There is a wide range of resources available to help students obtain a better idea about different colleges and what life might be like on campus. Nothing can replace your impression of the campus and how you can (or cannot) imagine fitting in at a particular school, but there are other tools such as school websites, visits with admissions representatives, and books or other resources that all contain information that can help round out your view of a school. Many people put a great deal of stock into college rankings and this week the Princeton Review released their updated book on the "Best 371 Colleges" which features summaries of different schools and lists "Top 20's" for 62 different categories. The lists are entertaining and shouldn't receive too much attention (since, as this Associated Press story points out, there were, on average, just 325 respondents per school), but there is some very interesting information that you can find by reading these lists. For example, if you LOVE sports then it should be a warning to you if you realize that your top choice of college is on the "Nobody plays intramural sports" and "Intercollegiate Sports Unpopular or Nonexistent" lists. I do want to caution you - do NOT read too much into this resource - use it as just one more source. For example, when you read things like top party schools (which has OU at #5 on the list) you will find that some students might be responding in a way that they want outside people to perceive their school and it is also important to keep this in perspective because students can find and make college into whatever experience they want. Obviously, since they are highlighting 371 colleges, all schools are not included. Enjoy checking to see where your colleges of choice fall on their various lists.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Princeton Review's View of Colleges
There is a wide range of resources available to help students obtain a better idea about different colleges and what life might be like on campus. Nothing can replace your impression of the campus and how you can (or cannot) imagine fitting in at a particular school, but there are other tools such as school websites, visits with admissions representatives, and books or other resources that all contain information that can help round out your view of a school. Many people put a great deal of stock into college rankings and this week the Princeton Review released their updated book on the "Best 371 Colleges" which features summaries of different schools and lists "Top 20's" for 62 different categories. The lists are entertaining and shouldn't receive too much attention (since, as this Associated Press story points out, there were, on average, just 325 respondents per school), but there is some very interesting information that you can find by reading these lists. For example, if you LOVE sports then it should be a warning to you if you realize that your top choice of college is on the "Nobody plays intramural sports" and "Intercollegiate Sports Unpopular or Nonexistent" lists. I do want to caution you - do NOT read too much into this resource - use it as just one more source. For example, when you read things like top party schools (which has OU at #5 on the list) you will find that some students might be responding in a way that they want outside people to perceive their school and it is also important to keep this in perspective because students can find and make college into whatever experience they want. Obviously, since they are highlighting 371 colleges, all schools are not included. Enjoy checking to see where your colleges of choice fall on their various lists.
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