Forbes: Rankings of Best Colleges

[Profmom2]

<p>Reading the article leaves one rather unimpressed with the methodology used in creating this list. Rather unscientific to say the least…</p>

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the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Forbes.com inaugurates its first ranking of America’s Best Colleges, an annual list. In this report, the CCAP ranks 569 undergraduate institutions based on the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve.</p>

<p>CCAP’s methodology attempts to put itself in a student’s shoes. How good will my professors be? Will the school help me achieve notable career success? If I have to borrow to pay for college, how deeply will I go into debt? What are the chances I will graduate in four years? Are students and faculty recognized nationally, or even globally?</p>

<p>To answer these questions, the staff at CCAP (mostly college students themselves) gathered data from a variety of sources. They based 25% of the rankings on 7 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com. Another 25% depends on how many of the school’s alumni, adjusted for enrollment, are listed among the notable people in Who’s Who in America.

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<p>LOL RateMyProfessor.com If you have ever visited this site, it is so flawed it is not funny. Anyone at any university or even outside a university can get an account and rate any professor. You do not need to be enrolled in any of the professors courses to give an evaluation. The last time I was on the site it did not even list correctly the courses for which my husband teaches yet you could rate him in courses that he has not taught for the last 5 years! Hardly scientific…</p>

<p>I may not be correct on this but I seem to recall a few years ago when husband was “invited to be listed” that it cost $$$$ and he chose not to participate, citing that it was nothing more than a vanity book.</p>

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Marquis Who’s Who states that selection of individuals for listing in its publications “is based on reference value. Individuals become eligible for listing by virtue of their positions and/or noteworthy achievements that have proved to be of significant value to society. An individual’s desire to be listed is not sufficient reason for inclusion. Similarly, wealth or social position are not criteria. Purchase of the book is never a factor in the selection of biographees”.
Tucker Carlson, in an article entitled “The Hall of Lame” that appeared in Forbes Magazine in 1999, wrote that the selection process is neither rigorous nor meaningful, and self nominators and thousands of people not particularly notable are included… Carlson also writes that Marquis makes money selling addresses to direct mail marketers. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_Who’s_Who[/quote]"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_Who’s_Who

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<p>Seems rather odd when Forbes publishes an article that discredits Who’s Who and now is involved in this ranking that is using information gathered by Who’s Who</p>

<p>The Forbes article even states

Admittedly, there is an inherent absurdity in ranking colleges and universities with mock precision from first to 569th.

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<p>To add to USNA69’s observations, students producing the rankings have to take into consideration educational opportunities - With USMA offering 42 majors, USAFA 32 majors, USNA is already at a disadvange in terms of educational opportunities with 19 majors. (It never takes into account that just maybe USNA does the 19 better than anyone else!)</p>

<p>As reform is almost upon our Midshipmen and the Academic Year commencing next Wednesday, Good luck to all of the Midshipmen. Your education “worth” is really what you make of it, not some random ranking published by a random magazine. I have no doubt that the quality of the education at ALL of the Service Academies is fantastic. What our Mids and Cadets do with that education is what is most important.</p>

<p>Hats off to the 2/C parents as our kids embark upon signing their papers!</p>