http://www.ranker.com/list-of//education http://www.ranker.com/img/skin2/logo.gif http://www.ranker.com/list-of//education http://www.ranker.com/list/what-was-_or-is_-your-major-/jimmers2
Most of us who go to college go because... well, you just are supposed to go. Lots of people don't even have a real plan, it's just more school after high school. Big plans or no plans, you gotta pick a major. What did you pick? Just curious because I feel like half the people I went to school with picked Psychology. You know how many Psychologists I know now? None. Vote for yours and add it if yours isn't here.
http://www.ranker.com/list/what-was-_or-is_-your-major-/jimmers2, college, education, other, thought provoking,

Psychology

Business

Education

Graphic Design

Journalism

English

Engineering

Economics

Literature

Computer Science


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/jimmers2 http://www.ranker.com/list/what-was-_or-is_-your-major-/jimmers2 http://www.ranker.com/list/most-useless-college-majors/school-buddy
List of the most pointless university majors and fields of study guaranteed to not lead to gainful post-graduation employment. In April of 2012, the Daily Beast ran their list of 13 pointless college majors; now it's your turn to sound off on the coursework that will most poorly prepare you to enter the job market. Often, when students first enter a community college or four-year university program, they're encouraged to pursue a course of study that most interests them. The idea is that they will first become dedicated to, and excited about, learning something, and then they'll eventually figure out how to apply their interests towards pursuing a career. But as the economy continues to struggle, and jobs for recent grads dry up, this philosophy is being reconsidered (as is studying philosophy in general.) "English majors working as barista" jokes aside, graduating with a degree in a humanities subject deemed as "useless" can be a real detriment to finding work post-graduation, even as newly-minted electrical engineers and computer developers get snatched up quickly by startups and tech companies.

This list provides some insight into the majors seen as "most useless" by the public at large. Vote for the departments you'd be least likely to join on your nearest campus, and if we've missed a major you think is utterly without merit, add it at the bottom of the page.
http://www.ranker.com/list/most-useless-college-majors/school-buddy,

English Literature

Fine art

Gender studies

Peace and conflict studies

Philosophy

Religious Studies

William Shakespeare

Liberal Arts

Theater Arts

Bachelor in Cooperative


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/school-buddy http://www.ranker.com/list/most-useless-college-majors/school-buddy http://www.ranker.com/list/college-majors-that-limit-options/admiralcrunch
This is not the same as "most worthless majors".  The majors on this list could indicate

1)  A very limited number of careers that logically follow from that major

2) A field of study or course load that makes entry into law school, business school, or other common post-graduate path more difficult to pursue than average

3) A below average employment rate, below average pay scale or both

4) Pre-professional majors that limit changes at success in the fields they are supposed to prepare students for.

If you're asking why philosophy, English, or most other humanities majors aren't on here, it's because most of those majors have high success rates for admission to law school and business school.  So they aren't great majors for people who plan to stop at an undergraduate degree, but they can be powerful tools in politics, law, or any business career that requires the power of persuasive writing or speaking. 

http://www.ranker.com/list/college-majors-that-limit-options/admiralcrunch,

Creative writing
This shouldn't be a bad major because it should develop your writing skills significantly.  However, remember the prejudice problem:  The image is that you lounged around daydreaming while writing a poem about a cloud.  Also, the chances of getting a job as a creative writing instructor (even with an MFA) or paying the rent as a fiction writer are not high (trust me, I know).  I wouldn't discourage anyone from this major, but consider pairing it with something more practical.  For example, creative writing doubled with business could make for a killer application at an advertising firm. 

Dance
Fine arts and performing arts majors most often have to go back to school to qualify for new careers although drama majors are sometimes an exception.  The major gives them a lot of public speaking opportunity, and if they have a wide base of classes, it's not as difficult to get into grad school.  Meanwhile, dance majors have an almost definite time limit on their careers unless they go into dance instruction.  There's no problem pursuing a dream in dance, just realize that at some point you may want to or need to go back to school for something else.  Example, around age 35, a dancer I knew from the Paul Taylor 2 company decided to retrain in nursing school. 

