Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges [Paperback]

Loren Pope (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 25, 2006

Prospective college students and their parents have been relying on Loren Pope's expertise since 1995, when he published the first edition of this indispensable guide. This new edition profiles 41 colleges—all of which outdo the Ivies and research universities in producing performers, not only among A students but also among those who get Bs and Cs. Contents include:

• Evaluations of each school's program and "personality"
• Candid assessments by students, professors, and deans
• Information on the progress of graduates

This new edition not only revisits schools listed in previous volumes to give readers a comprehensive assessment, it also addresses such issues as homeschooling, learning
disabilities, and single-sex education.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Smart and credible. -- The New York Times

About the Author

Loren Pope was education editor of the New York Times in the 1950s. In 1965 he opened the College Placement Bureau in Washington, D.C., to help families of college--bound students make informed choices. He is the author of Looking Beyond the Ivy League and has written numerous articles about the college application proc

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Revised edition (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143037366
• ISBN-13: 978-0143037361
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Education & Reference > College & University > College Guides
  • #70 in Books > Education & Reference > Consumer Guides

More About the Author

Loren Pope, author of the acclaimed Colleges That Change Lives, has been writing about education since the 1950s. From 1965 to 2005 he ran the College Placement Bureau in Washington, D. C. to help families make informed, fruitful choices about higher education.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

134 of 139 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars He Is Still the Best August 17, 2006

By Miami Bob

Format:Paperback

If you ever hanker to think that your child may have been better off going to that school whose name everyone knows, pull out this book and read the first 20 pages and you will become instantly relaxed.

In a nutshell, Pope espouses that liberal arts undergraduate education in the Ivies is faltering, if not failing, but America has plenty of great liberal arts educational centers and they are at the numerous well established liberal arts colleges (LAC's) of America. Those LAC's and some "other" LAC's are great places for undergraduate education. Some of those "other" LAC's are the topic of this book.

This is the old book (Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student) with quips at the end of the 40 schools which update his research of each respective institution. He has added passages at the end of the 40 schools to describe what has happened at some of the schools which makes his statement(s) of a decade ago as true or even truer than when originally written. In short, the LAC's of this book are not only still good schools, most are better schools than when he delivered their names in the original book.

He writes well. He is very persuasive. And, in the end, his arguments clearly show each school's strength through his writing skills and by the statistics recited throughout this book.

If you want more, there are two others on this same line of reasoning: The College Admissions Mystique by Bill Mayher and Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That's Right for You by Loren Pope. If you think Ivy (for undergraduate) is the answer before reading these three books, you may discover a change of opinion after reading these books.

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Advise families to read January 11, 2007

By Mush

Format:Paperback

As an Independent Educational Consultant, I often give this book to my students that think they want to attend a big university or a name brand school. Often students fall through the cracks at these well-known schools, but the Colleges That Change Lives are nurturing environments that do not let students become just a number. If a student has graduate school aspirations, I especially recommend this book, because these schools have much better track records for preparing and having their students accepted into first choice graduate programs. One of the criteria for being in Colleges That Change Lives is a school cannot be too selective. Even though some of these schools have become quite popular from inclusion in this book, they still accept other than straight A students, because they firmly believe in the learning experience gained from the academic mix of students. This updated version is even more inspiring than the previous. These colleges really do change lives!

77 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the only two books you need August 15, 2006

By Mega Mom

Format:Paperback

As a parent in the grips of high anxiety (I have a high school senior and I high school junior) I highly recommend this book. Although I am a bit concerned that these 40 schools are about to be swamped with applications, I think it will encourage familes to look for their own "schools that change lives." The other book I highly recommend is GETTING IN WITHIUT FREAKING OUT by Arlene Matthews. It is written for anxious, confused parents like me and lays out exactly what to worry about and what NOT to worry about as you and your kids negotiate every step if the school search and application process. The second book is also very reassuring and funny, which I appreciated.