Letters from the Editor

The Ominous Cracks in the US News College Ranking System

July 9, 2021

The Ominous Cracks in the US News College Ranking System

Malcolm Gladwell exposes the circular logic and the culture of privilege embedded in the ranking giant’s algorithm.

By Chris Lydgate ’90

July 24, 2019

Students Find Glaring Discrepancy in US News Rankings

Study reveals the steep penalty that the rankings giant imposes on Reed.


September 12, 2018

Reed and the Rankings Game

The hidden penalties and statistical shenanigans that pervade the college-ranking guidebooks.


June 4, 2018

The Dynamic Classroom

Reed’s curriculum is constantly evolving—and it’s not going to stop anytime soon.


March 16, 2018

Why I Love This Epic Fail by Steve Jobs

A job application from 1973 illustrates the peril of judging a person by their résumé.

December 4, 2017

Lend Me Your Ears

Open debate is crucial for democracy—even when we know we're right.

March 1, 2017

The Contest

Education is not simply the process of acquiring information. It's also about detecting disinformation.

December 1, 2016

The Telling from the Trivial

In an era of "fake news," a liberal-arts education is more important than ever.

June 1, 2016

The Longest Hour

A peek into a critical moment in the life of a Reed student—the oral examination.

March 1, 2016

The Birth of a Galaxy

A letter from an alumnus sparks an intellectual Odyssey through space and time.

March 1, 2015

Spirit of the Airwaves

Reed groups blow up on Facebook, but work great in real life. Why?

December 1, 2015

What's the "Return on Investment" of a College Degree?

A lesson from the life of Ken Koe ’45.

September 1, 2015

Brooding with Max Weber

Glittering insights from a 19th-century German thinker with a monumental beard.

June 2, 2014

Conscience of a City

Reappraising Reed's intellectual godfather, Thomas Lamb Eliot.