IF I ONLY had read one review of "Showgirls" before I saw it in the theater during my senior year of high school, I would have saved myself two hours of sheer disappointment and $7. The critics were correct - I should have just stayed home and rented "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
Not surprisingly, uninformed decision-makers often make poor decisions. And when the decision involves something as expensive as college, these poor decisions can prove quite costly. In the same manner as movie reviews, collegiate rankings can be one of several useful tools in helping high school students make informed choices concerning where they will spend both their next four years and many thousands of dollars.
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The release of the latest U.S. News rankings generated significant national media play, ensuring that many Americans will have seen the Top 50 list, either in U.S. News itself or reprinted in some other publication. For people who live outside the Commonwealth, the Top 50 list very well may be the only non-football-related piece of information they read all year about the University.
Our standing in the U.S. News rankings molds public perception of the University. The quantity and quality of applicants hinges on it. So does the value of a University degree. In short, reputation does matter.
Being named the No. 1 public institution and the 20th best overall is what separates us from any State U. in the court of public opinion.
Just last year, when the University slipped to No. 2 among public schools, applicant numbers dropped by 16 percent. Is that merely a coincidence, or, more likely, is there just nothing to draw the nation's top students to a less prestigious University of Virginia? One thing is certain - Chad Brock and Pepsi Cola are not the answers.
The rankings also are meaningful to current students and alumni. Other than the simple reason of school spirit and pride, a prestigious university offers tangible benefits to its clientele. All colleges were not created equally. A degree from Harvard is seen to be worth more than a degree from Appalachian State. Image may not be everything, but it's close.
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