Fashion design
This might depend on the school, but most institutes that offer fashion majors don't emphasize a wide curriculum making switching careers difficult.

Interior design
There are more comprehensive schools offering interior design that fashion design, so it's a bit more likely to be wrong to presume an interior design major doesn't have a base knowledge helpful to other careers.  But if that's not true for you, then you're in the same boat and thanks to the game, The Sims, there are more design majors than ever.  A tip from a friend who is a designer:  Even very talented designers will have their companies fail if they don't have business skills, and he's seen it time and time again.  Think twice about the institute that requires nothing but design and definitely consider a double major or a minor. 

French
I hate saying that a language major is a bad idea, but more so than other humanities majors, it can be limiting unless you go to grad school, and French or Italian more so than Spanish, German, or Japanese.  Now then, did you want to work for a cosmetics giant?  Want to practice medicine with doctors without borders in Senegal?  Be an overseas envoy with the state department?  French is starting to look much, much better as long as you also get that nursing degree, medical degree, MBA or gain the skills to pass the foreign service exam. 

Enjoy college. :)

Music
Music is a very difficult major that can take you away from studying core subjects more than nearly anything else because it often comes attached with symphony or marching band performances and rehearsals.  On top of that, the job outlook is generally considered poor, and if you can't get a job in music, there are few other logical paths that a music major can help you with. 

Fine Arts
You already get this.  It's just not quite as bad as dance since there's no definite time limit nor is the major as all-consuming as music. 

Social Work
Many experts say that an undergrad degree in social work isn't a good idea.  If you decide you don't want to go into social work, your degree is much more limiting than if you had majored in psychology or sociology.  Worse, the jobs you can get with only a bachelor's in social work make the major one of the lowest paid.  You will almost certainly need to go to graduate school for social work, so it's smarter not to do a total repeat in grad school by not majoring in social work in undergrad. 

Criminal Justice
Criminal justice could be fine depending on your career goals.  Unfortunately, many people choose criminal justice as a pre-law path, and according to studies, it's the major that typically scores the lowest average on the LSAT.  Nor does it help with MBA admissions. There's some basis on sociology and psychology, so if you decide not to go into law enforcement, you won't be entirely back to square one, but when deciding on criminal justice, make sure you check out it leads to what you want. 

Travel and Tourism
Certain business majors related to the hospitality industry can make it very difficult to find jobs when applying to human resources departments that know nothing about what you've learned related to service industry management or structural planning.  Sadly, you will run into other business majors and administrators at MBA programs who might be thinking, "this person didn't learn anything, did he?".  (If you say that sounds like prejudice and that's terrible, then yes and yes.)  If you are certain you want to go into hospitality management, it may be the perfect major, but if it's one of several interests, consider a degree that might be more flexible.   (Note that most college experts strongly discourage business degrees at the undergraduate level.  Similar to the situation with social work, yes, it's almost certain they are correct that you'll be repeating too much if you have an undergrad in business and then an MBA.  I'm sure the education authors have their reasons, but if you don't plan on going beyond undergrad, I think business majors like accounting are some of the smartest choices.)


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/admiralcrunch http://www.ranker.com/list/college-majors-that-limit-options/admiralcrunch http://www.ranker.com/list/roger_s-top-25-women_s-colleges-in-usa/admiralcrunch
This list is in alpha order instead of quality order.  While I think I know enough about colleges to know how experts would rank these schools, it would be empty parroting of those rankings instead of a list I could reasonably defend.  However, for those interested in acclaim, the schools can be easily divided into two groups.  The most prestigious and selective women's colleges include the Seven Sisters, although there are only five of them listed as Vassar is now coed and Radcliffe merged with Harvard.  Those five are Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and Wellesley.  Equally selective, if not sometimes more so, is Scripps in California.  The best way to learn about why these schools are considered incredible institutions is to look at the accomplishments of their graduates and look at all the speakers, classes, and opportunities they offer that an average or even good college could not.  

