Greetings readers! It has been a scary amount of time since I last wrote. The shocking thing is our individual perception of time in relation to certain events or activities. For example, it seems very long ago that I wrote my last article (the longest I've ever gone between articles, in fact). Yet, the oil spill seems so fresh and recent. Perhaps this has more to do with the actual importance of an event. I have no illusions that my articles are as important as what is going on in the Gulf at the moment. However, there are times in our lives when we become so saturated by an event or idea that it reserves a place in our subconscious and because it's always with us, it sort of loses its sense of immediacy and importance. But this is when the issue is MOST important. When we begin to be apathetic is when we must remind ourselves of this very global, inter-connected, high speed world that we exist within. For starters, take a look at this article, http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2010/06/07/bp-or-not-bp?page=full
More... If this article doesn't open up our reality to the fact that much graver injustices happen on a daily basis that we are unaware of, I don't know what will. America is a country known for our nearly manic generosity in the face of a well publicized natural disaster (usually in our own, Western Hemisphere). Yet, we are still extremely insulated. Perhaps this is no fault of our own, on an individual level. It could just be a lack of sufficient media attention, an overwhelming amount of power and money that private industry possesses, or, most likely, a combination of the two (and some other factors, I would imagine).
That being said, I know that there have been lots of people from all over who have rushed-- or wanted to rush toward-- the Gulf coast in order to volunteer in some form. Having gone on for so many weeks now, the concept of volunteering has become a bit tainted as not only are the cities, states, government and BP turning away most untrained volunteers, but the plume that is floating invisibly over the Gulf (think of a chemical cloud) is already accounting for respiratory damage in many who have been involving themselves in Gulf coast areas. So, while I don't have an answer to respiratory problems or to the actual spill itself, I do have some information that might be helpful for those who are unyielding in their desire to help in some way: http://www.oshacampusonline.com/keysspill-24-hour-hazmat.html
This website offers hazardous materials training courses for people who want to assist with this disaster and others that will, inevitably arise in the future. As we know, from reading the first article, the world is never short on oil-related tragedies. The whole idea of the Gulf coast debacle has brought to light some very intriguing dilemmas that our society must now realize and confront. Most importantly, in my opinion, is this concept of how far we are willing to go to destroy natural resources which, in almost every conceivable instance, at one time or another, we will end up paying a much greater amount in both dollars and our way of life, in order to then restore what we misused? The oceans and Everglades are just the beginning. To sustain the way that we currently live, significant risk is involved. We are using humans and nature as collateral. But perhaps we should not want to sustain this lifestyle. Maybe altering our lifestyle by becoming more knowledgeable about our own actions is precisely what is necessary in order to prevent such tragedies in the future.
I think that the moral of this lesson is that we need smarter people. We need engineers who can stop this leak and, more importantly, leaders and executives who have a desire to prevent the leak from occurring in the first place. I'm not saying education necessarily makes one more ethical. But this IS a goal of a liberal arts curriculum; Is it not? Go on to college and help us plug holes that are leaked from everyday, all around the globe.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the beginning of your summer. Be in touch.
June 11, 2010
April 13, 2010
Making the May 1st College Choice Deadline
As many students are relaxing, more than satisfied with their college selection and the prospects of a transformational freshman year, some still reel. It is always good to utilize the allotted time in order to make the most informed and positive college choice, but unless new information is coming to light or a visit is happening in the coming week or two, this decision should be very close to done.
How each individual goes about this final college choice varies. But there are certainly some common questions (or answers, for that matter) that everyone needs to take into consideration. To go over the thought process, I think it is important to take finances out of this for now. Ultimately, finances play a significant (if not the most significant) part in the majority of people's college choice scenarios. And because everyone has a very personal situation and some people want to take loans while others do not, or will live at home while others will not, covering the gamut of potential financial questions would be enough to fill many books, let alone just this one article. So, for the sake of simplification, let's break the college choice process down into the major factors for those who are still vacillating with two weeks to go. Remember, the best thing to do in every situation in life is to eliminate the choices which are not suitable. Sometimes, after we do this, it is revealed to us that only one or, perhaps, two choices are even appropriate. Eliminating these superfluous college choices is critical at this juncture.
