College ranking has been around for nearly 30 years. While it may be controversial in its usefulness, it is undoubtful to ignore its influence over current society. The first college rankings were established in 1995, where it was merely a statistic and did not receive any significant recognition by prospective students. However, the demand and the popularity of college ranking have been steadily growing for the last two decades. It was shown that over 60 percent of prospective students take college ranking as a reference when deciding which college to enroll in.

College Ranking in a Nutshell

College is expensive and time-consuming. It is often forgotten that college is a significant investment in people's lives. It is crucial to know which college offers the most suitable course for prospective students and college ranking is a tool to help that choice. It is essential to know if the investment made in the college will be worthwhile. These factors highlight the higher demand on the college ranking where the college is getting more expensive over time. The number of colleges in the US is more than we could count with our fingers. The diverse range of colleges means comparison needs to be more precise and standardized. Prospective students want to know the pros and cons of a particular college where they will invest their money and time. [caption id="attachment_461" align="alignnone" width="599"] QS World University Rankings is one of many university ranking websites.[/caption] Another factor that allowed the growth of college ranking is the technological advancement in accessing information. It is simple to seek information on practically anything in our daily lives, from picking clothes online to getting a financial loan. The importance of each data information varies. Finding information about the college is considered high in the importance spectrum as it is a big decision. From this, it is understandable why college ranking has been more critical than ever. Easier accessibility of information through data transparency and information age made prospective students consider college ranking conveniently.

Why College Ranking is Favored

College ranking is becoming trustworthy and influential despite the critics' criticism for its forced seniority and possible flaws. A study conducted by high school students showed that over two-thirds of students consider college ranking. Students believe college ranking helps them find the most appropriate college for them because the ranking underlines the characteristics of each different school. For example, if a student has listed out several colleges to decide where to enroll, college ranking helps the students determine the difference between these colleges on one platform. Tops schools require detailed comparison, and hence students with higher SAT scores of over 1300 were shown to take college ranking more predominantly into account, according to the survey. [caption id="attachment_467" align="alignnone" width="2560"] U.S. News is also one of the popular options to look at college rankings.[/caption] Although college ranking has become the primary source to compare colleges, many students consider information from the U.S. News & World Report to be uttermost credible and dependable. However, this trend is slowly fading and more and more students have considered college ranking a higher priority over the last decade.

College Ranking is Not Perfect

College ranking is consistent. It can help prospective students find out about different colleges' strengths. One college might possess strong social life while another college might focus on being environmentally friendly. Often the information of the colleges is not all listed in the national university section and must be relied on the data provided through college ranking. However, it is essential to understand how to utilize college ranking appropriately. College ranking must be utilized as a side tip sheet rather than the primary decisive factor. A college listed higher in the ranking does not guarantee it is a better college for prospective students. Being at the highest-ranking college might not be the best career path, depending on an individual's background, interest, and career goals.   Read More: Mistakes International Students Make

