Last year when I was looking at colleges, I found the US News and World Report rankings only mildly helpful. While it was useful to see two or three of my prospective schools compared directly, most of the statistics presented were nearly useless for me.

Sent by Tyler | 3:18 PM ET | 06-26-2007

I would highly recommend attending college fairs, too. They are very helpful, give you a chance to talk with alumni at many colleges. I would never have considered the college I went to (Brown) without speaking with the rep. I really didn't want to attend an Ivy. But she was wonderful and I enjoyed my college. It's a great way for people who can't afford to visit.

Sent by Gretchen Hull | 3:32 PM ET | 06-26-2007

I went to both Stanford and Harvard. I couldn't resist the pull of the #1 reputation. I found that lots of people driven to power go to such places. Many students there are very competitive and driven to dominate to a degree that I found to be anti-social on a subtle but deep level. Sometimes in college I "came to" on the floors of various frat houses surrounded by guys. To me, these powerful schools are rife with date rape drugs and rape, because rapists are people who are driven to overpower people. So many students and alums guard these schools' reputations so preciously that they have trouble acknowledging rape happens and truly supporting the feelings of rape survivors. Had I avoided these schools, I might have avoided most of the devastation I have experienced in life. It amazes me parents pay so much money for their beloved children to go to places which are virtually lawless behind closed doors -- places which turn their precious babies into alcoholics for life. Before college, I thought intellectual ideas were a means of sharing fun and delight. I found many students at these prestigious schools didn't want me to be intelligent. They wanted me to be inferior to them, so they looked superior in comparison. I wish I would have gone to someplace where people were more interested in exploring the joy of ideas than in looking fantastic and powerful on the outside. Going to such colleges cost a lot more than $100,000. It cost me the life I would have wanted and would have chosen to lead -- the life I had worked so hard to earn.

Sent by Irene C | 4:15 PM ET | 06-26-2007

The fact still remains that the higher ranked your undergraduate school, the better your chances are for getting into a higher ranked graduate program. And if you want to leave your options open to a profession in academia, you have no choice but to choose your schools, undergraduate and graduate, based on rankings. To do otherwise cuts you directly out of running for a respectable research position later in life. It is a fact. There are many statistics stating so.
At 18 years old, we don't need to be eliminating professional options at a age where so much of life is yet to be determined. I hope any parents reading this will take it to heart. I wish my own had.

Sent by Vanessa Bowers | 10:08 AM ET | 06-27-2007

Choosing a college, such a timely and appropriate subject. We so enjoyed hearing your guests target an on-going problem that can lead to bad college choices. Students are so pressed to choose a top college, but fail to get the perspective they need. Parents should see their role as mentors and guides, rather than cheerleaders and prodders. There are many ways parents can help their son or daughter see past the idea that they are only worthy if they achieve admission to an Ivy. Finding the right match in a college for a student will help her or him discover what he or she loves. That would be a gift much more valuable than a degree from a name college. I read a great article I found that addresses this issue at http://www.collegebasics.com/planning-for-college/choosing-a-college/praents-be-aware-of-the-pressure-that-goes-into-choosing-a-college.html.

Sent by Jan Rideout | 11:11 AM ET | 06-28-2007

Visiting colleges is great, but a problem is cost - visiting schools can be really expensive if you're applying anywhere outside your immediate region. Airfare, car trips, buses, etc. can really add up.
Fran Landou and Joyce Smith also talked about the important of a good college counselor and help from parents - which are wonderful and helpful, but many students don't have the luxury of having a truly helpful college counselor or parents that are knowledgable enough about colleges, admissions, etc. to be truly helpful. What then?
As for websites, the College Board site is useful, but I found little information on the COOL site that they suggested aside from financial information.
And hey! An ivy is not an ivy is not an ivy. I'm a student at Brown University - which I absolutely love - and I'm interning at UPenn this summer. I have friends and family members who have attended also Brown, UPenn, Yale, Cornell, and Harvard and while the schools may share similar prestige and name recognition, the atmospheres - both social and academic - are significantly different.

Sent by Hope Henderson | 12:43 PM ET | 06-28-2007