Dennis+2014

Over break, I spent a lot of time discussing colleges with my family. Much of that time was spent with a copy of US News & World Reports open on the table in front of me. Rankings heavily in mind, we discussed reaches, safeties, matches, and every other standard term there is.

I don't mean to say that I didn't enjoy this process. I find the idea of college very exciting, and as a good student, I am optimistic that I will be successful in the "admissions game." That said, my view of my future took a drastic turn after reading the following article written by the Yale Dean of Admissions. []

As I read it, I had the typical response one has when reading something life changing--dissatisfaction. I kept trying to tell myself how I was still right, and how my situation was different. However, I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that this article is entirely true. I am not at the point where I will disregard rankings and apply to "worse"--what a horrible term--schools. But I am saying that the obsession that has gripped me, where two spots in the rankings manages to somehow seem important, is ridiculous. It also important to remember that our tendency to look down on people who went to a "worse" school than those we are considering (and many of us do this subconsciously) is a horrible way to judge people.

I also find it important to note that the article gains an extra level of legitimacy through its source. It would be easy for an official at a lower-ranking, or "worse" school, to bash the ranking system in attempt to make his/her school seem better. An official at Yale, however, is winning the rankings game, and still does not want to play it. He is mature enough to recognize that the system is broken through the lens of a victor.

I'm sure many of you who have reached this point have either skimmed or not even read the above article, but I highly recommend it.

Before reading this article, Yale was my top choice school, and the presence of this article on its site only serves to increase that feeling. "Beyond the college rankings," my interest in Yale lies in this program: []
 * a note*

Thanks for reading!