College Rankings and US News and World Report

The current college ranking systems provide an easy way for prospective students to see how one institution ranks against another. This can make for a simple way to see which colleges will provide the best education. At least that is what the ranking system is supposed to do, in recent years though there has been some criticism regarding the methodologies used to rank colleges.

What are Admissions Rankings

Before we talk about what is good about the current system and what is not, it is important to understand how colleges are currently ranked in the United States. It is also important to know that there is more than one ranking system available.

The methodology that most of us are familiar with is the ratings that are given by the US News. This system has been around since 1983, and each year the ratings for colleges change. The US News ranks scores each institution with a score between 1 and 100, with 100 being the best, and they separate the schools into 4 tiers. The best schools are listed as tier 1.

The ratings are based on gathered data that take into account the following factors:

• Peer Assessment - Reputation of the school based on a survey of presidents, provosts, and deans from other institutions

• Retention - The graduation rate over a 6-year period, and the retention rate of first year students

• Student Selectivity - A combination of data based on: test scores of students, the percentage of top percentile students admitted, and the student acceptance rate as a whole.

• Faculty Resources - Data that includes the student-faculty ratio, the average salary of faculty members, and the education level of the faculty

• Financial Resources - Average tuition rates per-student

• Graduation Rate Performance - The difference between what the expected rate of graduation was and what the actual graduation rate turned out to be

• Alumni Giving Rate - The amount of money received from donations by alumni

The first four elements on the list account for 80% of the total score. Peer assessment alone makes 25% of the rating, and that is where the criticism of the US News ranking system comes in.

The Good and the Bad

In recent years there has been some criticism of the current rating system. It has been said that with the weighting given to peer assessment, student selectivity, and faculty resources that it becomes easy to pick which schools will come out on top. The largest schools and the richest schools will win out over the smaller colleges every time, regardless of the actual education that a student can expect to receive from the institution.

Looking at the historical data, these statements are true to a certain degree. Schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton always end up on top of the list. Some suggest that, to get a true measure of school performance, the ratings should give a larger weighting to factors related to graduation rates, salaries after graduation, and student performance in the long run.

Even with the criticisms, the current college ranking system does provide a method for students to see how their chosen (or prospective) institution ranks against similar colleges in the country. It provides a simple method to see where they can expect a top-rated education, and where they will be getting a second tier education.

With other ranking systems popping up each year it is also possible to use the US News rankings in conjunction with a different rating system. It may be worth comparing the rankings in America to those of the Academic Rankings of World Universities, or data based on the G-Factor methodology (such as Webometrics). Using more than one ranking system will provide a better overall picture when looking at any college.

Continuing Traffic Education

In absence of formal training & traffic Driving Knowledge, A license to drive is actually a license to kill or get killed on the deadly metro road .Do we have proper driving laws & Formal Training school to curb the menace and the mayhem on the metro road? India is fast emerging as the most favoured nation of all the Motor manufacturing company who is coming every now and then to set up their base because India is a big market and Indian customer's base is huge and have the Buying potential for these vehicles. But it is really a very sad issue that Neither the govt. of India nor any Vehicle manufacturing Company are coming forward to set up the base for the Driving school of international standard and giving emphasis on the quality education to the traffic laws and rules for each & every individual seeking license To drive on the roads .

One of the most bizarre facts of our Traffic system is that in Delhi - which has the maximum no. of motor vehicles plying on its road - we have only one or two Government Run Traffic education & Driving training school and that too is not easily accessible by majority of delhites because of its remote Locations. In this case almost 98% of delhites do get their formal and basic driving training either from Their Relatives , friends or the Local non-recognized and private institutions whose main focus is to earn money as soon as possible rather than giving the formal Quality Traffic and driving Education . One can better understand that if this is the situation In Our national capital Delhi, what is the situation in Other Small metro cities? God knows!

So , If we can make traffic laws and awareness programme a mandatory lesson from the High school syllabus so that From the Beginning when a Child starts to have urge to learn driving , he or she must understand and practice the smaller finer points of driving . This is the right way to make the awareness programme among the future drivers successful as its result will come at later stage but it is sure it will achieve its objective. Hence Traffic laws & awareness Lesson to be introduced in the Syllabus right from the beginning.

Again, we find the need for the continuing traffic education mandatory for all the old and budding drivers. As on every alternate day, some new technology in motor Dynamics or traffic control system is added to the traffic Rules and driving Canvas. So, it ought to be Must for all those driving on the road to aware themselves with the finer points of those technical advancements for better result on the road. Hence, continuing has to be mandatory in every metropolis even the educated drivers must come forward spontaneously to learn the new basics of driving which will in-fact horn their driving Skill.