1. Site unseen: I warn students to not take this with a grain of salt. If you have not seen or been near the college campus that you are contemplating attending, be very careful. Every campus and surrounding community has a personality and feel which can be unique. If you have not been motivated enough to visit a school by now, I have a feeling that it does not belong on your final list.
2. Program breadth: Unless you are sure of your major and set on a career path, choosing a school based on its extremely specific curriculum or specialization in one program is not always the best option. Make sure that your college choice gives you the flexibility and wiggle-room to explore and challenge yourself with new ideas and fields that you might not have been familiar with otherwise.
3. Extracurricular potential: on any campus in the country one can find a place to play ultimate frisbee or beer pong. However, if you're into activities which are location specific or require certain facilities, please make sure that these exist on or near the campus, before you make the final college choice.
4. The difference between attending university near home or away from home exists, but it's not necessarily as significant as one may think. If home is close enough to tempt a return visit every weekend, I recommend not allowing yourself that visit for the first two months of college. A student, if he/she is not living at home while commuting to college, is paying for a college experience through on- or off-campus housing. This means that part of your education comes when you're outside of the classroom. You should definitely limit your visits home. Consider this when making the college choice. If it's a difference of a four hour versus five hour drive from your house or a drive versus a plane flight, sometimes the more distant option can help a young person achieve that self-sufficiency that all parents work hard to instill.
5. Friends: don't always go where your friends are going. The college choice is filled with- and all about- change. You will stay friends with those you are close with, no matter where you go. So make some new ones.
6. Parents: The last thing that any parent wants is to choose the university for their kid. This can create some major resentment when school gets unpleasant, which is bound to happen at certain times. But regardless of that, the college choice is really up to the student. It is my personal opinion that this is the one time when parents really need to stay out of it. Set the guidelines and the budget and if the student can make "A" university work when you were pushing "B" university, but "A" university fulfills the terms that were agreed upon from the onset ... back off!
7. Remember: you will be happy if you're committed to learning and change. This is ultimately what college is about and, more importantly, the traditional ages from 18-24. So while a good college choice has a great impact on your future and who you become, the change in who you are is coming, whether you choose college "A" or college "B". Just make sure that your college choice is done with lots of thought and as full of an understanding of the options as you are able to gather.
If you have any questions or are a bit stuck, you can always reach me through the website, www.findabetteru.com. Enjoy the process and thanks for reading!
How each individual goes about this final college choice varies. But there are certainly some common questions (or answers, for that matter) that everyone needs to take into consideration. To go over the thought process, I think it is important to take finances out of this for now. Ultimately, finances play a significant (if not the most significant) part in the majority of people's college choice scenarios. And because everyone has a very personal situation and some people want to take loans while others do not, or will live at home while others will not, covering the gamut of potential financial questions would be enough to fill many books, let alone just this one article. So, for the sake of simplification, let's break the college choice process down into the major factors for those who are still vacillating with two weeks to go. Remember, the best thing to do in every situation in life is to eliminate the choices which are not suitable. Sometimes, after we do this, it is revealed to us that only one or, perhaps, two choices are even appropriate. Eliminating these superfluous college choices is critical at this juncture.
1. Site unseen: I warn students to not take this with a grain of salt. If you have not seen or been near the college campus that you are contemplating attending, be very careful. Every campus and surrounding community has a personality and feel which can be unique. If you have not been motivated enough to visit a school by now, I have a feeling that it does not belong on your final list.
2. Program breadth: Unless you are sure of your major and set on a career path, choosing a school based on its extremely specific curriculum or specialization in one program is not always the best option. Make sure that your college choice gives you the flexibility and wiggle-room to explore and challenge yourself with new ideas and fields that you might not have been familiar with otherwise.
