Let's just set aside the obvious problems of monetizing humans for a bit, and focus on the idea that improving college rankings is a lot like adding after-market accessories to an old Yugo.
Thanks, Dude, for capturing my reaction so succinctly. I often tell students that when I was selecting colleges for both undergraduate and graduate school, the things that turned out to matter most to me were not the things I agonized over in deciding. Now that I am 25+ years beyond the PhD, I feel fortunate to have had great experiences and opportunities as a student that led to a gratifying career, despite being clueless in the college selection process.
