Yale Grad Student and College Rankings?

[equality]

I was just viewing a discussion about the Yale grad student, Annie Le, who was recently murdered. Here was a bright, vibrant, young woman that had a brilliant future stolen from her. She was pursuing a joint PhD/MD degree.

Something struck me the wrong way. This discussion was on a message board for Yale alums. A substantial portion of the talk was about how the tragic event will impact the number of next year’s student applications. It seems many in academia, particularly the Ivy League, are obsessed with the U.S. News &World Report college rankings.

There are more and more reports of college administrators corrupting the data they send in to U.S. News to improve their ranking. The emphasis on this one list has gone way too far.

It is time for all schools to refuse sending information into U.S. News & World Report. Some argue they will make the rankings anyway because it sells magazines. Probably so. But these rankings without real data will gradually lose credibility.

[Wolfgang]

This obsession with rankings is misguided. I imagine it means something to the schools, but to me, it's nothing. I remember some time ago when I was thinking about going to law school, I asked my step-uncle about it. He graduated from UCLA law school at a time when it wasn't a very good law school. He jokes about it. But he ended up having a nice career with a big house in Atherton, a second house in Sausalito, and drives around in a BMW convertible. He told me, "Wolfie...may I call you Wolfie? It's all about what you do after you graduate, not where you went to school."

If I were a student today, I think I want to go to Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, or UCLA. Probably Virginia, because I'm really kicking arse with my Virginia team in NCAA 2004 on the PlayStation2.

[noah121]

I didn't take college rankings into stock pretty much at any point in my search for either grad schools or undergrad schools. And, I was perfectly happy choosing Nebraska over University of Chicago for undergrad. Time will tell if I'm going to be happy choosing Northwestern over Pitt.

[XAsstCoach]

There is already a movement from school presidents that refused to send in data for the ranking.

[XAsstCoach]

Just read an article that they took a lab technician into custody...I think for more questioning. The article said the neighbors were cheering as they took the technician in. My first thought was what if he's not the killer? It'll be extremely awkward between him and his neighbors if it turns out that he is not the killer.

[mikegarrison]

Apparently it must already be extremely awkward between him and his neighbors, if they were cheering him being arrested.

[XAsstCoach]

Don't think it was. Neighbors interviewed all had said they thought he was a decent guy, that he and his fiancee were quiet neighbors. Wouldn't have suspected he could have done something like this.

Now they said he has invoked his rights and was released into his lawyer's custody. Doesn't look too good for him.