The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2009: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, 35th Edition (Paperback)

~ Yale Daily News Staff (Author) "Less than an hour's drive east of Montgomery, the plains of Alabama give rise to Auburn University..." (more)
Key Phrases: graduation rate, percent accepted, regular deadline, Number Entering, Percent Other, Percent Hispanic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An unvarnished view of college life...as intimate as a late-night chat in a dorm room."

—The Atlantic Monthly

"Savvy parents and students hold this book to be a must-read."

—New York Daily News

"Invaluable in choosing and getting into a college."

—Chicago Tribune

"Student-written profiles in The Insider's Guide ... are lively and informative and strike the tone of a college pal offering advice."

—Rolling Stone

Product Description

For 35 years, The Insider's Guide to the Colleges has been the favorite resource of high school seniors across the country because it is the only comprehensive college reference wirtten and researched by students for students.

In interviews with hundreds of peers on campuses across the country, our writers have gotten the inside scoop on every school on topics from professors and campus life to dorms and student activities.

This 35th edition has been completely revised and updated to stay on top of campus trends and attitudes. Each school profile in The Insider's Guide cuts through the veneer of brochures and common stereotypes to reveal the college as it's seen through the eyes of its students.

This comprehensive guide includes:

- Revealing profiles of more than 330 top schools in the United States and Canada

- Essential statistics for every school, from acceptance rates to the most popular majors-

- Insider's packing list detailing what every college student really needs to bring

- College quiz that helps students find the type of school that is right for them

- FYI sections with candid student opinions and outrageous advice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1024 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 35 edition (June 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312366914
• ISBN-13: 978-0312366919
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214,021 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good because it contains so little about each campus, August 2, 2008

By	James Adcock "jimadcock" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I know this must sound backwards, but I find this to be a good book for my teenager who is just starting to explore the issue of college choice because SO LITTLE is written about each college. You can sit down and read a student-centric overview of what each college "feels like" in a page or two without getting overwhelmed. And they nailed the description of my alma mater -- but I don't know if that's a good thing or not! So, this is a good book to *start* with.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond statistics, September 4, 2008

By	Stephen Hughes (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What really sets this book apart from other college guides is that it goes beyond the standard statistics of SAT scores, majors and graduate programs offered, numbers of students and professors, etc., and looks at many other aspects of the college experience that are very important to choosing the right college and being happy there: setting, social life and atmosphere, non-academic offerings, relative strengths of the departments, special programs, and so on. For example, one great difference is that the students themselves reveal what they see as their university's strengths and weaknesses, and which departments are best and worst - which is obviously great information to have if you`ve already got a good idea of what you want to study. It's a more integral and human look at the colleges, beyond the veneer of brochures and the cold numbers of the majority of college guides, although they are important too because they provide a lot of hard facts, some of which you may not get in the Insider's Guide. To me, the Insider's Guide is a fantastic supplemental guide that helps you to think about a whole series of aspects of college life that are very important to making the right choice and being happy those four years - which is also important to doing well academically. I know it helped me to broaden my perspective on which college would be right for me when I was applying to university.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, March 11, 2009

By	S. Levin "consumer" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book really gives an insiders look at colleges instead of the usual PR that you read in standard college books. You get to know what are the real issues and advantages that students see in each college along with what there is to do, how is the food and the dorms.