| Determining school rankings based on college | | | | all college admission authorities are going to be |
| preparation tests | | | | impressed for the simple reason that they have |
| Newsweek magazine bases its renowned high school | | | | never been to your school, and have no way of |
| rankings test on the number of students who | | | | gauging the kinds of standards maintained. A more |
| participate in college admissions tests, taking that as | | | | important point seems to be that students have a |
| the measure of a school's success. This controversial | | | | curriculum that is packed with challenging and diverse |
| approach to school rankings has both its admirers and | | | | courses that really prove the student's abilities more |
| its critics. Admirers insist that a school that is invested | | | | than any school rankings. A student from an |
| enough to set many of its students on the path to | | | | institution that's high on the school rankings, but who |
| pursuing a college education can be relied on to have | | | | has his transcripts stuffed with no AP classes might |
| motivated staff and an overall conducive learning | | | | actually have a lesser chance of an admission to a |
| environment. Critics beg to differ. They maintain the | | | | top college than one from a lower ranked school who |
| Newsweek school rankings focus on college | | | | is at the top of the class- AP classes or not. Of |
| admission tests to the extent of ignoring all the other | | | | course this is a generalization and there are other |
| factors that govern a school's performance; like the | | | | factors that go into the super secretive college |
| infamous standardized test scores. This is unfair to | | | | application process like the all important college essay. |
| schools and promotes at best a skewered version of | | | | Even this however, has become commercialized with |
| school rankings. | | | | college admission essay polishing companies sprouting |
| But what about the rankings themselves; what part | | | | up on the Web by the dozen. |
| do they have to play in college admissions. So | | | | There is enough to indicate that the college admission |
| Newsweek lists schools based on the college | | | | process in the US is becoming more and more |
| admissions tests participation statistics, but is mere | | | | selective as the years go by. With more applicants |
| participation in admission tests enough to guarantee | | | | being turned away each year (University of Chicago |
| the quality of a high school? Does a school's place in | | | | acceptance rates in 1981 were 70 percent; today |
| school rankings promise to guarantee or deny a | | | | they are only half that) there is a need for schools |
| student a place in a college? More importantly, do | | | | to set aside their ranking tussles to prepare students |
| college admission authorities, who every year hold | | | | for the college process right from the middle school |
| the fates of thousands of applicants in their hands, | | | | years by including courses that will help them prepare |
| really care? | | | | for when high schools and college admissions tests |
| How do you Grade High School Rankings? | | | | rolls around. Just being from a school with great high |
| For instance an "A" in a particular high school might | | | | school rankings just might not cut it. |
| not mean a lot in the greater scheme of things. Not | | | | |