College Rankings Exposed: The Art of Getting a Quality Education in the 21st Century

Are you concerned about your child getting into the best college? If so, I would encourage you to read this book. The book opens with the fallacy of "the best college" that college rankings tend to foster. To produce a ranking, each college is reduced to a single number. But can an experience as complex as college really be expressed as a single number? The book discusses problems with producing the ranking such as unverified data, sensitivity to minor changes in data values, selection of criteria to measure, and getting input from college presidents but not students. The book then continues by discussing the elements of a quality education: 1. A commitment to general education throughout all four years of college. 2. A commitment to writing, speaking, and critical-thinking skills for all students in every class. 3. A commitment to active learning (including interactions between the faculty and students beyond the classroom). 4. Opportunities for learning beyond the classroom (such as education abroad and internships). 5. A diverse, intellectually active, and respectful community. Please note what this book is not: it is not a complete guide to choosing a college. For example, it does not discuss cost, location, setting (urban, suburban, etc.), or distance from home. Also, the book deemphasizes the choice of a major more than I feel is appropriate. For example, if your child wants to go into engineering, choosing a small liberal arts college would probably be a poor choice. In summary, I highly recommend this book for three types of people: 1. If you and your child are choosing colleges based on their ranking and reputation, this book should help you understand the fallacy of college rankings. 2. If you and your child are in the process of selecting a college, this book discusses factors you will probably want to consider in making your decision. 3. If you and your child have selected a lower-ranked school, this book should help you deal with friends and relatives who still subscribe to the myth of "the best college."

What a breath of fresh air! After plowing through all of those "best of" college guides, what a relief to find something that will truly help my daughter and I select a college for her. The book provided me with some really unique insights on how to tell if a school will provide the kind of education that will translate into success after graduation. Additionally, it lists all of the vital questions you need to ask to find out if a school caters to freshman and is committed to teaching its undergraduate classes. I had no idea that most of the professors at the ivies did not get involved with anything but graduate-level courses or research, which means your kid ends up with the assistants! This book is easy to read and you'll learn what you need to know. I highly recommend this to any involved parent.

I am exploring colleges and going through a multitude of resources. This book hits the mark in terms of sound advise - what to look for, what questions to ask, how the rankings are deceiving, etc. It's a must read.