Here is a true story:
This spring a Denver teenager got into Dartmouth College, which was her dream school. The girl, however, is going to Princeton in the fall. Why?
Her mom lobbied her to attend Princeton because it is No. 2 in US News & World Report’s rankings while Dartmouth is No. 9.
This might be an extreme example of the misuse college rankings, but this sort of thing happens all the time. In this quick video, I share one of my biggest criticisms of the rankings and also how the rankings can be used wisely.
NOTE: I spaced out in the video and said the No. 1 college ranking always goes to Harvard or Yale. I was wrong. I meant Harvard and Princeton!
Lynn O’Shaughnessy is the author of The College Solution and she also writes college blogs for CBSMoneyWatch and US News & World Report. Follow her on Twitter.
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