The second group would comprise all the other schools on this list, but an expert would say it's not exhaustive.  Of that group, Agnes Scott, stands out as an excellent institution that offers a lot of personal attention.  You often hear the same of Hollins and Mills.   I've heard people say Sweet Briar has a reputation for being a "finishing school where you go horseback riding" but I wouldn't include it if I didn't think there was evidence of their academic strengths.  (If a school interests you, there are almost always reasons to investigate beyond the one liners you hear in the hallways.)  St. Mary's College, the Catholic women's college that is the sister school of Notre Dame, is respected for its rigorous "comps" it requires for graduation.  Spelman is probably the most selective HBCU in the nation. 

I have heard of other women's colleges, but don't know enough about most of them.  Alverno College is a stand out for students looking for pre-professional programs like business, nursing or education instead of the liberal arts.  Simmons College is fairly selective, perhaps more so than Mills, but I don't know enough about it.  Pine Manor in Massachusetts has recently dedicated itself to serving women students from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Stephens College is particularly known for theater. 


 Good luck discovering your dream school!

http://www.ranker.com/list/roger_s-top-25-women_s-colleges-in-usa/admiralcrunch,

Agnes Scott College

Barnard College

Bryn Mawr College

Hollins University

Mills College

Mount Holyoke College

Saint Mary's College

Scripps College

Smith College

Spelman College


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/admiralcrunch http://www.ranker.com/list/roger_s-top-25-women_s-colleges-in-usa/admiralcrunch http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-safety-schools-college-fallback-options/admiralcrunch
(Note:  This is being re-ordered to be more helpful to people looking at the most selective schools and then further down, for alternatives to somewhat less selective schools.) 

When reading this, keep in mind how difficult it is to make one list when a school can be one student's safety and another student's reach.  This list of schools drawn up are ones that apparently keep a lot of categories of students happy when they don't get into more selective schools. 

Experts usually say selectivity and prestige are overrated, subjective, and highly changeable. After taking a sociology class, however, I learned it is a basic human quality, particularly in Americans, to competitive and to experience self-worth through having or achieving something "better" than one's peers.  Inevitably that means certain colleges are swamped with applications while other equally rigorous good schools are not. 

The choices listed include many small schools mentioned by education writers in books I'm not sure I can name them without this being an advertisement.  Smaller colleges are considered wiser choices for students who might need more personal attention to gain skill sets and to not feel bored by droning lectures in huge classes.  However, the list is not the same to give a greater range of Catholic schools, tech-oriented schools, and smaller public schools.  

The list also includes a few larger public and private universities that are known for strong academics even though they aren't the toughest to get into. Again, keep in mind the huge range of this list.  Boston University might be a fallback for Harvard or University of Pennsylvania, but it's a much, much more difficult admit than other schools on this list like the University of Tampa. 

I keep hearing experts say to make sure you and your kids explore options for safety or "good bet" schools even more thoroughly than you research target or reach schools.  Many students end up at their back up choices, and It's so important for college students to find good bet schools that that they would love to  attend instead of leaving home with a "this is going to suck" attitude. 

I think most or all of these schools should pass the unofficial "This is a Great College" test of 75% or higher freshmen retention rate and 50% or higher graduation rate.

However, I doubt that will ever be true for back up public schools since so many students who excel at the smaller school will transfer to the flagship by junior year even if their success meant that the smaller school was the right place for them.   

http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-safety-schools-college-fallback-options/admiralcrunch,

Boston University
Really, many people consider this is an elite school and a major national university.  It is in a great city for college students, so it's often a back-up for students looking at Harvard, Tufts, or M.I.T.  It also appeals as a back up to kids looking for big urban schools like the University of Pennsylvania, Emory or NYU.  Comparable schools might be George Washington or American univerities.  Schools that might also appeal to students who want an urban experience are USC (Southern California not South Carolina), Tulane, or the University of Miami, but I don't think students would find the experiences that similar.  

George Washington University
(This is my school.)  This can be a first choice for students interested in going into politics or law, but because Georgetown, just down the road, isn't a Catholic school that puts the same emphasis on religion that Notre Dame will, it seems like students of many backgrounds would prefer Georgetown, even for international affairs or political science.  Still, expect tough standards at GW for their international affairs school as it's more conveniently located for internships (or research at Smithsonian museums).
 