Tuition has risen as colleges have increased their costs in order to take advantage of additional government subsidies. Has this been explained to President Joe Biden? In his budget, he proposes doubling the federal Pell Grants, raising tuition even more. The administration’s solution is to raise the maximum Pell Grant from $6,495 to $8,670 next year, with the goal of doubling it within ten years. “Pell Grants have been the foundation of low- and moderate-income students’ financial aid for decades,” the Department of Education budget says, “however, the value has diminished as college costs continue to rise.” Pell Grants were established as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society to assist the students in most need of support. However, about 40% of undergraduates currently qualify for Pell Grants, and with the maximum amount, the grant can cover the average cost of community college in-state tuition ($3,730). With the Biden administration’s help, many public four-year universities’ average in-state tuition ($9,340) would be free as well. The Pell Grant expansion plan is likely to cost $229 billion next ten years, more than twice as much as his plan to make community colleges free for students. This would bring a huge fortune to the higher-education with no severe restrictions. The subsidies are paid regardless of how well students perform, resulting in colleges having little incentive to raise graduation rates. About 62 percent of Pell Grant recipients do not or cannot finish their degrees in eight years, the longest federal data can track. In other words, more than two-thirds of $229 billion could be spent in a highly inefficient way. Progressives, once again, seem to care more about how much money the government spends than how students actually fare after college graduation. They also believe that students should not be burdened with an unpayable amount of debt. Liberals aim to eliminate college tuition for students first, on top of canceling government loans in the long run. [caption id="attachment_505" align="alignnone" width="696"] With a tremendous amount of debt, many students "start here" but find it extremely hard to "go further."[/caption] Furthermore, the current administration’s financial plan also proposes to make student debt relief tax-free forever. Progressives hope the president to forgive $50,000 of debt for each borrower, but the forgiven loan is subject to federal income tax. Subsequent taxes following the loan forgiveness could immediately overwhelm the student borrowers. That is why the Covid bill last March exempted forgiven student loans from taxation through 2025. Even if the president delivers what Democrats demand, graduate student borrowers will still be indebted with an enormous amount of loans. Many students have signed up for income-based repayment programs upon graduation, which allow them to pay 10% to 15% of their salary for 10 to 20 years and then have their remaining debts erased. However, the tax bills from their discharged loans could be massive. Many people do not earn enough to pay off their principal loan balance as their massive loans accrue interest. The Biden administration intends to bail out these graduate debtors by exempting student debt from income tax for the rest of their lives.   Read More: Financial Pressure and Stress; College student’s Reason for Dropping Out

Experts claim that the poorest and most disadvantaged students will be disproportionately affected by upcoming reforms to university access and funding in the UK.

Reforms to the current student loans system which was announced on February 18th, means that students will pay more over a longer period if they wish to go to university. And those in middle- and low-income brackets will be most strongly affected. In addition, it appears likely that newly raised minimum entrance criteria will further reduce university attendance amongst currently under-represented groups. These changes call in to question the priorities of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the ‘levelling up’ policy which formed the core of his election manifesto in 2019, which supposedly aims at lessening inequalities. Driving these proposals is the notion that the sole rationale for higher education consists of improving employability, when in fact studying at university should not be so narrowly focused. Under the proposed reforms, the period of loan repayment will extend from 30 to 40 years and the earnings threshold for beginning repayments will be lowered. A doubling in the percentage of students able to fully repay their student debt, rising from 23% to 52%, is projected to result from this. Worries regarding the increasing public debt caused by outstanding student loans are inspiring these changes, but the result will likely be a significant impact on poorer students, who are already less likely to obtain higher-paid employment after graduation. In the words of David Robinson at the Education Policy Institute, a think tank, “These policies are likely to result in lower to middle earning graduates paying more than they currently do, while higher earning graduates are likely to pay less,” Given that disadvantaged students are under-represented in good schools, the plan to up the entrance criteria based on English and math standard attained at age 16 will also serve to exacerbate inequalities. These same students are, in addition, more susceptible to the loss of learning caused by the pandemic and subsequent school closures David Robinson says that those affected by the proposals will be those least able to cope with them, “Students from low-income families, black students and those from parts of the North and the West Midlands could be most affected by these changes”, he added. “Many of these students will be applying for university in the next few years will also have experienced considerable learning loss as a result of the pandemic.” [caption id="attachment_440" align="alignnone" width="2560"] The recovery of student numbers in colleges is still in progress.[/caption] A chance has been missed to create a more equitable university finance system, says Sir Peter Lampl, whose organization, the Sutton Trust, advocates against educational inequality. “Minimum entry requirements to access student finance will inevitably impact poorer students the most, as they are less likely to do well at school,”, he elaborated. A view of education as simply the means to higher paid work appears to guide the governments thinking. The higher education minister, Michelle Donelan, recently unveiled a plan to sanction universities providing courses for which 60% of graduates fail to secure high-wage careers or further education, characterizing these courses as ‘low-quality’. Not only does this display a lack of care within government for the students they claim to want to support, it also demonstrates a narrowly focused view of education as simply a means to an end, i.e. better-paid work. While it is common for students to peruse employment rate statistics when choosing a university and course of study, this is far from the only consideration important to their choice. Likewise, giving thought to the likely salary they can expect when graduating from a given course is sensible, but this shouldn’t make or break someone’s decision to pursue a degree. Already an issue, the upshot of this pragmatic view of education will be to reinforce the class divide in non-vocational, creative subjects that typically have less robust employment and salary prospects, with the most deprived becoming even less visible on these courses. A degree should be about so much more than a reductive cost-benefit analysis; it could be said that all education should also be about exploration and discovery, about widening one’s horizons, following passions and realizing potential. Unquestionably, prospective students are right to seek out a course that will add value to their lives, but money is not the only currency to be gained at university.   Read More: Mistakes International Students Make