So, let's come together for bigger cause, better case and for Taking care of your life and other's life on the road for our better tomorrow. We must ensure that what we think, what we speak and what we do must have the co-relation and must practice the same in reality. So, let's come together and take a vow to make the continuous education on learning of better Driving skill and new traffic rules for our own safety and help our Country to become Really Developing in all Sense and in true color.

Debt Consolidation Breaking News

The United States Department of Education is making bold moves toward cleaning house and we will talk about some of those that affect you as a parent of a soon-to-be college bound child directly. We do not want to leave out the millions of Americans that are returning to school and are the students themselves-but the largest percentage of school bound individuals are still under the dependent financial care of the parents. We titled this posting debt consolidation breaking news for a very good reason. That reason is as we go forward towards Halloween in the month of October it is time to start laying the groundwork for the upcoming winter school session in most parts of the United States.
Reformation in America
As debt consolidation is being reformed in America today and with President Obama taken the reins on so many financial concerns it is important that you know something about the debt relief situation going on the country. While you may consider yourself well-versed in the basic modality of what debt relief actually is you need to understand how that relates to the student loan obtainment for your incoming freshman. There are literally millions of freshmen that enter colleges and universities and technical schools all across this great country of ours and it is important that the parents of these soon-to-be college educated children know where to turn to for advice and information about that all-important student loan issue.
Department of Education Enactments
The most breaking news that involves debt consolidation includes the actions of President Obama's administration as well as the Department of Education directly. The administration has mandated through acts of legislation and other such legalities that the middlemen are now cut-out of the equation for all concerns about student loans.
Saving Money
What this does right away is to save you, the American taxpayer, at the very least $500-$1000 a year in monies that was going toward the pavement of the third-party providers for student loans. Now that there is a direct-line of communication between you, the parent of the college-bound child, and the Federal government, which is the Department of Education, the streamlining of this form of financing of a college education is clearing up.
Great Intentions
We wanted to give you some earth-shattering as well as fundamentally groundbreaking news but in reality the debt consolidation world has so much going on it is important that we focus on the present and future and not so much worry about things of the past. If you are a parent of a student who is presently in high school you understand this and you understand that the future belongs to our children. With debt consolidation clearing the household and freeing up cash that would have been spent on credit card revolving debt and other unsecured debt loan accounts you will be that much closer to financing the dream of your child and of yourself of completing a college education in America in the 21st century.

Online Broadcasting Education Opportunities

The world of communication opens various avenues to pursue for an education. Online education opportunities are making it easier for individuals who need more flexibility to obtain a degree. A broadcasting degree can be obtained from many online accredited colleges, and can prepare students to enter the workforce by teaching them how to be a vital member of the communications industry. There are a number of things to learn prior to enrolling in an educational program.

1. Most online colleges offer degree distinctions for dedicated individuals from an associate's to a bachelor's degree. Some schools go a step further and give the option for students to attend a graduate program. Many of the graduate programs allow students to obtain a master's degree in broadcast journalism. Through each level of education students will learn the ins and outs of news dissemination using audio and video to relay information to an audience.

2. Many of the online distance learning programs provide students with a thorough curriculum. Online broadcasting programs specifically focus their courses to teach students the foundations of the industry, and allow them to experience the fast paced world of technology as it relates to communication through broadcasting. Many of the courses will help students by training them in media issues, production of audio, entertainment, production of video, videography, editing, and more. These skills will help a degree holding individual in the job market because the broadcasting side of communications centers on the knowledge of technology to present news. The ability to use technology to present media in an interesting way is an important factor that online colleges teach in their programs.

3. Students can gain a bachelor's degree in broadcasting from a wide range of online schools. Some colleges specifically focus on the broadcasting degree making each class incredibly focused on the subject. In programs where the main focus is on the broadcasting side of communication courses may be longer, but the program will consist of fewer courses. A student may enroll in a program like this that has 14 courses. These courses can include radio and TV operations, broadcast journalism and news, public relation strategies, and more. Many bachelor's degree programs take four years to complete. However, online courses are taken at an individual pace and some students could finish the program in less time.

4. A four-year program or bachelors' program will prepare students in a variety of ways. In the first year, students will learn about the history, organization, TV, radio, and Internet technologies that make up the industry. This basis is essential for students to understand how all media works together to create broadcasting. The second year of education will have students diving into writing, production, sound design, and more. These aspects will be crucial to show students what it is they will be doing in their chosen career. In the remaining two years students will work in a variety of ways to create examples of their work to be used in a professional portfolio. A portfolio is important because it provides samples of your work to potential employers.

Gaining an accredited online education in broadcasting leaves multiple career options open. Broadcasting includes a wide range of jobs like TV reporting, sports reporting, camera work, audio work, and much more. Accreditation is provided to schools and colleges that meet certain criteria. Full accreditation can provide proof that a quality education is available. Agencies like The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (www.accet.org) and other agencies are approved to accredit educational training programs. Don't let your passion of technology or news pass you by. Search online colleges for a program that fits your career goals.