If you can visit the school, talk to the students, and decide for yourself if it truly is or is not the place for you.