Foreign students have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Hare announced(March 13, 2022), "International student numbers at universities have bounced back to above pre-pandemic levels, with the number of students commencing studies higher than in 2019"." This is encouraging news, but the flow will take time to manifest at the MBA level across the country. What we do know is that the Australian MBA is still in high demand, both from public and private institutions, also having high demand in international MBA students. According to ICEF, "the market is beginning to recover: the number of visas granted to international students was up by 34% in December 2021 versus December 2020.  There are concerns about a potentially weak return of Chinese students." Concerns have been raised despite the potential for a poor return of Chinese students. Universities' over-reliance on the Chinese market resulted in some drastic cuts and reductions — perhaps, lessons have been learned. Return to face-to-face mode on campus. However, whether students desire to return to campus is a complex topic with an equally complex set of responses. The student answer at UBSS (Group Colleges of Australia, March 2022) is that 94 percent of MBA students choose to stay online — hardly a call to campus. There is a case that can be made that the country of origin influences the mode of delivery preference. Chinese students seem to favor the off-shore – online alternative, whilst Indian and Nepalese students want to be on-shore, although not necessarily on campus. Work possibilities play a big role in these inclinations. The existing freedoms granted to international students in terms of working hours may be driving the onshore online alternative. The issue is the long-term influence on course development, which is required to keep a student VISA. [caption id="attachment_1020" align="alignnone" width="671"] COVID-19 impacted students to take at least one online course. Source: World Economic Forum[/caption] Going Back to Hybrid has a chance to win. Hybrid mode - the capacity to study on campus or online with the ability to switch back and forth – is likely to be the way to go, at least in the short term (one to two years). Positive cases and associated close-downs and extensive cleaning regimes provide significant hurdles – not to mention money – due to the complexity of getting workers and students back on campus. Classrooms are transformed into TV studios, with a smaller live audience and a large number of online viewers. As the formal COVID-19 constraints are being eased, this idea becomes a real possibility. The most successful technique, however, necessitates personnel returning to campus and being supported by cutting-edge technology. Read more: Biden’s Plan to Double Pell Grants

For any political science major, there is always time and place to learn about Chinese politics. China is such a huge part of global politics, and to not teach about Chinese politics in a political science course would be like teaching a physics course without algebra. Sometimes colleges require certain majors to take a mandatory course on Chinese politics because of how influential it is to international politics. However, it has become increasingly difficult to have an objective view of China without offending Chinese international students or hiring a professor without a bias toward China.

Why is it a tricky subject?

China has such an interesting influence on the world stage, yet it has a negative reputation. It has violated many human rights, has strict censorship laws, and is far from democracy. But, contrary to popular belief, many Chinese people acknowledge that China is not perfect. They understand its flaws and know China has its shortcomings when they study overseas. The issue is that some Chinese international students believe that negative facts about China taught by a non-Chinese national professor are propaganda or misinformation. Problem also arises when Chinese national professors are employed outside China and teach positive facts about their country in lectures—some students may assume that their Chinese professors have a bias towards China, distrusting them for the rest of the course. [caption id="attachment_419" align="aligncenter" width="669"] Graph: Spring 2021 Global Attitudes Survey. Q6a., Pew Research Center[/caption] It is not an unwarranted problem to worry about professors mixing their own opinions into the lectures. As the survey above done by the Pew Research Center shows, many countries agree that China does not respect personal freedoms in China. Despite what many people believe worldwide, many people from mainland China may disagree. Such disparity in perceptions and opinions appears to be the reason for criticism by some Chinese populations in universities. And with a large Chinese international student population in colleges across the U.S., this is not a problem to overlook for universities.

