I’m not sure if anyone has suggested this yet, but a few years ago (2011 or 2012?) there was a discussion on NPR about a new book, Crazy U: One Dad’s…(I forget the full name). I remember liking the podcast better than the book, but the point of both was just how crazy the college admissions race had become.
There are also many more analyses on the Internet looking at colleges in ways different from what you find in the U.S. NW&R ranking. The “old school” still treats USNWR as the gold standard of information, but I honestly think that will shift over time.
One other way to get these parents to think about all of this differently is to ask them what they think becomes of the highly talented students who do NOT get accepted to the top 5-10 colleges?? Do they really think these students go away quietly into the night? No, of course, not! They’ve all attended somewhere else and have brought their incredible talents to that other place! I’m guessing net-net, many of the rejected students graduate with more to show for their time than their accepted counterparts do.