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Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges Review
Prospective college students and their parents have been relying on Loren Pope’s expertise since 1995, when he published the first edition of this indispensable guide. This new edition profiles 41 colleges—all of which outdo the Ivies and research universities in producing performers, not only among A students but also among those who get Bs and Cs. Contents include: • Evaluations of each school’s program and “personality” • Candid assessments by students, professors, and deans • Information on the progress of graduates This new edition not only revisits schools listed in previous volumes to give readers a comprehensive assessment, it also addresses such issues as homeschooling, learning disabilities, and single-sex education. User Submitted Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges ReviewsJanuary 5, 2009 well, it worked I don't really know anything about this sort of book (I teach in a college and don't think much about how kids pick or apply to colleges) but I bought this for my nephew who was massively uninterested in applying anywhere and it WORKED. He got interested in these schools and filled out applications. So, cool. What better rec could a reference book have? (I also bought him a copy of Making a Difference Colleges: Distinctive Colleges to Make a Better World and he liked that, too.) December 12, 2008 Good advice but hire someone to help you I've read two of Loren Pope's books about colleges while hunting for a small liberal arts college in the U.S. His books are really helpful, but there is one area where I was misled. For months I just read his books and about 4 others to get an idea of what colleges were out there and what kind academics they offered, their admissions requirements, scholarships, etc. I also used online sources to get the student's opinions. Just a few pages and paragraphs about a school doesn't really tell you much about how you would fit in. Frustrated with so many choices and not really getting anywhere I was lucky to meet a college counselor through a friend. For about 3 hours and at a reasonable rate they interviewed me and got an idea of my interests, my ideas of what college means to me, and my expectations. They gave me about 20 colleges I might like. I narrowed down those choices to around 12 that I could study more about and began visiting those that were close enough. Loren Pope says in all his books you don't need to hire someone to help you do this. Maybe you don't, but I did and after I got that help I found the college of my dreams and several others I loved. None of the colleges in his books made my final cut. That doesn't mean there isn't info in there that you can use. Please, do read his books, but then try and find someone who knows about colleges and can help you narrow down the choices to fit your needs. December 2, 2008 great the book was something our school college counselor told us to read...very helpful and interesting November 15, 2008 Essential for students and parents Our son graduated high school in 2002. A friend suggested this book to us and we read it eagerly. We parents were struck by the wisdom of Pope's arguments that big name colleges charge a lot for the prestige of the name, while the colleges in this book just offer great education. Our son studied the book and came up with four colleges he wanted to look at - and one he was pretty sure was the place for him. After visiting the campuses, that's where he ended up going, and he thinks it was the best thing that could have happened in his life. He would have never found that college without Pope's book. We recommend the book enthusiastically to anyone we know with a child looking at colleges. They may not be for everyone, but understanding his philosophy of choosing them will make you a more discerning consumer. November 14, 2008 A Book That Has Become a Classic Guide to Colleges This book, "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change The Way You Think About Colleges", has become a well-known and classic guidebook read by many during the college selection process. It is the book that first introduces many people to the concept that small liberal arts colleges will often provide a superior education and are a better choices than big universities for many college-bound high school seniors. It challanges the notion that acceptance into an Ivy League or Ivy League wannabe school should be the ultimate goal for typical bright perspective college students. It points out that the Ivy League schools and most large universities target graduate students rather than undergraduate students. It also points out that professors at those schools are often far more interested in research than paying attention to whether undergraduate students are actually learning the subject or not. Small 4-year liberal arts colleges, however, are different. There, class sizes are smaller, and the professors are far more likely to care about whether their students actually understand what is being taught. The small liberal arts colleges are also much easier for the typical high school graduate to gain entry to. Ivy League schools are beyond reach for the vast majority of high school graduates, and many large public universities have many more applicants than they can accept. The downside to most private 4-year liberal arts colleges, of course, is cost. The published tuition prices are usually considerably higher than those of most public universities. However, there is some good news about cost. Most private colleges today discount their tuition costs via financial aid and merit