Importance of Teaching Chinese Politics

Since China has an undeniable presence and influence on the world stage, Chinese politics is a subject that colleges must keep on their curriculum list. Although professors may have different opinions on China from each other or their students, schools should not prevent professors knowledgeable on the subject from teaching. Furthermore, it is certain that having a good understanding of China’s political agenda and how it affects international relations is crucial for students who aim to become policy officers or government representatives in the future.   Read More: Japanese Version of China Initiative Raises Questions for Universities

The change was unanimously accepted by the California State University Board of Trustees, aligning the country’s largest four-year university system with the “test free” admissions method already in place at the University of California college system. The California State University system has 477,000 students enrolled in its 23 colleges around the state, while the University of California system has approximately 280,000 students enrolled in its ten campuses. Last year, the University of California Board of Regents agreed to eliminate the necessity for standardized test admissions at its undergraduate schools, which include the famed UC Berkeley and UCLA campuses. Acting Chancellor of the California State University system, Steve Relyea, applauded the decision, saying that it will help “level the playing field and enable greater access to a high-quality college degree for students from all backgrounds.” Critics have long claimed that standardized tests harm minority and low-income college candidates, making them ineligible for admission. Students from wealthier families can afford to pay for expensive standardized test preparation classes that often help them improve their scores. “In essence, we’re getting rid of a high-stress, high-stakes test that hasn’t shown any benefit,” Relyea said in a statement. During the pandemic, California’s public colleges, like many others around the country, postponed the exams and did not require them during the college admissions process for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 academic years. According to Bob Schaeffer, executive director of FairTest, a Boston-based anti-testing organization, more than 1,800 schools and universities, or about 80 percent of U.S. four-year campuses, have implemented test-optional or score-free policies for fall 2022 applicants. The decision by the State of California and the university systems in California to make the ban permanent will “establish a norm for public higher education across the country,” Schaeffer says. “It’s no coincidence that identical policies are now in place in so many other public systems, from Washington state to Maine,” he said, “the entire country is watching California and, for the most part, following its lead.” [caption id="attachment_1894" align="alignnone" width="1024"] CSU is a public university system with 23 campuses across California. The change it makes will greatly affect hundreds of thousands of its applicants. Photo: Justefrain / Licensed under CC BY 3.0[/caption] Students can still submit SAT or ACT results, which will not be evaluated for admissions but may aid in their placement for English and math courses, according to Toni Molle, a spokesman for the California State University system. During the pandemic, the system suspended the requirement for standardized tests. Instead, it relied on a “multi-factor admissions score” that allowed campuses to consider applicants’ GPA, extracurricular activities, and leadership roles, as well as whether they were first-generation college applicants or came from schools with a high percentage of low-income students. A systemwide advisory panel comprised of teachers, students, administrators, and student leaders researched whether the tests should be eliminated and made a recommendation to the Cal State college system’s board of trustees. Diego Arambula, a board trustee, said it was critical to remove the mandate because “lowering the stress and injustice that exists now is crucial.” Yammilette Rodriguez, another board trustee, believes that eliminating standardized examinations will help children avoid the difficulties she faced as a student at a rural high school that “lacked college support.” She had a 4.0 GPA, but she had no choice but to attend a community college before transferring to California State University, Fresno because she missed SAT deadlines.   Read More: Covid Brings All-Time Low Acceptance Rates

Any international students living outside the U.S. and currently choosing a college or university will understand that it’s hard to pick the right one. As online reviews of colleges are plagued with bias and videos made by colleges are more for entertainment and advertisement, taking an objective look at the schools is harder than ever before. They mostly try to show off their fancy campuses and rankings on their websites. Instead, ranking systems from companies, like U.S. News and QS Top Universities, are often one of the few options that people use to find the right college for themselves. But what the ranking is based on might surprise you.

