<p>Perception or interest from CC “members” seems to drive the link lists. For decades it’s been pretty much a self-fulfilling prophesy! I just consider it a “most searched” list and—since the Ivy League gets its own page—more a reaction to what most frequently drives people in college searches. You’ll also notice some of the colleges with the worst participation on CC are often schools that kids find out about and attend without concern for what that name means to them or their parents. Some might even equate it to whether you want folks to notice that you’re wearing a Rolex or just want something that tells time intuitively and without the annual maintenance. “Name” schools are often worn like bling or jewelry. Doesn’t make them bad schools, of course, but it does put them at the top of the heap for college searches when “fit” isn’t a part of what’s being considered. Maybe there’s room for a link list along the lines of “Schools That Change Lives” that could coexist with a category much less useful like “Ivy League”? If you don’t know what schools are in the Ivy league and need a separate link page beyond “Top College” to find those schools, should such lame selection processes be encouraged by making it even easier to make college selection a lazy process that requires no thought or self-examination?</p>
<p>But then there’s nothing wrong with a hidden gem. I wish people would quit moving to where I live, too. :)</p>