3. Extracurricular potential: on any campus in the country one can find a place to play ultimate frisbee or beer pong. However, if you're into activities which are location specific or require certain facilities, please make sure that these exist on or near the campus, before you make the final college choice.
4. The difference between attending university near home or away from home exists, but it's not necessarily as significant as one may think. If home is close enough to tempt a return visit every weekend, I recommend not allowing yourself that visit for the first two months of college. A student, if he/she is not living at home while commuting to college, is paying for a college experience through on- or off-campus housing. This means that part of your education comes when you're outside of the classroom. You should definitely limit your visits home. Consider this when making the college choice. If it's a difference of a four hour versus five hour drive from your house or a drive versus a plane flight, sometimes the more distant option can help a young person achieve that self-sufficiency that all parents work hard to instill.
5. Friends: don't always go where your friends are going. The college choice is filled with- and all about- change. You will stay friends with those you are close with, no matter where you go. So make some new ones.
6. Parents: The last thing that any parent wants is to choose the university for their kid. This can create some major resentment when school gets unpleasant, which is bound to happen at certain times. But regardless of that, the college choice is really up to the student. It is my personal opinion that this is the one time when parents really need to stay out of it. Set the guidelines and the budget and if the student can make "A" university work when you were pushing "B" university, but "A" university fulfills the terms that were agreed upon from the onset ... back off!
7. Remember: you will be happy if you're committed to learning and change. This is ultimately what college is about and, more importantly, the traditional ages from 18-24. So while a good college choice has a great impact on your future and who you become, the change in who you are is coming, whether you choose college "A" or college "B". Just make sure that your college choice is done with lots of thought and as full of an understanding of the options as you are able to gather.
If you have any questions or are a bit stuck, you can always reach me through the website, www.findabetteru.com. Enjoy the process and thanks for reading!
March 17, 2010
Senioritis? Oh shut up.
You've done everything you were supposed to do: you have applied; you have been admitted to at least one great option college/university; you have always dotted every "i" and crossed every "t". And now you want your rightful rest. You think you have earned it, right? I'm sure you're not considering anything unreasonable, miss a few days of school here, a few homework assignments there, sleep a little in class, stop reading the literature . . . I know where you're coming from. Trust me. I do. This is what I have to say about the dreaded (and all too familiar) "senioritis":
When you're a senior-- especially a reasonably intelligent one-- and you know that this process is coming and that when it's all settled and college seems just around the corner and high school seems like something of the past, more for the plebeians of the world, don't forget that you signed a small contract with each university that you were admitted to, stating that you would continue to do satisfactorily (this is the university's concept of "satisfactory", not yours) in all of your current year courses, maintaining standards which you had achieved in your previous years. In other words, you better have your act together enough so that your transcript does not look like you were completely absent for Spring semester of senior year.
First of all, let me say that four years of high school is a long time. I think that three years, in many cases, would be plenty of time to be locked in this adolescent incubator. However, the concept of senioritis is confused by so many. People think it's an excuse when really it's NOT a real psychological (or physical) ailment. All senioritis means is that you're tired of school, you want to be finished, BUT you know that you have to keep working toward the goal that you had for yourself LONG BEFORE senioritis set in. Senioritis is NOT an EXCUSE. It is a revelation that you have to work harder than your mind might want. Deal with it. To an adult or an educator, just uttering the word: "s-e-n-i-o-r-i-t-i-s" makes one seem just a fraction less intelligent than they were prior to speaking it. Second, granted, if you're usually an "A" or an "A/B" student and you get one or even two "C"'s during Spring of your final year, it may not have a negative impact on your admission. But there is never a way to know. Earning an "F" or a "D" in an academic class is totally unacceptable and may even prevent your high school graduation.
But the bigger question here is Why?
