<p>When deciding which college you want to go, how reliable are university quality rankings such as the QS Times Higher Top University Rankings ([QS</a> Top Universities: Top 100 universities in the THE - QS World University Rankings 2007](<a href=“http://www.topuniversities.com/university_rankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/top_100_universities/]QS”>http://www.topuniversities.com/university_rankings/results/2008/overall_rankings/top_100_universities/)) when it comes to analysing how good a college is. I realise this ranking doesn’t include specialty schools such as the Cooper Union, where it is famous for its Architecture programs, or Juilliard, where it is famous for performing arts. I also realise the more prestigious and famous universities always top the rankings, while the smaller and more unknown universities don’t appear. Does it mean that they are really not of good quality?. So to what extent should you use these rankings in deciding what colleges to apply to, and what other important deciding factos are there?</p>
<p>If you want to use rankings, look at a whole bunch of them, and never use just one source. Everyone ranks differently, so analyze how and why they rank the schools the way they do, and see if it matches your own expectations of a school.</p>
<p>Nope.</p>
<p>When I look at a college, this is my path.</p>
<p>Princeton Review stats (to declare match, reach, or safety preliminarily) –> Princeton Review reviews –> College Confidential school-specific boards –> college website –> <a href=“http://www”>www</a>. u n i g o .com –> mailed propaganda (if I have any) –> Wikipedia</p>
<p>One thing you absolutely must use is your gut instinct during campus visits. If at all possible, go see (in person) the schools you’re seriously considering to help determine which will be your home for 4 years. Get lost on campus and wander around talking to random people and asking them questions.</p>
<p>I use general groups. Like there’s probably not much difference between #1 and #2, but the top 10 as a group are all excellent schools, and the top 50 are all great schools, and the top 100 are all pretty good. I take them with a grain of salt, exploring the school’s website on my own and going for campus visits (which are really the key).</p>
<p>I chose a school that was ranked in lower half of the top 100, because they offered me substantial scholarship money. In retrospect occasionally I wish I had gone to a school with a better-known name (I mean, most people have heard of my school when I talk about it), but honestly it’s only for the impress factor. Besides that, I loved my undergraduate experience, I currently have combined grad + undergrad debt that is smaller than the average undergrad’s debt alone and that I can pay off in 5 years, and I go to an Ivy League graduate school, so my undergrad will really matter a lot less when I’m searching for jobs.</p>
<p>But what if I cannot visit the campus, because I live halfway across the world (Singapore) from my dream college (Ranked No. 10-Columbia University, New York City). I don’t have the money to go all over the world to visit campuses, because all the money I have is already reserved for college itself.</p>
<p>^Good point. So, yeah, the campus visits are out. Can you look online for info about them and then consider which are more in line with what you want: big city life, academic opportunities off campus, etc. </p>
<p>Besides, if Columbia is really your dream school, then you just answered your question…it’s Columbia! 
Make that one your top pick and have back ups just in case they turn you down. </p>
<p>Bonne chance! ;)</p>