GW is often a general backup for Ivy League schools, particularly U. Penn, but it's also a good choice for students interested in NYU, Emory, Tufts, or Tulane as well as Boston University, particularly for business students.  However, be aware that GW doesn't appear to be an easier admit than BU and during the period after Katrina, GW was sometimes a tougher admit than Tulane.

Another thing to keep in mind here is financial aid.  GW has improved their aid, but in the recent past they've left students with too high a debt load.  So if you consider GW or another expensive school a safety, you will want a "financial safety" as well, such as a state university.  For example, George Mason University in Northern Virginia is typically the financial safety for students who want to be in the DC area as well as one of the best known schools in Virginia's public university system after UVA, William and Mary, and James Madison. 

Hendrix College
This school apparently gets a large number of applications from the Northeast since its reputation is that it's equal in quality to schools like Oberlin, Kenyon, or Hamilton, but its small-town Arkansas location makes it an easier admit.  Also, a lot of southern schools tend to carry a lower price tag so families that won't qualify for aid look at places like Hendrix, Southwestern (outside Austin, Texas) or Centre College in Kentucky. 

Hendrix is considered liberal/lefty, especially for a southern school, so it will get more overlap northeastern schools than more conservative  counterparts like Millsaps or Wofford. 

Lawrence University
There are a few schools like Beloit, Kalamazoo, and Lawrence that tend to be a little easier than the biggest names in liberal in the Midwest like Carleton, Oberlin, Kenyon, Grinnell, and Macalester.  Lawrence is especially a good match for those interested in Oberlin's music program, hard sciences like physics or chemistry or those looking for a liberal arts campus that tends to be more centrist than liberal or conservative. 

Lewis & Clark College
Like Pitzer, this is a tough enough school that I bet a number of experts would ask students to make sure their own scores and GPA would make this a good bet. Again, compared to other parts of the country, there are so few powerhouse liberal arts colleges, that competition here isn't that much easier than Occidental or Colorado College, and there's also a fair amount of competition for students applying to Reed and Whitman.  Counselors suggest asking admissions officers the question, "Considering my record, would I have been admitted last year?"  The answer may help you understand if you need other safe bet schools.

Pitzer College
Similar to BU, I think many would argue Pitzer is too competitive to be a back-up school for the average student.  However, there are so few powerhouse private schools on the west coast, for one, and more obviously, it is the least competitive of the highly prestigious Claremont schools.  Pitzer is highly lauded as a wonderful place, but is not as sought after as Pomona, Claremont McKenna, or the women's college at Claremont, Scripps.  Other major west coast schools like Stanford, Reed, and Whitman are either as competitive as Pomona or Claremont McKenna or more so.  Occidental and Colorado College are often much closer to Pitzer in admit standards, but there's enough of a difference that parents and students often consider Pitzer a safer bet.

Rochester Institute of Technology
This is often the first choice for students interested in photography (thanks to an association with Eastman-Kodak), but it can also be a back-up for top tech-oriented schools like Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Union, Northwestern, or Rensselaer Polytechnic.  Comparable schools might be Clarkson University or Worcester Polytechnic, which is probably a half-step up in selectivity.  

Skidmore College
Here's another school that feels odd to put on a list of back-ups, but it's particularly strong in studio art, music, and drama so it's a logical choice for people aiming at powerhouses like Cornell, Vassar, Smith, Middlebury, Bard, Kenyon, Wesleyan or even Brown or Yale. 

University of California, Santa Cruz
Basically the school a lot of California students find both enjoyable and fulfilling if they can't get into the tougher UC schools like Berkeley or UCLA.  Remember that the UC system as a whole was listed in a book called "Public Ivies"  While the current budget crunch in California means that some of the CSU schools are so overcrowded to the point that apparently certain institutions didn't have space to accept any kind of freshman class last year, the UC schools haven't been quite as hard.  So parents can be certain that even though Santa Cruz might be low on the UC totem pole, it is still very highly sought after and respectable.   

University of Maryland, College Park
Maryland is highly competitive, but it's near some of the strongest flagship state schools in the country including UVA, William & Mary, and UNC. 


