Brian Howell: College rankings don’t matter. Whether a school is a good fit does

kAm%96 ?6HD E92E r@=F>3:2 &?:G6CD:EJ 7:=65 7C2F5F=6?E 52E2 E@ C:D6 :? E96 &]$] }6HD U2>Aj (@C=5 #6A@CE 4@==686 C2?<:?8D 92D 282:? C2:D65 E96 BF6DE:@? @7 H92E E96D6 C2?<:?8D >62?] s@6D 2?J@?6 :>28:?6 E92E 2D r@=F>3:2 “A=F?865” 7C@> }@] a E@ }@] `g W2D :ED C2?<:?8 H2D C62DD6DD65 3J &]$] }6HD @? :ED @H? 6DE:>2E65 52E2X E92E E96 r@=F>3:2 DEF56?ED D:EE:?8 :? E96:C 4=2DDC@@>D :? &AA6C |2?92EE2? 76=E E96 BF2=:EJ @7 E96:C 65F42E:@? D=:AA:?8 2H2Jnk^Am

kAmr@=F>3:2 :D E96 D2>6 F?:G6CD:EJ 2E }@] `g 2D :E H2D 2E }@] a] }@E9:?8 C62= :? 2?J DEF56?E 6IA6C:6?46 :D 5:776C6?E] }@C H:== :E 492?86 :7 r@=F>3:2 >2?286D E@ 4=2H :ED H2J 324< FA] xD E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r9:428@ W}@] eX 2 E:?J 3:E 36EE6C E92? &?:G6CD:EJ @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2 2E }@] fn ~C @3;64E:G6=J `_ A=246D DFA6C:@C E@ =@H=J r@C?6==[ H2J 5@H? 2E }@] `fn %96D6 C2?<:?8D 92G6 K6C@ E@ 5@ H:E9 H92E :D C62= 23@FE 2 4@==686 @C F?:G6CD:EJ[ 2?5 :E :D E:>6 E@ @?46 282:? 564=2C6 E96> 3F?< 2?5 6?4@FC286 72>:=:6D[ AC@DA64E:G6 4@==686 DEF56?ED 2?5 2== >65:2 7@=<D 6G6CJH96C6 E@ :8?@C6 E96>]k^Am

kAm$49@@=D 2C6 ?@E[ :? D@>6 9@=:DE:4[ 23DEC24E H2J[ “36EE6C” @C “H@CD6]” %96J 2C6 5:776C6?E 2?5 D6CG6 5:776C6?E DEF56?ED] $@>6 D49@@=D 2C6 H62=E9J 2?5 AC6DE:8:@FD[ 2?5 @E96CD 2C6 9F86 H:E9 5:G6CD6[ ?:496 AC@8C2>D @C 2C6 D>2== 2?5 7@4FD65 @? E96 =:36C2= 2CED] $@>6 >2J 92G6 6>A92D6D =:<6 DEF5J 23C@25 @C :?E6C5:D4:A=:?2CJ >2;@CD[ H9:=6 @E96CD AC@G:56 2 DEC@?8 D6?D6 @7 36=@?8:?8 7@C DA64:7:4 DEF56?ED]k^Am

kAm%96D6 E9:?8D 42? D92A6 J@FC 6IA6C:6?46[ 3FE 5@6D E92E >2<6 @?6 @3;64E:G6=J “36EE6C”n }@ BF6DE:@?[ D49@@=D DF49 2D E96 r2=:7@C?:2 x?DE:EFE6 @7 %649?@=@8J[ H9:49 49@@D6 @?=J e]cT @7 2AA=:42?ED[ 42? 7:== E96:C 4=2DD6D H:E9 9:89=J >@E:G2E65[ 244@>A=:D965 DEF56?ED] %96J 92G6 >F=E:3:==:@?\5@==2C 6?5@H>6?ED 2?5 E96C67@C6 D@>6 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 724:=:E:6D] qFE H:== 6G6CJ DEF56?E E9C:G6 2E r2= %649[ 6G6? :7 E96J 2C6 25>:EE65nk^Am

kAm|J @H? 4@==686[ (962E@? r@==686 :? x==:?@:D[ :D 2? 6I46==6?E D49@@=] x 36=:6G6 DEC@?8=J :? E96 BF2=:EJ @7 E96 65F42E:@? H6 @776C 96C6] xE 2=D@ 92D 2 G6CJ DA64:7:4 >:DD:@? @7 r9C:DE:2? 65F42E:@? E92E H@F=5 ?@E H@C< 7@C 6G6CJ A6CD@?]k^Am

kAm!=6?EJ @7 C6D62C49 92D 56>@?DEC2E65 E92E AC6DE:8:@FD ?2>6D 42? >2<6 2 5:776C6?46 :? 62C?:?8D 2?5 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C D@>6 DEF56?ED — 7:CDE\86?6C2E:@? @C =@H\:?4@>6 — 3FE >2<6 ?@ 2AAC64:23=6 5:776C6?46 7@C @E96CD] Ww@=5:?8 @E96C G2C:23=6D 4@?DE2?E[ >@DE H9:E6 >2=6D 86E ?@ D2=2CJ 3F>A 3J 8@:?8 E@ w2CG2C5 @G6C E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (6DE ':C8:?:2]X p?5 ?@ DEF56?E :D D6CG65 H6== :7 E96J 49@@D6 2 D49@@= H96C6 E96J 5@?’E DF44665 24256>:42==J[ D@4:2==J 2?5 6>@E:@?2==J]k^Am

