<p>How many more copies of the USNWR ratings issue do they sell (over and above the baseline of how many issues of USNWR are sold in a typical week), and how does that compare to the total # of families sending a student to college in any given year? (And yes, I realize there are institutional purchases, and some might purchase it for a hs soph or hs junior, but generally speaking, let’s assume it’s purchased for rising seniors.) </p>
<p>Is this a real societal “problem” or is this an issue only for the small group of rising seniors who are aspiring to the top 60 or so schools?</p>
<p>Because this strikes me as similar to the “oh noes commonapp enables people to apply to a zillion schools.” An issue for the small slice of the pie applying to elites – a non-issue in the broader scheme of college admissions.</p>