How Universities are Ranked

Now, to understand how the majority of colleges are ranked, you have to take a look at the framework behind it. For example, although the international student ratio and international faculty ratio each take up only five percent of the QS Top Universities’ ranking system, they play a massive role in many universities’ revenue. In-state residents pay $10,740 a year on average on tuition while international students pay no less than $25,000 per year on average. More international students means more money. And more money means that colleges can afford more professors to boost their student-faculty ratio, which makes up 20 percent of the ranking criteria. That’s how it’s supposed to be, right? The more money colleges have, the higher quality of education they will provide. [caption id="attachment_409" align="alignnone" width="1130"] You can see that under the QS Top Universities ranking system, most higher-ranked colleges score high in the international students ratio criterion.[/caption] Unfortunately, however, that seems to be not the case. One of the major flaws with this system is that it can misrepresent the quality of education each school provides. For instance, colleges can put limits on certain classes to control their teacher-to-student ratio numbers. Such practice causes students’ access to the best professors to be restricted to a small number of people. This wouldn’t be a problem if all of the professors were amazing, but that is not true in reality. It could be the case that a college has some amazing professors, but you might never be able to take their classes due to the enrollment cap. It would be a lie to say rankings don’t matter, but just remember that the criteria for rankings do not factor in every single detail of what makes a good education and a university.

Financial Aid

Another mistake made by many international students is the amount of financial aid that is available to them. The amount of financial aid is extremely limited for international students as most of the aid goes to in-state students. But it’s not non-existent. According to U.S. News, among 890 undergraduate institutions, the average financial aid an international student received was roughly $20,867 during the 2020–2021 academic year. Make sure to search online or contact the college of your interest for the amount of financial aid they can offer, so you don’t miss out on any.   Read More: Financial Pressure and Stress; College Students Dropping out

Financial Pressure and Stress; College student’s Reason for Dropping Out

Although taking care of college student’s mental health and their financial burden has been a hot topic in the recent years, it still hasn’t been solved and has been exacerbated by the pandemic. The pandemic actually helped the public realize the detrimental effects of having poor mental health, with 46 percent of Americans reporting having poor mental health during the peak of the pandemic and the lockdowns. The awareness for people to take care of their own mental health is not a social norm. [caption id="attachment_384" align="alignnone" width="610"] About 60% of the reasons for dropping out of colleges are related to mental health and financial issues. Source: Education Data[/caption]

Financial Issues

Financial issues have always been on the forefront of education costs in the US. With wages staying the same but college and university costs climbing year by year, its not the hard to see why 38% of college dropouts dropped out due to financial shortcomings. Yes, there are student loans and financial aid programs, but in the end, an average student pays around $10,675 per year. Coming from poor families or no support from their families result in students taking out a student loan. Student loans are a widely debated topic, but the benefits of a student loan are questionable. Knowing you have a loan is also one of the reasons of financial stress for college students.  

Mental Health

Even though the reason for dropping out because of mental health is only three percent, poor social fit is also considered a strong reason for mental stress. Especially after the pandemic, where tensions are higher because of political discussion on masks and vaccines, colleges have become more hostile. And after so many lockdowns are lack of social contact, going back to when things are normal has been difficult. That is why colleges are starting programs to combat mental stress with free therapy and recreational programs. Read More: Disrupted Flight Paths from Asia to Europe

