<p>Even if US News & World Report or Forbes could go to college, their own rankings fail to give us a good idea of which is their best choice of college, let alone provide any comprehensible information to potential applicants (all of whom have their own unique interests, gifts and aspirations) as to where they should go.</p>
<p>It’s interesting to see all the comparisons and to see your favorite college’s name get props (or, for that matter, dissed)…so it’s not the least bit surprising to me that these things sell. But as a decision making tool they’re useless. It’s like reading TeenBeat or People magazine to find out who the best actors are. I don’t think central casting refers to these magazine as resources when faced with a specific movie to cast…and, as long as nobody making important decisions (be it something with lifelong importance, such as choosing colleges or something of less consequence like receiving the Palm D’or or bringing in viewers to the box office) uses them as decision tools, the gossip in all of these publications is just harmless, inane fun (even when presented as though it’s compiled by some objective, quantifiable measure).</p>