[TrumpCard]

I know the rankings are far from gospel, but kids do look at them as one measure of which schools are the best academically.  I'm not saying that kids make fine distinctions between #4 and #8 or between #20 and #23.  Those schools are clearly in the same ballpark academically.  I'm even granting that many kids will say that #30 is good enough, despite having the option to attend #4.  I'm just saying that Shaw needs to be able to find a way to convince kids that the advantage of #4 over #48 should be decisive.  Shaw doesn't need to rely on U.S. News.  There are many ways to demonstrate the advantages Stanford has over schools like Penn State.  I'm just saying that Shaw needs to be able to close with the kids who are deciding between Stanford and the group of schools that I'm calling clearly inferior academically. 

[TrumpCard]

I know the rankings are far from gospel, but kids do look at them as one measure of which schools are the best academically.  I'm not saying that kids make fine distinctions between #4 and #8 or between #20 and #23.  Those schools are clearly in the same ballpark academically.  I'm even granting that many kids will say that #30 is good enough, despite having the option to attend #4.  I'm just saying that Shaw needs to be able to find a way to convince kids that the advantage of #4 over #48 should be decisive.  Shaw doesn't need to rely on U.S. News.  There are many ways to demonstrate the advantages Stanford has over schools like Penn State.  I'm just saying that Shaw needs to be able to close with the kids who are deciding between Stanford and the group of schools that I'm calling clearly inferior academically.