Rating: 
Summary: Next time, Mr. Pope, please make it "new"...not "revised"
Review: Loren Pope's "Colleges That Change Lives" is arguably the best, and certainly one of the most influential, college guide books ever published in the U.S. Over the past five years its stature, along with that of its companion book,"Looking Beyond the Ivy League", has grown to the point that it is a "must read" for any college bound junior or senior, parents, and high school guidance counselors. Meticulously researched and beautifully argued, the message in "Colleges That Change Lives" about the continued developmental growth impact of certain types of liberal arts colleges even manages to supercede the excellent profiles of the specific 40 colleges in highlighted in the book. When my oldest son applied to college several years ago, he focused largely on colleges in the book, and we have all been very pleased with his progress at one of them (Denison). In that sense, the book itself has already helped change many lives.That being said, the revised edition of the book is somewhat of a disappointment. Yes, three colleges have been changed (the dropped ones are now probably not accepting many students with less than A- averages, hence they no longer fit the strict definition implied by the book's subtitle!). And yes, there is a solid new chapter about ADD and learning disorder issues as they relate to these types of schools. BUT the rest of the updates are superficial, at best. Quotes from students and teachers that appeared in the first edition are still there. Mr. Pope's own insights and conclusions about the colleges are repeated verbatim. One gets the impression that he and/or the editors made some quick phone calls to the schools that Mr. Pope visited so exhaustively for the first edition, then changed a few sentences here and there. In short, virtually all the views, quotes and anecdotes from students, teachers, and even Mr. Pope himself are now literally over five years old. To put that into an obvious perspective, that's longer than an entire four year undergraduate cycle. Surely the changes at some, if not most, of these schools deserve a more up to date assessment at ground level. Yes, it would have taken six months of research to visit all of the schools again in depth, but that is something that Mr. Pope's readers have a right to expect. Beyond this, perhaps the other perspective missing from this "revised" edition is some discussion on the growing importance of at least some technology knowledge becoming integral to a liberal arts education. By that I'm not referring to a specific, point-in-time, base of technical knowledge (Mr. Pope does a wonderful job arguing why this is generally irrelevant), but rather the importance of developing a technical perspective in the context of "even" a liberal arts education. How are different liberal arts colleges doing on that front? In particular, how are the 40 profiled here doing? We don't know because the question itself was not yet as relevant in the early days of the mid 1990s digital/internet revolution as it is today. The above criticisms notwithstanding, "Colleges That Change Lives" is still an important book - as much for the perspective it provides as for the general feel of the colleges it covers. Let's just hope that the next edition of Mr. Pope's superb, originally groundbreaking book will not include quotes and perspectives that otherwise by then would be almost a decade old!
Rating:
Summary: Next time, Mr. Pope, please make it "new"...not "revised"
Review: Loren Pope's "Colleges That Change Lives" is arguably the best, and certainly one of the most influential, college guide books ever published in the U.S. Over the past five years its stature, along with that of its companion book,"Looking Beyond the Ivy League", has grown to the point that it is a "must read" for any college bound junior or senior, parents, and high school guidance counselors. Meticulously researched and beautifully argued, the message in "Colleges That Change Lives" about the continued developmental growth impact of certain types of liberal arts colleges even manages to supercede the excellent profiles of the specific 40 colleges in highlighted in the book. When my oldest son applied to college several years ago, he focused largely on colleges in the book, and we have all been very pleased with his progress at one of them (Denison). In that sense, the book itself has already helped change many lives. That being said, the revised edition of the book is somewhat of a disappointment. Yes, three colleges have been changed (the dropped ones are now probably not accepting many students with less than A- averages, hence they no longer fit the strict definition implied by the book's subtitle!). And yes, there is a solid new chapter about ADD and learning disorder issues as they relate to these types of schools. BUT the rest of the updates are superficial, at best. Quotes from students and teachers that appeared in the first edition are still there. Mr. Pope's own insights and conclusions about the colleges are repeated verbatim. One gets the impression that he and/or the editors made some quick phone calls to the schools that Mr. Pope visited so exhaustively for the first edition, then changed a few sentences here and there. In short, virtually all the views, quotes and anecdotes from students, teachers, and even Mr. Pope himself are now literally over five years old. To put that into an obvious perspective, that's longer than an entire four year undergraduate cycle. Surely the changes at some, if not most, of these schools deserve a more up to date assessment at ground level. Yes, it would have taken six months of research to visit all of the schools again in depth, but that is something that Mr. Pope's readers have a right to expect. Beyond this, perhaps the other perspective missing from this "revised" edition is some discussion on the growing importance of at least some technology knowledge becoming integral to a liberal arts education. By that I'm not referring to a specific, point-in-time, base of technical knowledge (Mr. Pope does a wonderful job arguing why this is generally irrelevant), but rather the importance of developing a technical perspective in the context of "even" a liberal arts education. How are different liberal arts colleges doing on that front? In particular, how are the 40 profiled here doing? We don't know because the question itself was not yet as relevant in the early days of the mid 1990s digital/internet revolution as it is today. The above criticisms notwithstanding, "Colleges That Change Lives" is still an important book - as much for the perspective it provides as for the general feel of the colleges it covers. Let's just hope that the next edition of Mr. Pope's superb, originally groundbreaking book will not include quotes and perspectives that otherwise by then would be almost a decade old!