Is learning really about the goal of college admission? If that's the case, you're missing the point of it all and I'm afraid college is going to be a big waste of time and resources for you. Why would you want to stop achieving and learning in the final few months of high school. An approach like this can actually create MORE anxiety in a student than the actual school work, itself. There is a complete curriculum in high school that, whether I agree with it or not, is what you should be focused on. For many high school seniors, if you were accepted to an institution of repute, then you're probably taking AP or IB courses that have significant, knowledge-based exams at the end of the year. If you're in Honor's classes, you must have a final or a final paper that will be expected of you. In most academic courses (i.e. English IV, Government and Economics, etc...), whether or not they're AP or Honor's or Regular-level, they matter and the information you should be learning is a part of that foundation of knowledge that ALL colleges and universities will expect their freshmen to have.
I don't like seeming as if I am a man who blindly preaches the benefits of education. I realize that right now, in our country, there is a significant movement to debilitate the education elitists- which I would probably be considered as I do enjoy being around people who read often, write clearly, think critically and can reference interesting ideas in order to give unique perspective to their arguments. However, no matter what anyone says, and I have probably written this before on this very blog, education is the one thing that NO ONE can EVER take away from us. It is what makes people interesting (education in ALL forms, experience and the classroom) and it is what our world demands of each of us as we become more complicated in our governing, technology, industry and individual lives. Bottom line: finish your senior year with energy and motivation. Not only will you not have to worry about what your college of choice is going to think when they see your grades (because your grades will be great) but you will feel better for being the person who actually takes responsibility and assignment seriously. There are plenty of opportunities during senior year to have fun with your classmates. Take advantage of all of them. But never forget that the reason you are even able to have so much fun is because you have worked hard every day leading up to the fun.
Thanks for reading and enjoy these last few months!
When you're a senior-- especially a reasonably intelligent one-- and you know that this process is coming and that when it's all settled and college seems just around the corner and high school seems like something of the past, more for the plebeians of the world, don't forget that you signed a small contract with each university that you were admitted to, stating that you would continue to do satisfactorily (this is the university's concept of "satisfactory", not yours) in all of your current year courses, maintaining standards which you had achieved in your previous years. In other words, you better have your act together enough so that your transcript does not look like you were completely absent for Spring semester of senior year.
First of all, let me say that four years of high school is a long time. I think that three years, in many cases, would be plenty of time to be locked in this adolescent incubator. However, the concept of senioritis is confused by so many. People think it's an excuse when really it's NOT a real psychological (or physical) ailment. All senioritis means is that you're tired of school, you want to be finished, BUT you know that you have to keep working toward the goal that you had for yourself LONG BEFORE senioritis set in. Senioritis is NOT an EXCUSE. It is a revelation that you have to work harder than your mind might want. Deal with it. To an adult or an educator, just uttering the word: "s-e-n-i-o-r-i-t-i-s" makes one seem just a fraction less intelligent than they were prior to speaking it. Second, granted, if you're usually an "A" or an "A/B" student and you get one or even two "C"'s during Spring of your final year, it may not have a negative impact on your admission. But there is never a way to know. Earning an "F" or a "D" in an academic class is totally unacceptable and may even prevent your high school graduation.
But the bigger question here is Why?
Is learning really about the goal of college admission? If that's the case, you're missing the point of it all and I'm afraid college is going to be a big waste of time and resources for you. Why would you want to stop achieving and learning in the final few months of high school. An approach like this can actually create MORE anxiety in a student than the actual school work, itself. There is a complete curriculum in high school that, whether I agree with it or not, is what you should be focused on. For many high school seniors, if you were accepted to an institution of repute, then you're probably taking AP or IB courses that have significant, knowledge-based exams at the end of the year. If you're in Honor's classes, you must have a final or a final paper that will be expected of you. In most academic courses (i.e. English IV, Government and Economics, etc...), whether or not they're AP or Honor's or Regular-level, they matter and the information you should be learning is a part of that foundation of knowledge that ALL colleges and universities will expect their freshmen to have.
