College Rankings Rankle Counselors, Admissions Officers

A discussion of a newsmagazine's annual college rankings struck struck a nerve with attendees at the College Board's national conference here this month.

College representatives and high school guidance counselors packed a standing-room-only session to vent their frustrations and hear a U.S. News & World Report editor defend the magazine's annual ratings guide.

Bill McClintock, the director of college counseling at Pennsylvania's Mercersburg Academy, complained that some students and parents used the magazine's ratings as the only factor in a college decision. "I probably spend as much time debunking the rankings as I do on quality family counseling," said Mr. McClintock, who is also a vice president of the National Association...