Inside Crimson Education: Our Global Offices and Team
Read now![Inside Crimson Education: Our Global Offices and Team](https://img2.storyblok.com/200x0/filters:quality(50)/f/64062/6000x4000/cebdf81d0a/sydney-team.jpg)
College rankings in the United States have a lot of problems. Despite the recent boycott, there are not many other publications’ rankings that have the influence of US News & World Report. USA Today pointed out recently that it is very difficult for students to independently acquire the data they would need to make certain decisions that US News provides. Most universities that have exited the rankings, urged students to use publicly available data. However, the problem is that universities do report flawed figures sometimes, making it harder for families to make their decisions. Further, a lot of the data is reported in a format that is hard for the average student to understand.
Some of the most comprehensive centralized data that’s already available is about law schools, collected and provided by the American Bar Association, or ABA, which accredits 199 of the nation’s schools of law. The Association of American Medical Colleges, or AAMC, which accredits medical schools, also offers information about them in a resource it calls Medical School Admissions Requirements, or MSARs. Harvard’s dean, in his statement withdrawing from the rankings, referred people there. For undergraduate colleges and universities, the U.S. Department of Education has a website called College Scorecard that reports students’ average annual costs, after discounts and financial aid, along with typical student loan debt, median earnings 10 years after enrollment and other information that can be compared among schools.
However, there are a lot of problems with most of these websites as well. A General Accounting Office investigation in November found that 91% of colleges and universities misrepresented their expected cost of attendance. A lot of data submitted by universities is never independently verified and thus, not always reliable. Many failing institutions are also part of these databases and continue to gain accreditation.
The US News rankings have taken a beating recently, with top institutions including Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School quitting and also a series of allegations that the publication uses false data for its listings. Rhode Island School of Design became one the first undergraduate programs to also boycott the rankings. US News have promised to reform law school rankings to counter some of the criticism. It remains to be seen whether other undergraduate programs will join RISD.
Following the series of boycotts by top schools, US News & World Report has acquired CollegeAdvisor.com. The US News have always influenced students in their application decisions. With the acquisition, it seems the rankings giant is more firmly moving into the admissions consulting business.
“The CollegeAdvisor.com advising platform is directly aligned with our mission, providing students with a greater understanding of the opaque college admissions process and empowering them with the tools necessary for a successful college admissions journey,” said Eric Gertler, executive chairman and CEO of U.S. News. “This relationship is a win-win for students everywhere.”
Critics of the college admissions system traced a direct line from the rankings’ struggles to the advising acquisition, Higher Ed Dive reported. “The move concentrates the commercialization of pre-college counseling in the hands of a company whose arbitrary judgements and questionable advice do not play a constructive role in the admissions process,” said Bob Schaeffer, public education director at FairTest, which advocates for limited standardized testing and equitable admissions, said in a statement.