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college rankings exposed
TM
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ahead of the crowd. It says, "I'm on the move. Catch me if you can."
But what happens when just about everyone seems to be going to col-
lege? What if the statement, "My daughter is enrolling in college this
fall" only elicits the response, "Mine, too?" What happens when nearly
every resume coming into a personnel office has a B.A. or B.S. degree
listed at the top? College doesn't seem quite so special anymore. "Col-
lege" isn't enough.
Suddenly it is very important to not just enroll in college, but to get
into a good school, a brand-name school and, ideally, one of the acknowl-
edged "best" schools. These schools have become the refuge for those
who are looking for the kind of advantage that a college degree alone
does not provide. You already know the kind of colleges I'm talking
about--the Ivy League schools, some of the most highly selective private
liberal arts colleges and, possibly, some of the "public ivies."
The Chivas Regal Syndrome
This transformation in higher education creates a complex marketing
dilemma for colleges and universities. On one hand, colleges must
prove their value to the growing percentage of students who, in the
end, are only going to college because it is a helpful--and probably
necessary--path to a good job and more money. For these students,
colleges portray themselves as flexible, practical, and in touch with the
real world. Prospective students hear about possibilities for intern-
ships, cooperative education programs, dual majors, and the many paths
to success. They'll see pictures of famous and successful alumni, and
hear stories about how graduates get good jobs and go to good graduate
schools.
Talking about the practical value of education is absolutely essential
in any recruitment effort because it's what students want to hear. "Thirty
years ago...about 70 percent of people going to college said what they're
looking for is a meaningful philosophy of life," says Alan F. Harre, Ph.D.,
