Admission Sync

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‘A prime sport in higher education is bashing US News & World Report’s college rankings.’ So says Says Yahoo. I quote further from the same source:

‘Critics main objection is that schools can’t be easily compared. But last week, 257 schools did just that. They put up scores on the Web sizing up their ability to educate.
This new type of benchmarking, known as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), measures real learning experiences on campuses – far from different the US News’s rankings, which rely heavily on school reputation, SAT scores, and resources.

NSSE (pronounced “nessie”) has been in use for eight years by hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada – but only to help them better themselves. Only this year did NSSE leaders organize a mass release of scores by willing schools.

The surveys by NSSE ask freshmen and seniors how much teachers actually work with them, and about a school’s level of academic challenge, collaborative learning, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment. The premise: Students who are actively engaged in their postsecondary education will learn more and be more successful in a career.’

My Counter Point

Ranking is a big business for the great the carpetbaggers like US News and Company. Now NSSE is also entering in the foray. America is a great one for masquerading as a marketing savvy economy and in the process forgetting the primary objective of serving the consumer interest. The present College Ranking is one phenomenon I know of :

1.Which is making millions for it’s propagators both Ranking companies and the schools benefiting from it.

2. Institutes grouped in the higher echelon of rankings never protest about rankings culture however they are becoming complacent with their past achievement as no new innovation is coming from them for the spread of education and research culture among the masses.In fact they are developing an elitist culture and confining their alumni and past achievements in a cocoon.

3. Cocooning tendency of the colleges has made them less responsive to the demands of the society. At this hour Asian nations are on a fast track and may outpace USA economically and in other aspects which make a nation great. Time is short for USA .

4. If the colleges concentrate more on sciences,mathematics and less on liberal arts perhaps this tendency may be halted.The demand of the time is raise the economic output and not the quality of an individual confined to his little circle.

5. During the past ten years ranking of schools was introduced by the great marketing companies like US News and it’s prime was achieved during last three years. I think this is high time that America should review the whole phenomenon.

6. It will be educative for every one if somebody conducts research about the gains rankings has given to the society. Let the research generate the dissatisfaction index among the students not able to go to these schools for no fault of theirs.

7. I would say that the schools should be willing to encourage an average American to go for higher studies and should not be an impediment to it.

More on the NSSE Rankings and for an interactive map go to USA Today.

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