The only good definition of "really great college" is one that is a perfect fit for a particular student.
Example: Youngest wants to go to Savannah College of Art & Design. Other Youngest has his eye on Carnegie-Mellon or Simon Fraser. Perfect fit for each of them, crap-tastic if they were switched around. And neither needs to be at Julliard or West Point, no matter how really great each is.
I remember when I was going to college. My main criteria was that it was free.
As a high student, I'm not sure how you have the slightest idea what school would be a "good fit". I know that mine wasn't a "good fit", but then I had no idea why I was in college except that I was supposed to be there after high school. I had no interest in being in college, but I had even *less* interest working at a job.
I expect that the expense of college, and debt loads, will become more and more important going forward.