kAm%96 &]$] }6HD C2?<:?8D 6>6C865 :? 2 E:>6 H96? :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE DA64:7:4 4@==686D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6D H2D 92C56C E@ 7:?5] %96J AC@G:565 2 8F:56 7@C E9@D6 F?72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 >2?J @AE:@?D @FE E96C6] %@52J[ E96C6 :D A6C92AD E@@ >F49 :?7@C>2E:@?[ D@ E96 C2?<:?8D >2J D6CG6 2D 2 D:>A=6 H2J E@ D@CE F?:G6CD:E:6D[ A6C92AD E@ >2<6 2 49@:46 2>@?8 D6G6C2= 8@@5 @AE:@?D] qFE 2D D@>6@?6 H9@ 92D H@C<65 :? 9:896C 65F42E:@? 7@C >@C6 E92? a_ J62CD[ x H@F=5 =:<6 E@ 6?4@FC286 6G6CJ 4@==686\3@F?5 DEF56?E E@ :8?@C6 E96D6 ?F>36CD 2?5 :?DE625 3@CC@H 2 E649?:BF6 7C@> >J @H? 5:D4:A=:?6 @7 4F=EFC2= 2?E9C@A@=@8J]k^Am

kAm~G6C E:>6[ D49@@=D 4C62E6 2 4F=EFC6] x? 2 D>2==6C 4@==686[ E92E 4F=EFC6 >2J 6IE6?5 E@ G:CEF2==J 6G6CJ A2CE @7 42>AFD] x? 2 =2C86 F?:G6CD:EJ[ E96C6 >2J 36 >2?J “DF34F=EFC6D[” :? E96 6?8:?66C:?8 D49@@= @C :? vC66< =:76 @C 2>@?8 E96 E962E6C DEF56?ED] v@:?8 E@ E96 42>AFD[ DA6?5:?8 E96 ?:89E[ D:EE:?8 :? 2 4=2DD 2?5 E2=<:?8 E@ DEF56?ED 42? C6G62= H92E :D C62==J 92AA6?:?8 :? E96 A2CED @7 E96 D49@@= J@F 42C6 23@FE] Wp?E9C@A@=@8:DED 42== E9:D 6E9?@8C2A9J]Xk^Am

kAm%9:D D@CE @7 C6D62C49 >:89E ?@E 36 2? @AE:@? 7@C 6G6CJ DEF56?E[ 8:G6? E96 E:>6 2?5 4@DE :?G@=G65[ 3FE 6G6CJ DEF56?E 42? 7:?5 2=F>?: 7C@> E92E D49@@= WE96 >@C6 C646?E E96 36EE6CX[ HC:E6 E@ 4FCC6?E DEF56?ED 2?5 ;@:? 2 D@4:2= >65:2 244@F?E CF? 3J DEF56?ED E96C6] kDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmu:8FC6 @FE E96 4F=EFC6 — E96 G:36 — @7 E96 4=2DDC@@>D[ 5@C>D[ 8C@FAD @C 4@>>F?:E:6D H:E9:? E96 4@==686 H96C6 J@F H@F=5 =:<6=J DA6?5 J@FC E:>6]k^DA2?mk^Am

kAm%96C6’D ?@ 5@F3E E92E E96 AC6DE:86 @7 E96 s2CE>@FE9D 2?5 $E2?7@C5D @7 E96 H@C=5 42? >2EE6C] qFE 5@6D E96 AC6DE:86 @7 E96 D49@@= D92A6 42>AFD 4F=EFC6 :? H2JD J@F H@F=5 =:<6n xD :E >@C6 4C62E:G6 @C 4@>A6E:E:G6n xD E9:D 2 A=246 H96C6 A6@A=6 DFAA@CE @?6 2?@E96C[ @C 5@6D :E 6>A92D:K6 :?56A6?56?46n %96 C2?<:?8 H@?’E 2?DH6C 2?J @7 E9@D6 BF6DE:@?D]k^Am

kAmr9@@D:?8 E96 }@] d` D49@@= W{69:89 &?:G6CD:EJX @G6C E96 }@] ea D49@@= W&?:G6CD:EJ @7 !:EED3FC89X H@?’E >62? 2?JE9:?8 E@ J@F 2D J@F DEF5J D@4:@=@8J @C 3:@=@8J[ 2D J@F H@C< @FE H:E9 E96 7@@E32== E62> @C A=2J :? E96 >2C49:?8 32?5] *@FC =:76 H:== 36 >F49 >@C6 DA64:7:4 E92? E9:D 2C3:EC2CJ ?F>36C 2DD:8?65 3J D@>6 AF3=:42E:@?] v6EE:?8 E96 =:76 J@F H2?E :? 2?5 36J@?5 4@==686 H:== 36 72C >@C6 :?7=F6?465 3J 9@H J@F E9C:G6 :? 4@==686 — J@FC DF446DD :? 4=2DD6D[ 6IEC24FCC:4F=2CD[ :? J@FC D@4:2= 4@??64E:@?D — 2?5[ :E D9@F=5 36 >6?E:@?65[ 3J 2G@:5:?8 6I46DD:G6 563E[ E92? :? E96 C2?<:?8]k^Am

kAm$@ 5:E49 E96 “C6D62C49” @7 4@>A2C:?8 =:DED 2?5 C2?<:?8D] tIA=@C6 E96 C62=:EJ @7 =:76 2E E96 D49@@=[ :? E96 A=246D H96C6 J@F E9:?< J@F’== 8@[ 2?5 7:?5 E96 A=246 H96C6 J@F 42? E9C:G6] %92E’D E96 @?=J C2?<:?8 E92E F=E:>2E6=J >2EE6CD]k^Am