Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About 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.

From my experience, there is much wisdom in Pope's book. I teach at a small LAC - though not one of the ones Pope mentions in the book - and see the many benefits students have in this kind of setting. The kind of advantages at the kind of institutions Pope describes are many: collaborative education, strong connections to professors, opportunities to do research, and the chance for students of all abilities to shine as leaders. When my oldest son was exploring colleges 5 years ago, we turned to Pope's book for guidance. He has Asperger's syndrome, and he found a great home at one of the midwestern colleges Pope profiled. He had a terrific support system, mentors, developed great friendships, and thrived academically. At my son's CTCL institution, and at my own, I see a similar pattern: students learning to think, write, and function in the world of work through internships and community-based learning, translating those experiences into solid entry-level jobs or admission to the top tier of public and private graduate schools. I don't think you have to follow Pope's book as an absolute guide - there are plenty of other fine institutions that are not in his book that merit our attention and will provide excellent educations. I did not attend a LAC - instead a larger, private university where I never found my social or academic niche - but am so pleased to have the chance to now work at a LAC and engage and relate with students in a way that transforms both our lives.

As a career coach for college-bound students, I recommend Loren Pope's book to my clients, but not as a guide to specific schools. What is most worthwhile is Pope's well-articulated point of view that college is not an exercise in grabbing the prestigious brass ring, or getting one's ticket punched for a first job. It is something much more... College is an integral part of the personal and professional development that a young adult needs to experience in our sophisticated, complex society. It is a "laboratory" for nurturing academic passion, developing genuine appreciation for a broad range of liberal arts subjects, gaining firsthand experience in research, scholarship and leadership. College is not a ticket for an already perfect, accomplished student. It is a transformative experience to help a student become an even more focused, contributing professional adult. Pope clearly lays out the case that many elite graduate oriented schools do not create a transformative environment for undergrads, and therefore do not offer much value to college students except for "brand name" prestige. In contrast, there are many educational institutions out there, some well known, some not, that place more emphasis on the undergrad experience. That is the kind of atmosphere you should seek out if you are an undergraduate! There is plenty of time later to "get your ticket punched" at a prestigious graduate school, particularly if you perform well and gain valuable hands-on experience during college. But Loren Pope is sayng, get through those formative years first, and have something meaningful to show for it. I would not simply make these 40 schools into one's college list. You need to check out every school for yourself, especially through visits, to ensure a school is a suitable match for you. But adopting Loren Pope's attitude toward the value of the undergraduate experience is a great place to start. -Kris Hintz, [...]

Comprehensive review of the less known but very good US colleges. Great for future students and parents. Shows how diverse the educational field in the US is.

Very opinionated and narrow minded.