Fiske Guide to Colleges 2000 [Paperback]

Edward B. Fiske (Author), Edward B Fiske (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 749 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (August 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812931718
• ISBN-13: 978-0812931716
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,059,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

170 of 173 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable asset in the never-ending college search, May 14, 2000

By 

Brett E. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fiske Guide to Colleges 2000 (Paperback)

Being an 11th grader in high school and experiencing the college process firsthand, I have purchased various college guides in the past few months and have decided to enlighten other students and parents of my opinions regarding these books.

For students wanting to narrow down the list of over 2,200 four-year colleges, I strongly recommend The Princeton Review's "The Best 331 Colleges." This book provides invaluable information concerning some of the best institutions in the nation, covering crucial topics such as academics, student life, the student body, admissions, and financial aid. What I loved about this book in particular was its sincere and straightforward look at how the students feel about their college, since much of the information is based on actual responses from attending students. Contrary to other types of college guides, The Princeton Review gives you the essential statistics and information (median SAT scores, average GPA, percentage of applicants accepted, number of undergrads, etc.), and goes above and beyond that by including student reactions and descriptions which make you feel as if you were actually there. Of course, nothing can substitute an actual visit to a college, but the Princeton Review book is one of the best ways to start your college search and decide which universities appeal to you.

Another book that I purchased was the enormous 3,257 page "Peterson's 4 Year Colleges" guide. This book is adequate for finding copious amounts of statistics regarding every 4- year college in the United States, as well as a few international universities. The introduction is fairly informative, and the second half of the book provides brief 2-page descriptions of various colleges listed in the beginning of the book. This guide is ok for people who want to consider ALL their options, but it is probably not necessary at all if you at least have a vague idea of where you want to go and what you would like to do.

"The Fiske Guide to Colleges" is truly exceptional. Although it may not include every college out there, it does have over 300 of the best ones available. Similar to the Princeton Review's guide, Fiske gives actual ratings to academics, social life, and quality of life, but on a 5-star scale. What is helpful about this is that it gives the reader a modified perspective of a college which may have been otherwise thought of differently. For example, a college which has a five-star rating for academics may seem great to parents and students at first, but then you might realize that the quality of life and social rating might be horrible and students hate living there. This is not the case all the time, but it is a helpful warning that elucidates what exactly the life at a college may be like. Another great thing about Fiske's guide is that his college summaries really bolster his rankings, and he covers everything from the effectiveness of classroom academics to the abundance of frat parties.

The last guide I will comment on is the "Insider's Guide to the Colleges," which was written by actual college students. This book is pretty good and gives insight to quality of academics, student body, and social life, but mainly focuses on the latter. It is fun to read and has lots of humorous quotes from students at the individual colleges. The introduction was pretty good as well, and contains important information for people not too familiar with college applications or terminology.

Overall, I believe if you want to buy only one or two books, I would opt for either The Princeton Review's "The Best 331 Colleges" or the "Fiske Guide," primarily because of the books' forthright approach to assessing the colleges based on various factors, not just academics. And to all students applying to college this coming fall, I wish you all the best of luck.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Parent Review (Note: I am an adult, not a 12 y/o child!), October 14, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Fiske Guide to Colleges 2000 (Paperback)

As a parent of a college sophomore and a high school senior, I have used and appreciated Ed Fiske's books for several years. The task of evaluating and comparing different schools is a very difficult one, so both of his books have been wonderful resources. The Fiske Guide 2000 is dog-eared from the hours that my daughter and I have gone through it, and because we trust Fiske so much she will apply only to the schools he reviews. My older daughter attends and is greatly enjoying Beloit College. Fiske's reviews of Beloit and the other schools she had applied to were tremendously helpful in guiding her to that decision. My younger daughter (Julie) and I have visited over a dozen schools that Fiske has reviewed, and I have found his descriptions to be accurate and thorough. I would like to mention, too, that The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College is a wonderful resource for students, but is even more essential for parents. It really walks you through the college decision process beautifully, and is a great complement to his other book.

All in all, I don't know what we would have done without the expertise of Edward Fiske. Julie will be choosing her college within the next 6 months, and I have confidence that her choice will be a wise one, in large part because of the guidance of Edward Fiske.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Average Guide, not the Best, July 12, 2000

By 

Dolorosa "adventuress" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fiske Guide to Colleges 2000 (Paperback)

I have both the Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Princeton Review version. The Fiske book focused more on the strength of certain academic programs at the various colleges. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not certain what I want to study in college-this info really isn't important to me right now.

The Princeton Review had a more accurate view of the students social life, conclusions which were reaffirmed when I visited college campuses. I'd buy both books, but the Princeton Review 331 Best Colleges is easier to read, has more information on financial aid and important statistics, and is almost totally based on student surveys.