41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Adequate for anyone wanting a large perspective of colleges, May 14, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Peterson's 4 Year Colleges 2000: The Best Advice, the Best Tools, the Right Guide (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.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for HS Seniors and Juniors, January 31, 2002
This review is from: Peterson's 4 Year Colleges 2000: The Best Advice, the Best Tools, the Right Guide (Paperback)
This book is great for high school students who are looking for a great school to go to for college. It most of the four-year colleges throughout the United States and some that are in Canada, Europe, and other places throughout the world. It's a HUGE book and breaks down your search into majors, areas of the country, how expensive it can be, and how hard it can be to get into.
If you want to get into a great college, look no further!
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16 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Peterson's 4 Year Colleges 2000: The Best Advice, November 24, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Peterson's 4 Year Colleges 2000: The Best Advice, the Best Tools, the Right Guide (Paperback)
I am a Highschool student, I have been looking now for a good 4 year college to go to and I came across this book in the library. I think it is a wonderful book. It has all the important names, numbers and things you need to know about the given school. I am looking foreward to reciving my copy.
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