I don't like seeming as if I am a man who blindly preaches the benefits of education. I realize that right now, in our country, there is a significant movement to debilitate the education elitists- which I would probably be considered as I do enjoy being around people who read often, write clearly, think critically and can reference interesting ideas in order to give unique perspective to their arguments. However, no matter what anyone says, and I have probably written this before on this very blog, education is the one thing that NO ONE can EVER take away from us. It is what makes people interesting (education in ALL forms, experience and the classroom) and it is what our world demands of each of us as we become more complicated in our governing, technology, industry and individual lives. Bottom line: finish your senior year with energy and motivation. Not only will you not have to worry about what your college of choice is going to think when they see your grades (because your grades will be great) but you will feel better for being the person who actually takes responsibility and assignment seriously. There are plenty of opportunities during senior year to have fun with your classmates. Take advantage of all of them. But never forget that the reason you are even able to have so much fun is because you have worked hard every day leading up to the fun.
Thanks for reading and enjoy these last few months!
March 8, 2010
Marketing
Sometimes mass marketing is accomplished for me.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/education/03guidance.html?hpw
enough said . . .
--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/education/03guidance.html?hpw
enough said . . .
--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113
February 8, 2010
I couldn't have written it better myself
http://www.slate.com/id/2243435/
Humbling and motivating . . .
--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113
Humbling and motivating . . .
--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113
December 10, 2009
My Fall in Fall
It is that time of the year where it becomes difficult to tell where the days begin and end. I think that the kids this year have all done/are doing an amazing job staying positive and working diligently with their applications and essays, testing and organizing. However, this does not always help me to sleep. Yet there is one thing that I continue to learn as each year goes by, and is something that I think I tried to deny until just a few years ago: truly getting started early is the only way to keep oneself on track and to feel wholly satisfied with the way the applications turn out. I ran into a student just this morning who will be applying to a number of schools from Harvard to Georgia Tech, Yale to MIT and she had not even begun her applications. A pit swelled in my stomach as I realized that my students are beginning this process in the months of May, June and July and they still often have one or two final pieces to polish come the month of December. Plus, when they get in the early applications, they get the early responses back as well. And I can tell you that these responses coming back this month are extremely welcome by everyone (of course they're acceptances!).
I realize that I have neglected the blog for some time. But I am positively sure that those of you who may be reading this are much happier knowing that if it's a choice between my students and my blog, the blog is definitely the right one to give up on this time each year.
Thank you all for the support. Keep the students coming...
Hope to hear from you soon.
-B
--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113
I realize that I have neglected the blog for some time. But I am positively sure that those of you who may be reading this are much happier knowing that if it's a choice between my students and my blog, the blog is definitely the right one to give up on this time each year.
Thank you all for the support. Keep the students coming...
Hope to hear from you soon.
-B
--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113
October 7, 2009
Ranking the U.S. College Rankings
I was just reading an article this morning about women's professional tennis and the flaws in its ranking system. I also see weekly reviews often at this time of the year when different people are giving their opinion about the various ranking systems in college football. There are computer programs that use data analysis; there are coaches votes; there are win/loss and strength-of-schedule ranking systems . . . indeed, there are different ranking systems based on the weight of each different criteria that is ranked. Honestly, I find it to be a bit of overkill. So how do the U.S. College Ranking systems work? Which U.S. College Ranking organization is most reliable?
So this is the most important thing to remember before you read any further: if a school makes you happy and the education that you are getting is of value to you, you should not be too concerned or caught up in where, exactly, that school lands in any of the number of U.S. College Ranking lists. So, with that out of the way, let's cut to the chase about these dubious (and multitudinous) U.S. College Rankings.
Are they (U.S. College Rankings) legitimate for the quality of academics that are available at each school for every single person? No.
