Acceptance Rates--Reality Check

fallenchemist
Sat, 06 Feb 2010 12:50:32 +0000

There are many issues involved here, but certainly a big one is the false premise that acceptance rate is a good measure, in part, of what makes a “best” college. To the extent it had any truth or logic to begin with, it has long since ceased to have any relevance as technology and the behavior of the schools changes. Same with other factors that USNWR measures. A variation of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.

It is not pretty that highly selective schools give candidates false hope, but at the same time there is SO MUCH information out there that is readily available it is ridiculous for any parent or student to be that uninformed and/or delusional. If they have the information and choose to apply anyway, well then that is their $50 or whatever to spend on their version of the lottery, except the odds are probably less in many cases.