<p>The USNWR rankings are, in my opinion, terribly flawed, and it’s unfortunate that so many people on college confidential believe them to be absolutely perfect rankings of colleges. A significant portion of a school’s overall ranking is due to the “peer rating”. So ask yourself, does an administrator at a California liberal arts college really know that much about the LACs in New England or Indiana or North Carolina? Does the adminstrator at U Wisconsin know enough about UCLA to make a real judgment on its merits? </p>
<p>It’s also too bad that so many HS students who visit here seem more interested in a school’s perceived “prestige” than in whether it really provides a good educational experience or whether it’s a good personal fit.</p>