Do they have any necessary influence on how much money you will be earning when you graduate? Not really. Look, if you're going to be a high school math teacher in Arkansas coming straight out of Harvard versus Arkansas State, you're making the same salary. If you're graduating with a degree in business, try to go to a school that has a strong alumni network and is near or in a city with booming industry. But don't make your choice on college based on what you HOPE will be your future career earnings. Things like this, when revealed to rationale people, just make you sound like a pompous fool.
Back to the U.S. College Rankings.
Will you be happier at a school which is ranked 20th in "level of student satisfaction" than you would be at a school ranked 30th in the same category? Not necessarily.
Can you find someone at every school in this fair nation who thinks that their school is the best school there is? Probably.
Can you find someone who thinks that their school is the worst? Almost without a doubt.
Certain aspects, which I think can be glaring, are not factored in to many of the U.S. College Rankings, such as student suicide rate, student exercise rate, and alumni involvement (no, I don't mean JUST financial donations- there are other ways to serve your institution). I also believe strongly that whereas the quality and diversity of food was extremely important in my college selection, some people just don't have such a refined palate. And where Greek life might have played a significant role in your selection of college/university, for me it did not. But these are both areas which are tucked away and given a very arbitrary amount of weight in the College Ranking process. For some, however, they deserve more or less mention than they do get.
One of the major points of the U.S. College Rankings has to do with the number of faculty on a campus, and the number of those faculty who hold what are considered "terminal degrees". A terminal degree is the highest degree that a person in that specialty can achieve. So, in English literature, the terminal degree would be a Ph.D. However in a field such as creative writing and poetry, it might be an M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts). So, when we read that 98% of a universities faculty hold terminal degrees, that's all well and good. However, some of the best teaching, many would argue, has come from those who do not have the terminal degree or maybe they're pursuing it. Perhaps they enjoyed the teaching aspect and not so much the research necessary for finishing a doctoral program. Who am I to say? But I do know that the rankings think that they can judge that and while it MAY be true in some cases, it is certainly not true in all.
If there is anything that U.S. College Rankings have done is that they have increased the hype for a small pocket of elite schools across this country. This has been, essentially, a self-fulfilling prophecy for those schools because when an alumni sees his/her school around the top of a U.S. College Ranking list, the swelling of pride might just induce a monetary donation. That monetary donation can be one small step in actually raising the profile and ranking of said university even more, which then makes even more alumni swell with pride and donate, as they believe the value of their degree is also being enhanced by this ranking. Be aware supportive elite-university alumni. A recent article had a very interesting point to make:
http://chronicle.com/article/Think-Tank-The-Veritas/48590/
I don't know if I have actually made any significant progress towards a conclusion on whether or not U.S. College Rankings are beneficial or harmful to our system of higher education. So, in summary, I would say that while there is certainly some validity to ranking categories like "class sizes", "average incoming gpa" and "graduation rate", because these are statistics that should be known and available to all students who are researching prospective schools, do any of these mean that YOU will be more or less successful at a top-ranked school versus a school ranked somewhere in the ambiguous folds of the pages of some U.S. College Ranking magazine? No.
And in response to the question regarding WHICH U.S. College Ranking system is most reliable? Well, the answer is simple, of course: Your college ranking system is most reliable! Visit a campus, call the admissions office, read about it on the website, chat with students who go there, etc . . . Are we really becoming such passive thinkers that we have to just rely on what information other people give us? No. We are smarter than this.
Please don't think that way. Or soon, you, too, will begin to sound like a bit of a pompous fool.
If YOUR college ranking system fails you, contact me. I am never one to hold back on this topic.
As always, thanks for reading and don't hesitate to email me if you need help deciding whether you should apply to Harvard or Arkansas State--or both.
So this is the most important thing to remember before you read any further: if a school makes you happy and the education that you are getting is of value to you, you should not be too concerned or caught up in where, exactly, that school lands in any of the number of U.S. College Ranking lists. So, with that out of the way, let's cut to the chase about these dubious (and multitudinous) U.S. College Rankings.