scholarships. So, the final cost of a private 4-year liberal arts college might not be too much more than that of a typical public university. The vast majority of the book is devoted to descriptions of 40 colleges that the writer has selected based upon the criteria he chose to rate the impact of the colleges upon the lives of their students. Those 40 colleges he felt were the best among the colleges he considered. Some of the best information is therefore at the beginning of the book. Starting on about page 35, he begins his descriptons of the 40 colleges. I could not help wondering as I read through the college descriptions whether other writers would have used different criteria and therefore included some different colleges. It should also be pointed out that one must be careful in wholely relying upon this book to make their college selection. One should take note that the writer included Antioch College among the 40 colleges. Antioch College, of course, is now closed. That fact suggests that parents need to consider more than just whether a college has historically been innovative or life-changing when considering whether they want to spend their money to send their children to it. They might also want to take a look at a college's financial picture, its enrollment statistics, and in just what manner the college has been changing lives. Overall, "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change The Way You Think About Colleges" should be a must-read book for parents and perspective college students. It will make one think about whether the best undergraduate college option is always a large public university. October 4, 2008 VERY HELPFUL, WITH A CAVEAT The author makes a persuasive case for small, liberal arts colleges, many of whom are not well-known. He describes each school in detail, and does a very good job of pointing out each school's advantages. Initially I was quite impressed with the information. What is lacking is very much information about problem areas or weaknesses of each college. The book is so laudatory, it lacks even-handedness. I am recommending the book highly, but think it needs to be complemented with a more balanced book. As an example, Pope (rightly, I think) raves about St. John's College in New Mexico, which uses the "Great Books" as primary sources. But, this praise needs to be balanced. Here are comments about St John's from The Princeton Review's "The Best 368 Colleges": "full of relentless intellectual duress..." " a school for super-geeks"...Everyone is a "voracious reader" and "kind of neurotic". I'm not saying these comments are all valid, but they should be included for the reader's consideration. Other than this criticism, I think the book is a great asset, and one we'll make good use of in researching colleges. August 10, 2008 College Management assistance I felt that this book provided pretty general common knowledge information. It gave examples of people who's college experience had an impact on them, but did not increase my knowledge of making that match between applicants and colleges. This book did not satisfy my "need to know" about the college process. August 5, 2008 Money not wasted I used this book in our college search. The book is worth reading, if only for the additional college information that it offers. My daughter ended up at one of these colleges four years ago. I am very satisfied. August 2, 2008 An Eye-Opening Book I will always be grateful that someone recommended Loren Pope's book to me when my daughter was a high school sophomore. The book made such an impact on me that I remember where I was when I was reading it. (A soccer tournament in Lancaster, CA.) The book opened up an entirely new world for me because I had previously assumed that universities were superior to any pint-sized alternatives. It had never occurred me, my husband or daughter to consider liberal arts colleges. Pope made an eloquent--and to me -- persuasive argument that liberal arts colleges are a wonderful choice for many students. I definitely don't think you should treat the 40 schools profiled as the only ones worth considering, but I would urge you to use the book to gain an appreciation of what small schools can offer. My daughter just finished her freshman year at one of the 40 schools that's located in Pennsylvania and she had a marvelous experience. She liked ALL of her professors, she returned home bilingual (she's a Spanish major) and she made lots of friends. She brought five of them back home to San Diego during spring break. After touring liberal arts colleges, my daughter ultimately didn't even want to apply to any University of California campuses. Liberal arts colleges, however, aren't cheap, which is why I set out to discover how we could afford a private school on a state school budget. Those efforts led me to write my own book, which was just released called The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price. I think my book is a valuable supplement to Pope's book because it includes concrete advice on how you can slash the cost of private schools with high sticker prices. As I learned through my research as a financial journalist, the prices are meaningless if you know where to look. July 6, 2008 A valuable tool Loved this book. Gave me a new outlook on smaller 4 year liberal art colleges. Highly recommend it to parents and their students who want to find out what type of college they are best suited for. Wish the author would review other liberal art colleges besides those listed. An easy read with great information! For more Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges reviews click here.
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