The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2004: 30th Edition [Paperback]

Yale Daily News Staff (Author), Daily News Yale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2003 | Series: Insiders' Guide to the Colleges: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know

The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges is the only college reference written and researched by students for students. Our writers have interviewed hundreds of undergrads—about academic life, diversity, the dating scene, even the food—to uncover what it’s really like to work and play at the country’s top colleges. Rather than glossy brochure hype, you get the unvarnished truth about campus life told directly by the students who live it.

Now in its thirtieth edition, this unbeatable college reference includes:

- Revealing profiles of more than 300 top schools in the U.S. and Canada
- Completely updated statistics, from average SAT scores to male/female ratios
- A “College Finder” that lets students zero in on the right schools for them
- Unusual “FYI” sections with outrageous advice and insider observations

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Students on campus tell you what you really want to know

“Savvy parents and students hold this book to be a must-read.”
—New York Daily News

“Who better to tell prospective students about life at college than current students?”
—Boston Herald

The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges is the only college reference written and researched by students for students. Our writers have interviewed hundreds of undergrads—about academic life, diversity, the dating scene, even the food—to uncover what it’s really like to work and play at the country’s top colleges. Rather than glossy brochure hype, you get the unvarnished truth about campus life told directly by the students who live it.

Now in its thirtieth edition, this unbeatable college reference includes:

- Revealing profiles of more than 300 top schools in the U.S. and Canada
- Completely updated statistics, from average SAT scores to male/female ratios
- A “College Finder” that lets students zero in on the right schools for them
- Unusual “FYI” sections with outrageous advice and insider observations

About the Author

The Yale Daily News is produced by undergraduate students at Yale University. The staff is based in New Haven, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 992 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 30 edition (July 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312316186
• ISBN-13: 978-0312316181
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,315,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A fairly useless book, July 26, 2004

By 

Momoftwosons (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2004: 30th Edition (Paperback)

I found this book to be quite useless. A lot of the information is old and outdated. There is much better, and more unbiased information available on the various college forums. There is so much redundancy in this book that it makes you wonder if any real research was done (I mean, how many campuses are engulfed in Ambercromie and Fitch, or are rated by Playboy for this or that, or you should bring a warm jacket - DUH). They raved about my alma mater, SUNY-Binghamton, being a diverse student body. Oh please - 96% of the kids from the greater NYC area. They might be different colors or whatever, but they are not diverse. For another school, Alfred Univ, they talk about the frats. Alfred got rid of its frats in 2002. Those are just a couple of the examples of poor information.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Might as well have been written by admissions office..., September 10, 2003

By 

Constance P. Mccaslin "cmcca776" (Warsaw, Poland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2004: 30th Edition (Paperback)

30 years ago, this book was one of the most valuable resources you could find when researching colleges. It wasn't just that it was witty and stuffed with information you would NEVER find in another college guide such as party life, drug use on campus, sexual mores, true access to professors, etc., but that in the small amount of space alloted to each college, it managed to sum up pretty well what a normal student's experience might be at that school.

I distinctly remember the review of my college (Kenyon): "At the end of the first year, you know everyone; at the end of the third year, you know everyone too well..."

This assessment would NEVER make it into the NEW Insider's Guide, which shouldn't even have "insider's" in the title. The new editions have been written by "insiders" from the admissions department and include the same information found in the public relations material put out by the colleges. If you want this information, you can get it free from the universities. If you want anything more, you will have to find it somewhere else. I am frankly surprised that this book, in this format has survived this long.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Starting Point, November 11, 2003

By 

Miz Rae (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2004: 30th Edition (Paperback)

I am finding this book really useful in narrowing down my college options. It really goes beyond the statistics to give you a feel for the schools and the atmosphere you would be entering if you went there. I have found the descriptions to be very accurate, and that it lists both the pros and the cons of the schools. This book covers everything- from how selective the schools are, to the estimated costs/financial aid, to the party scene, etc.