Facts and Future Viewpoints about Standardized Testing Before COVID-19, some schools had already abandoned the testing requirement. However, for the time being, most schools and universities in the United States are test-optional. Aviva Legatt, an Ardmore native and founder of Ivy Insight, a college admissions advising firm, explained, "The purpose behind it was twofold." The goal was to level the playing field for underrepresented and low-income students at first. According to Dr. Aviva Legatt, "several studies demonstrate that the test is culturally biased." "White people tend to score better on it and are more likely to receive tutoring, exam preparation, and other services." Then there was COVID-19. "Colleges didn't want to miss out on applicants who would have taken the test but couldn't—or couldn't study in the manner they wanted to," Legatt explains. While test-optional institutions don't compel students to transmit their test scores, there's nothing stopping an admissions official from looking at them if one is sent—and this could influence a choice. Test-blind colleges, on the other hand, will not consider scores in admissions decisions, even if they are provided. "If you have a score that is at or above pre-pandemic levels for that college, you should submit it in," Legatt advises students from middle- and upper-class communities who are more likely to have access to test prep and testing locations. It's clear to see how the test-optional shift has added to the application process's uncertainty. "Based on students' GPA and test results, high schools generally had a notion of the number of students they could anticipate to get into a particular college," says Legatt. "Without the test scores, kids are finding it more difficult to construct college lists and forecast where they will be accepted." It has also encouraged pupils to apply to universities they previously would not have explored. "No one can have a crystal ball and know for sure," Legatt adds, "but admissions outcomes have a lot more fluctuation." "The goal is wonderful, but for many candidates, the actual experience has added to their stress and hardship." [caption id="attachment_1007" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The number of UC Applicants exploded after making standardized testing optional. Source: University of California[/caption] The decision to go test-optional is never final. Following the pandemic, several universities may reinstate the testing requirement. Harvard University declared that it will keep its test-optional policy in place until 2026, with the dean of admissions stating that students who do not submit scores will not be penalized. There has been no formal decision on testing at Villanova University. Candice Keith, Villanova's director of admission operations, adds, "We don't know what's going to happen in the next year or two." "A student should undoubtedly plan and prepare to take it, depending on what grade they are in." Read more: Food Shortages in the U.S.

For high school and college seniors across the United States, graduation can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you want to be a rise in the world and be proud of your accomplishments. A simple query, on the other hand, might cause a world of trouble. Fortunately, a growing trend in America offers a wonderful answer to this dilemma, with scientific proof to back it up: taking a gap year. It has been scientifically proved that students who take a gap year outperform their peers academically. Why, if having a gap year is beneficial to children, is it such a divisive topic among American families, and why does the idea make parents and students nervous? Many parents are concerned that their children will be unproductive during the gap year and will be less likely to pursue a better education afterward. Surrounding facts, on the other hand, refute this view, pointing instead to the value of taking a gap year. "Nine out of ten students returned to college within a year," writes Karl Haigler, author of "The Gap-Year Advantage," and "60 percent stated the time off had either inspired or reaffirmed their choice of vocation or academic major." [caption id="attachment_932" align="alignnone" width="398"] Book: The Gap-Year Advantage[/caption] With these figures in mind, students and parents frequently overlook how a gap year can help reduce serious difficulties such as burnout. Furthermore, they fail to acknowledge burnout as a legitimate indication of student distress. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental weariness characterized by a lack of motivation, poor performance, and bad attitudes toward oneself and others if you're unfamiliar with the term. Due to the additional burden that the coronavirus pandemic has placed on academic institutions, it appears that the issue is affecting students at a more worrisome rate. According to a study done by The Ohio State University, 71 percent of students felt burned out in April 2021, compared to just 40 percent in August 2020, a significant rise of 31 percent. Increased levels of burnout among college students are more than just an interesting trend or topic of conversation. According to the same Ohio State study, students who took part in the survey were more likely to report increasing alcohol and cigarette use, as well as unhealthy eating habits, as a result of their burnout. As previously stated, data demonstrates that taking a gap year can help people recover from burnout. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that gap years were related to lower levels of burnout in medical school. Students who took gap years, on the other hand, had much less burnout. Many people are hesitant to take a gap year because it isn't considered the "traditional" path to success for professionals and high achievers. Students should make judgments based on what is best for them and rely on accurate data to help them make the best decision possible. Unfortunately, many kids and their parents believe that taking a gap year will prevent them from returning to school, and as a result, many will miss out on the great chances that such a sabbatical can provide. Read more: How will Test-Optional affect Students?