The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2005: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 31st Edition (Insiders' Guide to the Colleges: ... Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know) [Paperback]

Yale Daily News Staff (Author)

Book Description

Series: Insiders' Guide to the Colleges: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know | Publication Date: July 1, 2004

The Insider's Guide to the Colleges is the only comprehensive college reference written and researched by students for students. Our writers have grilled hundreds of fellow undergrads--about professors, diversity, student activities, the social scene, and even housing--to give you the inside scoop on the country's top colleges. This dependable resource cuts through the hype and glossy brochures to reveal what's really happening on campus.

Now in its 31st edition, this invaluable college guide includes:

- Revealing profiles of over 300 top schools in the U.S. and Canada
- Essential statistics for every school, from SAT score to male/female ratio
- A "College Finder" that helps students zero in on the right schools for them
- Unique "FYI" sections with candid observations and outrageous advice

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

About the Author

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 1024 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 31st edition (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312323840
• ISBN-13: 978-0312323844
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,063,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant (but non-essential) addition to the college books' scene, July 7, 2005

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2005: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 31st Edition (Insiders' Guide to the Colleges: ... Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know) (Paperback)

My son and I went through the college searching process in the past year (he'll start college next month), and we went through quite a bit of literature in our quest. Some of it serious, some of it not so serious.

"The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2005" is one of those to be taken not too seriously. If anything, I would suggest this is a good book to read, when your son or daughter is close to making a decision, and (s)he wants to find confirmation of impressions already made. My son concentrated his college search to colleges in the southern half of Ohio, and having visited a number of them, the descriptions in this book seem on target, in a general "gut check" kinda way.

I certainly would not recommend this book as the most essential book to read when starting off on your college search. But it is a fun, irrevent look at the college scene, and the book should be taken as such, nothing more.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a very good book, September 29, 2004

By 

D. Hewes (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2005: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 31st Edition (Insiders' Guide to the Colleges: ... Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know) (Paperback)

I bought this book, and I looked at what the book said about my college (Pitzer) and everything you could pick off the website they got right. But as one has said before me, they get A LOT wrong. For example they say the school has two places students can eat, mentioning a place called "The Gold Mine," they mention this place a number of times, yet it does not exist. They talk about "nick names" that everyone calls the dorm buildings, nicknames that I have NEVER heard. Another example is the big fair that Pitzer has each year, there is a very strange story behind how the fair started. If they asked anyone on campus about the fair, they would could tell them the story. Yet the book says its a fair celebrating the coming of spring. Why would a college located in southern CA, with warm weather year round have a fair celebrating the coming of warm weather in the rest of the country? Yale kids are smarter then that? Arn't they? I gave a three star rating because general information is put in the same place. But there are a lot better books out there. So unless your just skimming the book while your in a book store, steer clear of this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Major Piece of the Puzzle, April 23, 2005

By 

Fran G. Levin "Connecticut" (CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2005: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 31st Edition (Insiders' Guide to the Colleges: ... Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know) (Paperback)

Selecting a college has to be one of the most frustrating and overwhelming tasks for students and parents alike. As an experienced high school counselor, I use this book as the "icing" to determine how well the personality of the school matches my students' desires and comfort levels. The internet and the "big books" offer great statistical information, but "The Insiders' Guide" can help a students visualize what it would be like to actually live and go to school there. I highly recommend it, and often do!