STANFORD, Calif., Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Challenge Success, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, announced today the release of its latest white paper titled "A 'FIT' OVER RANKINGS: WHY COLLEGE ENGAGEMENT MATTERS MORE THAN SELECTIVITY."
Challenge Success conducted an extensive review of the literature on college outcomes to answer three key questions: 1) What do college rankings really measure, 2) Are students who attend more selective colleges better off later in life, and 3) What does finding the "right fit" college mean and does it matter?
Our review of the research suggests that many of the metrics used in established college rankings are weighted arbitrarily and are not an accurate indicator of a school's quality and that positive future outcomes are not necessarily tied to attending a highly selective or highly ranked school. On the contrary, a student's engagement in college demonstrated by activities such as working on a project across several semesters, finding a mentor, or being active in campus and community activities is associated with future success. Finding a school that "fits" the individual student and where he or she can be engaged is more important than going to the most selective school.
The paper was inspired by findings from the Challenge Success survey given to over 100,000 high school students which found that the college admissions process is one of the primary root causes of stress for students. Dr. Denise Pope, Challenge Success co-founder and a senior lecturer at the Stanford GSE, says, "As we worked with Challenge Success schools, we saw students and families equate college admissions with success in life. Many believed that college selectivity would determine life outcomes such as future earnings, job satisfaction, and well-being, and we wanted to see what the research had to say about this."
Challenge Success hopes that this paper prompts students and families to examine what college success means to them, question common assumptions about college selectivity, and ultimately help reduce the level of stress and anxiety they feel about the college admissions process. They suggest that students look beyond rankings in the college search process, and instead seek a school where they can participate fully in academic, civic, and social life in order to thrive both during the college years and beyond.
This is the fourth white paper that the organization has released with the goal of making research more accessible to educators, parents, and students.
To learn more about this research on rankings, selectivity, and college engagement, download the white paper at http://www.challengesuccess.org.
About Challenge Success
Founded at Stanford University, Challenge Success partners with schools, families, and communities to embrace a broad definition of success and to implement research-based strategies that promote student well-being and engagement with learning. For more information, visit http://www.challengesuccess.org.
SOURCE Challenge Success
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