Are they (U.S. College Rankings) legitimate for the quality of academics that are available at each school for every single person? No.
Do they have any necessary influence on how much money you will be earning when you graduate? Not really. Look, if you're going to be a high school math teacher in Arkansas coming straight out of Harvard versus Arkansas State, you're making the same salary. If you're graduating with a degree in business, try to go to a school that has a strong alumni network and is near or in a city with booming industry. But don't make your choice on college based on what you HOPE will be your future career earnings. Things like this, when revealed to rationale people, just make you sound like a pompous fool.
Back to the U.S. College Rankings.
Will you be happier at a school which is ranked 20th in "level of student satisfaction" than you would be at a school ranked 30th in the same category? Not necessarily.
Can you find someone at every school in this fair nation who thinks that their school is the best school there is? Probably.
Can you find someone who thinks that their school is the worst? Almost without a doubt.
Certain aspects, which I think can be glaring, are not factored in to many of the U.S. College Rankings, such as student suicide rate, student exercise rate, and alumni involvement (no, I don't mean JUST financial donations- there are other ways to serve your institution). I also believe strongly that whereas the quality and diversity of food was extremely important in my college selection, some people just don't have such a refined palate. And where Greek life might have played a significant role in your selection of college/university, for me it did not. But these are both areas which are tucked away and given a very arbitrary amount of weight in the College Ranking process. For some, however, they deserve more or less mention than they do get.
One of the major points of the U.S. College Rankings has to do with the number of faculty on a campus, and the number of those faculty who hold what are considered "terminal degrees". A terminal degree is the highest degree that a person in that specialty can achieve. So, in English literature, the terminal degree would be a Ph.D. However in a field such as creative writing and poetry, it might be an M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts). So, when we read that 98% of a universities faculty hold terminal degrees, that's all well and good. However, some of the best teaching, many would argue, has come from those who do not have the terminal degree or maybe they're pursuing it. Perhaps they enjoyed the teaching aspect and not so much the research necessary for finishing a doctoral program. Who am I to say? But I do know that the rankings think that they can judge that and while it MAY be true in some cases, it is certainly not true in all.
If there is anything that U.S. College Rankings have done is that they have increased the hype for a small pocket of elite schools across this country. This has been, essentially, a self-fulfilling prophecy for those schools because when an alumni sees his/her school around the top of a U.S. College Ranking list, the swelling of pride might just induce a monetary donation. That monetary donation can be one small step in actually raising the profile and ranking of said university even more, which then makes even more alumni swell with pride and donate, as they believe the value of their degree is also being enhanced by this ranking. Be aware supportive elite-university alumni. A recent article had a very interesting point to make:
http://chronicle.com/article/Think-Tank-The-Veritas/48590/
I don't know if I have actually made any significant progress towards a conclusion on whether or not U.S. College Rankings are beneficial or harmful to our system of higher education. So, in summary, I would say that while there is certainly some validity to ranking categories like "class sizes", "average incoming gpa" and "graduation rate", because these are statistics that should be known and available to all students who are researching prospective schools, do any of these mean that YOU will be more or less successful at a top-ranked school versus a school ranked somewhere in the ambiguous folds of the pages of some U.S. College Ranking magazine? No.
And in response to the question regarding WHICH U.S. College Ranking system is most reliable? Well, the answer is simple, of course: Your college ranking system is most reliable! Visit a campus, call the admissions office, read about it on the website, chat with students who go there, etc . . . Are we really becoming such passive thinkers that we have to just rely on what information other people give us? No. We are smarter than this.
Please don't think that way. Or soon, you, too, will begin to sound like a bit of a pompous fool.
If YOUR college ranking system fails you, contact me. I am never one to hold back on this topic.
As always, thanks for reading and don't hesitate to email me if you need help deciding whether you should apply to Harvard or Arkansas State--or both.
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