As May 1 approaches, seniors are finalizing their college decisions and watching Beyond the Bulldog posts flood their Instagram stories. For many making these decisions, college rankings seem like the ultimate guidebook for the perfect commitment, but these lists often overlook what truly matters in the college decision-making process and experience.
When choosing a college, one must ensure that it is a good fit, as they will likely spend the next four years living and studying there. Is the campus nice? Is the school a good size? Will the student fit in? Does it have the academic and extracurricular opportunities they are looking for? Just because a university has been ranked highly does not mean it is the right place. It is imperative to consider all aspects of the college experience, not just the school’s “brand” or “status.” Fit matters more than rank.
College rankings are often misleading and unreliable. While these metrics take some aspects of university life into account, they do not actually reflect individual student needs or experiences. Acceptance, retention and graduation rates have become overemphasized in judging colleges. School outcomes are admittedly an important factor in picking a college, but they do not truly capture or evaluate student experience and thus should not be the determining factor in a high school senior’s choice.
School prestige, while appealing, fails to take into account other factors in the college selection process. Some schools, despite being “less-ranked,” are powerhouses in specific areas of study. Schools may offer specific programs that will provide students with the right opportunity or academic environment for their personality, learning style or future ambitions.
Furthermore, school rankings usually do not take into account school cost—often a leading factor in students’ decisions. In fact, higher-ranked schools are often the most expensive, and thus unrealistic options for many students. Lower-ranked schools are more likely to offer aid or scholarships, making higher education a more affordable prospect. Families should take into account their financial positions and willingness to take on (oftentimes) tremendous amounts of debt instead of being weighed down by the pressure of school prestige.
College rankings often change from year to year, ultimately reducing their practicality in the decision-making process. Some years, schools rise or drop several spots in the list for arbitrary reasons. Ranking systems may be tweaked year to year so that certain factors weigh more or less and thus do not reflect a true improvement or decline in the school. While these lists provide a short-term opinion of schools, they are ultimately unreliable long-term measures of a school’s value.
With constant pressure to attend the most “prestigious” schools, students are forced down a path towards potential burnout or unhappiness. It is vital that students find the right fit academically, socially and emotionally to ensure that they have the best four year experience they can. With so many factors in the selection process, prestige and rankings, students should take a backseat to personal, professional and familial considerations. As the tutoring service Prep Scholar says, “Academics are very important, but your life at college will be so much more than just the quality of your classes and how impressive your degree looks in a frame.”
