36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Out Of Date Information Recycled Year After Year, August 2, 2005
This review is from: Fiske Guide to Colleges 2006 (Paperback)
When deciding on a college in 1991, I extensively used this book. I
liked the story-like format that gave a glimpse of what I believed to
be what a particular school would "feel like" if I attended it. I
ultimately chose Pomona College and graduated in 1996.
One of the passages from the 1991 book describes that students
sometimes relax by "tossing a frisbee between kegs of beer parked on
the lawn". Pomona's alcohol policy was changed in 1990 to EXPLICTLY
prohibit any activity of this sort...this SIMPLY WASN'T ALLOWED...in
fact this passage was so out-of-step with campus culture as to be
laughable. During my first two years at Pomona (1992-1994) there was
something of an alcohol gestapo that sought out students drinking in
their own rooms, to say nothing of stomping out any possibility of
public consumption of alcohol. The point is, at least one of the
book's descriptions about campus culture was WAY off base...perhaps it
was a remnant from an earlier time (mid 1980's?) when campus culture
would have permitted public consumption of alcohol....perhaps the book
was just a year or two out of date?
Well, in ensuing years I sometimes picked up the latest Fiske guide in
a bookstore to see what was being written about my school. 1994, 1995,
1998, 1999, 2000...each edition maintained the same exact passage
about kegs on the lawn.
I began to wonder if Fiske ever actually revised the content of the
book apart from adjusting the fluctuating SAT and demographic numbers.
I have not read the most recent version, but BE WARY. If their
description of my school can maintain a grossly incorrect passage for
more than a decade, what might be written about the school that you're
interested in that is similarly incorrect or outdated?
DO NOT TRUST THIS BOOK to get it right. Use multiple sources and VISIT
the schools you're thinking about if you can afford to do so! Good
luck to you!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Place to Start, August 12, 2005
This review is from: Fiske Guide to Colleges 2006 (Paperback)
This useful guide provides a nice cross-section of the nation's colleges. Each entry gives you a feel for the college--student body personality, academic style, special programs, food and housing--along with critical facts like strongest majors, percentage of acceptances to applications, and student SAT score range. There are also lists of best buy schools and schools that provide learning disabilities programs. It is much more informative than the U.S. News and World Report college guide and much more helpful, especially if you are trying to find a good student/school match instead of just a status school. It is a well-crafted reference for parents and students and I recommend it as an essential first step orientation to the nerve-wracking process of choosing a decent college.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Relevant Guide, October 24, 2005
This review is from: Fiske Guide to Colleges 2006 (Paperback)
I found this college guide to be one of the most helpful I have seen. It tells you what you really want to know about a college-beyond the numbers, the selectivity and average SAT scores. The lists of subject areas particular colleges excel in were extremely helpful in narrowing the field of possible choices. The description of each college is so comprehensive it is possible to imagine what life there would be like; and so readable I found myself reading about schools we would never even dream of applying to, just for fun. My daughter actually read this guide and enjoyed it. It did help her define her interests and concerns. She was able to develop a realistic and balanced list of where to apply.
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