The James Logan Courier

McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, June 24:

Americans, pressed for time and eager for dish, love lists.

Not surprisingly, well-known people or institutions that fare badly on well-known lists tend to be less fond of them.

So, at first blush, you might think sour grapes was on the menu this week as a gathering of college presidents blasted the influential U.S. News & World Report rankings of "America's Best Colleges."

But wait. The Annapolis Group, the association of liberal arts colleges that just pledged to help develop a better alternative to the U.S. News list, includes every one of the colleges in the magazine's Top 10 national liberal arts colleges. That list includes Swarthmore (No. 3) and Haverford (No. 9).