Rating: 
Summary: square holes for square pegs
Review: My son was so miserable in the public grade school system that he attempted suicide and almost succeeded. For once, I was glad he failed at something. That was our wake-up call, and we found him a private high school that would not force him into some cookie-cutter, state-mandated, one-size-fits-few program. He bloomed, and graduated with good grades as student body president. His headmaster referred us to this book when choosing a college. I was just glad he was alive, and happy at last. But he chose a challenging school, Marlboro, and has bloomed there, as well. He has never needed things to be easier, he has just needed them to make sense to him. Now he's talking about a career as a teacher -- back at the high school that helped to save his life. This is a seriously good book for kids who need a different drummer. If your kid needs a better fit, have a look.
Rating:
Summary: AN UNNECESSARY WE-THEY ATTITUDE?
Review: No question about Loren Pope's credentials or about the quality of infomation in this book, but I don't understand the animosity towards Ivy League schools that the book generates. There are plenty of "A" students who would find Harvard an even richer experience than some of the excellent colleges (some the same size as undergraduate Harvard College) that Pope recommends. A student with strong curiosity may well arrive at college-application time--and at college, too--without any clear idea of a major. At an Ivy League college, the number of majors available, because of deep resources, is large. Also, I could not relate to the lack of community and lack of warmth that Pope sees in the Ivy League. I could not help but wonder how much time Pope and some of the critics of the Ivies have actually spent on those campuses--recently. There still exists an unfortunate stereotype, not valid for over 25 years now, that the Ivies are places of privilege, snobbery, and distant professors. There is also a cruel myth that these schools chew up "nice kids," especially from small towns or rural areas, and spit them out. .... I am suggesting that the We vs. Ivies attitude that Pope and some of his readers are fostering is a disservice to SOME kids, who would get a real bang out of four years at Yale or Dartmouth. The Ivies are not the schools they were 25 years ago; they are even more diverse in student population and potential studies, and they are still characterized by friendly kids and faculty--and world-class facilities. Please do not fall into the traditional ...animosity that might lead you to dismiss them out of hand. Yale might be exactly the dream experience for you or your son or daughter.
Rating:
Summary: Good Job
Review: The author did a great job researching and writing this book. After you read it, get the book "WEST POINT", by Norman Thomas Remick, for more complete information on what Andrew Jackson called "the best school in the world". Like "COLLEGES THAT CHANGE LIVES" so adroitly says, you don't have to be a straight A student. They're looking for well rounded students of character to give their full scholarships to.
Rating:
Summary: Good schools, not great writing
Review: The purpose of this book is to direct students without great grades to schools that will not only accept them, but also give them an outstanding education. It is a wonderful goal, and I am currently attending one of the institutions highlighted in the book, Clark University. The book gave me a great idea of the atmosphere of Clark, what I could expect from the community, and what kind of people would be best suited for Clark. I love it here, and I'm delighted to have found the school via this book.
That being said, this book is, again, intended for students with lower grades. Having worked my (...) off throughout school to get good grades, the numerous snide remarks about honor roll students were incredibly offensive. I read this book because I didn't want to go to a pretentious, showy university that cared more about reputation than education. To have it repeatedly implied that if I get A's, that must be exactly what I want, was not fun. Nevertheless, if you get past the attitude issues, and just look at the schools, this book will introduce you to some amazing institutions.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine if you live on the East Coast
Review: There is precious little information about Western Colleges in this book. Aside from tiny Reed College and Evergreen, apparently lives don't get changed west of the Mississipi.
Rating: 
Summary: Buyer beware
Review: This book has good, accurate descriptions of all the colleges, but unfortunately since it was published this book has made each of the colleges in it get many more applicants. Therefore, they are much harder to get in to than implied. My child had a C average and 1400's on SAT's and did not get into any of these applied to.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Anyone Thinking About College
Review: This book has really opened up our college search. I was against smaller schools (under 5000) for my son Bill who is on track to be his high school class valedictorian despite some severe learning disabilites he has learned to compensate for. He loves to be challenged mentally and physically. Bill looks forward have stimulating interactions with new faces, wants to take advantage of a study abroad program and wishes to play tennis at the collegiate level. Oh, and he would like it to be somewhere warm preferably Florida.
