The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

96 JUNE 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT From the FSJ Education Supplement December 2014 American College Rankings: How They Work and What They Mean BY FRANCESCA HUEMER KE L LY J ust as your high school student begins his senior year, guess what pops up on the newsstand? That’s right; it’s the U.S. News &World Report annual special issue of America’s top colleges. Started 30 years ago, this list of ranked colleges has become a huge phenomenon among high school seniors, their parents, alumni, and the colleges and universities themselves. Although newer lists now exist, published by Washington Monthly and others, the U.S. News rankings are still the most popular. But how helpful are they? Let’s take them apart to see how they work. Then we’ll look at some alternative lists of U.S. colleges that may be more useful in find- ing the right school. Francesca Kelly, a Foreign Service spouse, is a writer and college essay tutor. She writes frequently on edu- cation issues and is a former editor of AFSA News. For the complete article, go to www.afsa.org/education.