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/admiralcrunch http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-safety-schools-college-fallback-options/admiralcrunch http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-safety-schools-college-fallback-options
The best safety schools and universities aren't necessarily everyone's first choice, but are great fallback options when you're applying to college. A good safety school is easier to get into than a top-tier university, and often has equally good academic programs. This list of the best backup colleges is ranked by the wisdom of the crowd, so anyone can add their picks or vote on the universities below.
http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-safety-schools-college-fallback-options,

Appalachian State University

Arizona State University

Boston University

Fordham University

Pepperdine University

San Diego State University

Syracuse University

Tulane University

University of California, Santa Cruz

University of Colorado at Boulder


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/ranker-community http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-safety-schools-college-fallback-options http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-teacher-movies/all-genre-movies-lists
A list of the best teacher movies. These are films that focus on teachers, teaching, and the conflicts our educators often go through when trying to teach. We believe we've thought of them all, but if your favorite teacher films aren't on here, please feel free to add them to the list of the best teacher films. This list includes all genres, although teacher movies tend to always lean toward "inspirational". All types of schools are also included such as elementary, high school, preparatory, public schools, and colleges/universities. Best of all, a number of these films are based on real teachers. So if you're looking for inspiration and have respect for education, these teacher films are the ones for you.
http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-teacher-movies/all-genre-movies-lists,

Dangerous Minds
Released: 1995
Dead Poets Society
Released: 1989
Half Nelson

Kindergarten Cop

Lean on Me
Released: 1989
Mr. Holland's Opus
Released: 1995
School of Rock
Released: 2003
Stand and Deliver
Released: 1988
To Sir, with Love

Bad Teacher


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/all-genre-movies-lists http://www.ranker.com/list/the-best-teacher-movies/all-genre-movies-lists http://www.ranker.com/list/other-top-dream-universities-_for-the-rest-of-us_/zxray
Kind of like Festivus! Well, we all dream of going to school SOMEWHERE...some of us actually dream of going to school somewhere we might actually learn something besides how great the Hippie Revolution was in the 1960's. We might actually want to learn someting of value, besides theory and cogito ergo sum...some of us might actually want to be PRODUCTIVE...wow, there's one to bring up to your draft dodgging Professor...that is of course IF his/her flunky, a** kissing Grad Student isn't teaching class for him/her
http://www.ranker.com/list/other-top-dream-universities-_for-the-rest-of-us_/zxray,

Georgetown University

Harvard University

Norwich University

Pepperdine University

United States Coast Guard Academy

United States Military Academy

University of Colorado at Boulder

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

University of Texas

Wesleyan University


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/zxray http://www.ranker.com/list/other-top-dream-universities-_for-the-rest-of-us_/zxray http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-top-dream-colleges
This is a list of the greatest dream colleges and universities in the world. These aren't necessarily the best colleges, they're the places everyone wishes they'd gotten their college education. From the best college campuses to the greatest party schools, this list is ranked by the wisdom of the crowd, so anyone can add their dream colleges or vote on the schools below. Whether you're looking for the best colleges or looking back with nostalgia on your college experience, you can rank your dream schools here.
http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-top-dream-colleges,

Brown University

Columbia University

Dartmouth College

Harvard University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Princeton University

Stanford University

University of California, Berkeley

University of Oxford

Yale University


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/ranker-community http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-top-dream-colleges http://www.ranker.com/list/the-greatest-youth-organizations/zxray
One of the best things about The United States is the great variety we are afforded here when it comes to keeping kids busy. In both negative and positive ways! Lot of us Rankers out there are Parents, here's where we are going to list, rank, and rate the various youth organizations, primarily in The United States, (but maybe you've lived overseas with your kids?) worldwide is fine, that actually teach and empower kids. Add 'em, rank 'em, rate 'em!
http://www.ranker.com/list/the-greatest-youth-organizations/zxray,

T.M.I.—The Episcopal School of Texas

Civil Air Patrol

CYO - Catholic Youth Organization

United States Naval League/Sea Cadets

PAL - Police Athletic League

Young Marines

Girl/Brownie Scouts of the USA

The Boy/Cub Scouts of America

Public Military Academies
Six in Chicago, IL, USA
Law Enforcement Explorers


]]> http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/zxray http://www.ranker.com/list/the-greatest-youth-organizations/zxray