Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth examining before choosing a school, January 21, 2000
This review is from: Princeton Review: Gourman Report of Undergraduate Programs, 10th Edition: A Rating of Undergraduate Programs in American and International ... in American and International Universities) (Paperback)
The criticisms put forth by previous reviewers have some merit. 1. The idea that you can rank schools with the precise numerical values this book suggests is flawed. That said, I still think this book has value. If you are interested in studying a particular field, this book ranks every major department, and gives you a good place to start. The numbers may be arguable, but they certainly give you an idea of which ball park concerning the strength of a given academic department. 2. Large state schools do fare better overall than small private schools. But this may be because large state schools have so many more available classes, professors and majors than small liberal arts colleges. This may arguably serve to make larger schools more well-rounded, but it certainly give the larger school more departments in which to excel, which may bias the results. 3. It's also true that foreign schools don't get very much attention. 4. As for Princeton being ranked #1 and the perceived bias of the book being published by the Princeton Review, the disclaimer on the back cover explains there is no affiliation between the latter and the former.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Concise, yes. Concise nonsense., October 11, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Princeton Review: Gourman Report of Undergraduate Programs, 10th Edition: A Rating of Undergraduate Programs in American and International ... in American and International Universities) (Paperback)
The reviews of Gourman's books that emphasize how "concise" his rankings are completely miss the fact that the rankings may well be totally arbitrary. Since he has doggedly refused to reveal his methodology, and since he claims to have extensive data from institutions that have no record of his having contacted them, there is no reason to think his rankings are anything more than values he chooses to assign according to whatever criteria he deems important. The US News rankings can fairly be criticized, but they are honest enough to explain the bases for their rankings, so that interested reviewers can make their own judgments and tinker with the findings--for instance, if you think US News places too much value on research or on private donations, you can "read critically" and get valuable information according to your own preferences. With Gourman, you can't do that. The other absurd thing about the Gourman Report on undergraduate schools is that high school seniors by and large don't have an unimpeachable idea of what they will major in when they choose a school...a majority don't, and even among the minority who do, a majority of them will change at least once after they enroll. So the whole premise of choosing a good school for a specific major (as opposed to a wide swath of majors, which would be fine) is a little wacky. We're not talking grad school here. Gourman appears to be that typically American creation, the educational crank...or if you'd like a less judgmental word, let's say eccentric. I will leave it to others to determine what makes our country so fertile in these strange creations. But for heaven's sake, don't send your kid to college on the basis of this stuff.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent aide in discovering high quality college programs., February 27, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Princeton Review: Gourman Report of Undergraduate Programs, 10th Edition: A Rating of Undergraduate Programs in American and International ... in American and International Universities) (Paperback)
Recommended to me by a Dean at MIT, this book was most helpful in locating good programs for the student who knows what major she wants. Too many guides focus on the student goal of "atmosphere", but this book looks at schools the way an employer would - how sound is the educational program. Weakness - primarily large institutions are reviewed. Smaller schools which may have a strong department are not covered.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
