Margo Gray

So was US News up to the Herculean task? Well, in 1997, the magazine hired an outside consultancy to review its ranking methodology, and the feedback wasn't exactly glowing. The consultancy concluded, the principal weakness of the current approach is that the weights used to combine the various measures into an overall rating lack any defensible, empirical, or theoretical basis.

So was US News up to the Herculean task? Well, in 1997, the magazine hired an outside consultancy to review its ranking methodology, and the feedback wasn't exactly glowing. The consultancy concluded, the principal weakness of the current approach is that the weights used to combine the various measures into an overall rating lack any defensible, empirical, or theoretical basis.

So was US News up to the Herculean task? Well, in 1997, the magazine hired an outside consultancy to review its ranking methodology, and the feedback wasn't exactly glowing. The consultancy concluded, the principal weakness of the current approach is that the weights used to combine the various measures into an overall rating lack any defensible, empirical, or theoretical basis.

In simpler terms, the magazine's supposedly scientific formula was largely arbitrary. But that didn't stop US News. Instead, that same year, the magazine blasted out its rankings online for the first time.

In simpler terms, the magazine's supposedly scientific formula was largely arbitrary. But that didn't stop US News. Instead, that same year, the magazine blasted out its rankings online for the first time.

In simpler terms, the magazine's supposedly scientific formula was largely arbitrary. But that didn't stop US News. Instead, that same year, the magazine blasted out its rankings online for the first time.

With each year, the rankings reached larger and larger audiences, shaping opinions not just across the US, but across the world. And the rankings proved to have real-world consequences. Studies have shown that a school's ranking can directly impact application numbers, yield rates, and even the average standardized test scores of incoming students.

With each year, the rankings reached larger and larger audiences, shaping opinions not just across the US, but across the world. And the rankings proved to have real-world consequences. Studies have shown that a school's ranking can directly impact application numbers, yield rates, and even the average standardized test scores of incoming students.

With each year, the rankings reached larger and larger audiences, shaping opinions not just across the US, but across the world. And the rankings proved to have real-world consequences. Studies have shown that a school's ranking can directly impact application numbers, yield rates, and even the average standardized test scores of incoming students.

So university administrators, whatever their personal feelings on the rankings, have a strong incentive to climb the list.

So university administrators, whatever their personal feelings on the rankings, have a strong incentive to climb the list.

So university administrators, whatever their personal feelings on the rankings, have a strong incentive to climb the list.

Penn Law didn't just pay attention to the rankings. They adapted their admissions process in a deliberate attempt to improve their standing.

Penn Law didn't just pay attention to the rankings. They adapted their admissions process in a deliberate attempt to improve their standing.

Penn Law didn't just pay attention to the rankings. They adapted their admissions process in a deliberate attempt to improve their standing.

It's worth pausing to acknowledge how shocking it is that one of the country's most prestigious law schools adjusted its admissions process based on a single magazine's ranking metrics. But Penn Law is hardly alone.

It's worth pausing to acknowledge how shocking it is that one of the country's most prestigious law schools adjusted its admissions process based on a single magazine's ranking metrics. But Penn Law is hardly alone.

It's worth pausing to acknowledge how shocking it is that one of the country's most prestigious law schools adjusted its admissions process based on a single magazine's ranking metrics. But Penn Law is hardly alone.

But there's an even quicker way to move up the ladder. Misreport the data to U.S. News and World Report. And that's exactly what Columbia University did.

But there's an even quicker way to move up the ladder. Misreport the data to U.S. News and World Report. And that's exactly what Columbia University did.