Choosing the Right College 2010-11: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools [Paperback]

John Zmirak (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Choosing the Right College | Publication Date: July 1, 2009

Using on-campus sources to turn up the best—and worst—aspects of leading schools across the nation, CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE is at once an insider’s guide to almost 140 leading American colleges and universities and a high-minded mentor on how to obtain a serious education at virtually any institution of higher education. ISI’s editorial team analyzes the quality of curricula, the rigor and vigor of major academic departments, and the intellectual freedom that prevails—or not—on each campus. CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE reveals which schools have vital intellectual atmospheres, safe campuses, and wholesome living arrangements, and which ones don’t. And it names names, recommending specific professors from whom to take classes and advising readers on which buildings ought to be avoided entirely—if possible.

 

These features and many others have made CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE the most trusted guide on the market for prospective college students interested in obtaining a genuine liberal education in a healthy environment.

 

With a new introduction by Walter E. Williams, this 2010–11 edition has been entirely updated and revised to reflect the current state of play at each institution.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Definitely not your typical college guide, this very selective one is limited to institutions that “have a required liberal arts core curriculum.” It includes the top 40 most selective national universities and top 40 most selective liberal arts colleges (according to U.S. News), then adds about another 60 schools across the country. Arrangement is geographic and then alphabetical by institution. New England has the longest section, followed by the Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Midwest, the West, and Canada (Trinity Western). Each entry includes boxes showing vital statistics, academic requirements, and suggested core (if any). Essays running 6–10 pages focus on academic and student life and include comments by students, graduates, and professors. As in the foreword, these often show a conservative slant. “Red Light,” “Yellow Light,” and “Green Light” sidebars are also used. For example, Duke’s “Red Light” warns that a Sex Workers Art Show was performed on campus in 2008. Schools are also evaluated based on how closely they compare to the guide’s eight “suggested core” courses—classical literature, ancient philosophy, the Bible, Christian thought before 1500, modern political theory, Shakespeare, U.S. history before 1865, and nineteenth-century intellectual history. Some entries even say “no suitable course” if an acceptable one isn’t available. Comments may be blunt and even sarcastic, but they do give a feel for the colleges included. It’s quite a change from more objective handbooks and perfect for parents and students who want to avoid a liberal university philosophy. --Susan Gooden

Review

“Head-and-shoulders above all the other college guides. Among other things, it tells you which colleges have a real curriculum, rather than a cafeteria of courses, as well as the kind of atmosphere each campus has.” —Thomas Sowell, nationally syndicated columnist.

 

“A godsend for anyone who wants to know how to beat the academic establishment and actually get an education.”—National Catholic Register

“This is easily the best of the college guides.” —American Spectator

“Aimed . . . at exposing the political biases of academe, the prevalence of permissive sex and the lack of core curriculums to prospective students and their parents.” —New York Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1100 pages
• Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute; 7th edition (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935191608
• ISBN-13: 978-1935191605
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing else even comes close, July 21, 2009

By 

Liberty1000 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choosing the Right College 2010-11: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools (Paperback)

This guide is superior to every other college guide in every way. If you just want to know what tuition is, where the good party schools are, or what your total SAT needs to be, then by all means randomly pick up any of the other college guides on the market, they are all the same.

Perhaps the most important distinction is that Choosing the Right College doesn't parrot school propaganda (no where will you find official school boilerplate). Instead, the reviews are put together by independent visitors who interview students, professors, and school administrators. Further, each school profile details what academic life and student life is actually like, what academic requirements are (in most cases actually giving class names), what the cultural and political climate is (religious conservative, secular liberal, etc...), and what courses and professors (where applicable) to seek out in order to put together a genuine Core Curriculum.

The first reviewer of this book asks, "If you are interested in being forcefed an unreserved conservative criticism of some of the nation's top colleges, then look no further." I don't know if the reviewer in all her years of "college advising" and having "reviewed countless college guidebooks" in fact has children of her own. I however as a parent, do want to know ahead of time if there are co-ed bathrooms, whether LGBT clubs are permitted but ROTC is banned, whether there are "peer contraceptive counselors" (Harvard), and whether or not in four years of school if there are required courses in Western literature and US History. Are these exclusive "conservative" concerns? Ridiculous. Secondly, one CAN count all the college guide books, there are not that many. Together they do not come close to presenting a spectrum of "biases", unless of course you consider beige to be a vibrant hue. They are in fact all essentially the same bland regurgitation of filler you can find for free anywhere online. The editors of Choosing the Right College have done anyone wanting to know more about what a school is really like, regardless of their political persuasion, an invaluable service with this guide.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great investment if you are in highschool..., August 31, 2009

By 

crazyforbooks "Lee" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choosing the Right College 2010-11: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools (Paperback)

This guide is as comprehensive as they come. Reviews all the top schools in each region of the country (over 100) and gives a concise, objective review of their social and academic settings, including interviews of actual students at each university - so you bypass the school's own propaganda about itself for the real scoop from real students. Handy lists of facts, pro's, and con's follow each review and the schools you're looking for are easy to flip to and get the scoop on. I used an earlier version of this guide for my own college search and found its review of my alma mater - even after 4 years there - to be spot-on. I recommend it now to all the high-school students I mentor - in my own community, in my family, and beyond. There are so many schools out there beyond the usual Ivy league or State school options most highschoolers are given. There is a school for every type and every goal, you just have to know where to look to get the most out of one of the biggest investments of your life - and 4 of the most important years. I'd highly recommend this guide to do just that. Good luck!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Guide that will help me find a college that is consistent with my view of educational importance., October 19, 2009

By 

kaabee "kabe" (Seattle WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Choosing the Right College 2010-11: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools (Paperback)

My daughter is 14 and will be heading to college in a few years. I've had some grave concerns on whether college would be a good thing for her. I graduated with a Masters Degree in Business in 1976 and the quality of education I received at the California state university that I attended was marginal at best. I've worked in Human Resources for over 30 years at a very large company and found that the college that a person attended isn't really indicative of their performance on the job, whatever that job may be. I learned that early when I observed various co-workers who attended some very prestigious schools end up being excellent employees in some cases and very marginal employees in other cases. I soon began to realize that the school one attends is almost irrelevant when predicting future performance (the exceptions are, of course, colleges like MIT, or Caltech where they still have very high expectations of their students and don't compromise). Today's college graduates come to work inadequately prepared for the mandates of the job and many don't have the basic math, or writing skills to adequately perform.

I want, for my daughter, a school that will require the basics and won't require the nonsense courses that are meaningless in succeeding on the job. I would like her to obtain a good classical education. This book will be extremely helpful in finding the right school for my daughter that will prepare her for succeeding in life. My views are to keep her from the indoctrination of socialist professors and the nonsense that they teach, and to ensure that the university that she attends will allow her to utilize critical thinking and reason and will grade her on those virtues. The best professors that I ever had were those who I was unable to decipher their political leanings because they were interested in teaching the subject without the obligatory preaching that a lot of the socialist teachers believe is so important. I want an education for my daughter, not indoctrination. When one pays $25,000 - $40,000 per year for a school, the money should be well spent. This book will help in making the right decision.