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A recently released list, compiled by U.S. News and World Report, of the best colleges and universities in America asserts that such things as graduation rate, selectivity rank, and the number of freshman in the top 10% of their class are among the best ways to “judge” the greatness of a college. Average incoming freshman ACT and SAT scores is another indicator of the superiority of a school, so does the annual alumni giving total as well as the percent of faculty that are full-time at the school.
In fact, colleges and universities are given a higher rating by U.S. News if they reject more students than admit. Is this the correct way to determine the excellence of a college?
My years leading up to high school graduation were filled with researching and compiling a list of the “best” (in other words, the most selective) schools I could get into. When my first semester of college ended with me, someone who had done pretty well throughout high school, dropping out and taking a year off, something clicked in my mind. Finding the right college for you isn’t about a subjective list of super-selective, uber-rejecting, ultra-expensive private schools. It’s about choosing one where you can find the resources and freedom you need to excel at the things you enjoy.
College isn’t about getting Harvard’s name on your bachelor’s degree, it’s about learning what you want to learn to be better at what it is you want to do (which is something that Harvard can’t do for everyone). For me, it’s pursuing something in the environmental studies field, possibly public policy. I haven’t decided yet, and because I go to The Evergreen State College, I have the freedom to decide what it is I want to study when I’m ready to study it.
In truth, rejection-rate, cost, and alumni donation rates aren’t what make a college great. What makes a college great is if it’s great for you.
Posted October 7th, 2007 by Saurora6