I strongly encouraged that he go with a division III school. A division III school offers no athletic scholarships but usually offers attractive merit scholarships. They emphasize the students academic growth with a strong competive athletic atmosphere being secondary.
I began my search by going to the NCAA website, looking for participating schools with strong tennis records. Then I checked out the individual schools websites looking for a good personal match. While on the road visiting Rollins and Emory we spent a few hours in a book store. I had sellected a very large stack of books on the college process. Auspiciously Loren Pope's book was one which I pulled off the shelf to look over. It is quite a bit smaller in stature than most books found in the college guide section but has turned out to be by far the most informative, readable book I have spent time with so far. I believe in serendipity. We just happened into the store in Ocala FL, smaller than the store we usually go to at home. I have not seen this title on the shelves at our local store.
I have invested in quite a college resource library which I plan to donate to Bill's High School when we have completed out search, this book is one which I will have to buy additional copy because I can't let go of this one. It has become well worn like the Velveteen Rabbit with my notes throughout. So many of the Division II and III tennis schools I found listed on the NCAA website are listed in this book. I have found myself looking over schools listed throughout the book looking for other matches for other kids we know.
The book immediatley caught my attention with it's "You Don't Know as Much as You Think You Do" section. Loren Pope provides thought provoking commentary on common misconceptions made by college bound students and their families. I doubt there is a very high percentage of families who have been exposed to more than a handful of colleges and what they have to offer. I have totally revised my opinion on the size school and the "Brand Name" education doesn't necessarily equal the quality of higher education desired by my son.
My son thrives on new experiences. This book has educated us on what is out there and what types of things we want to look for and consider when making the ultimate decision. We knew in an abstract way what Bill wanted to get out of college but this book was able to help us define our search.
This book is very readable. Colleges are broken down by region with only 6 to 10 pages of descriptions gained from interviews with staff and students during visits. There are usually several comparisons to different schools within the section. The author has an extensive background and expertise in guiding prospective students.
I will continue to recommend this book to everyone I get into a college discussion with. It is at the top of my gift giving list.
I hate to say this but this book makes a person think out of the typical college search box.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Anyone Thinking About College
Review: This book has really opened up our college search. I was against smaller schools (under 5000) for my son Bill who is on track to be his high school class valedictorian despite some severe learning disabilites he has learned to compensate for. He loves to be challenged mentally and physically. Bill looks forward have stimulating interactions with new faces, wants to take advantage of a study abroad program and wishes to play tennis at the collegiate level. Oh, and he would like it to be somewhere warm preferably Florida.
I strongly encouraged that he go with a division III school. A division III school offers no athletic scholarships but usually offers attractive merit scholarships. They emphasize the students academic growth with a strong competive athletic atmosphere being secondary.
I began my search by going to the NCAA website, looking for participating schools with strong tennis records. Then I checked out the individual schools websites looking for a good personal match. While on the road visiting Rollins and Emory we spent a few hours in a book store. I had sellected a very large stack of books on the college process. Auspiciously Loren Pope's book was one which I pulled off the shelf to look over. It is quite a bit smaller in stature than most books found in the college guide section but has turned out to be by far the most informative, readable book I have spent time with so far. I believe in serendipity. We just happened into the store in Ocala FL, smaller than the store we usually go to at home. I have not seen this title on the shelves at our local store.
I have invested in quite a college resource library which I plan to donate to Bill's High School when we have completed out search, this book is one which I will have to buy additional copy because I can't let go of this one. It has become well worn like the Velveteen Rabbit with my notes throughout. So many of the Division II and III tennis schools I found listed on the NCAA website are listed in this book. I have found myself looking over schools listed throughout the book looking for other matches for other kids we know.
The book immediatley caught my attention with it's "You Don't Know as Much as You Think You Do" section. Loren Pope provides thought provoking commentary on common misconceptions made by college bound students and their families. I doubt there is a very high percentage of families who have been exposed to more than a handful of colleges and what they have to offer. I have totally revised my opinion on the size school and the "Brand Name" education doesn't necessarily equal the quality of higher education desired by my son.
My son thrives on new experiences. This book has educated us on what is out there and what types of things we want to look for and consider when making the ultimate decision. We knew in an abstract way what Bill wanted to get out of college but this book was able to help us define our search.
This book is very readable. Colleges are broken down by region with only 6 to 10 pages of descriptions gained from interviews with staff and students during visits. There are usually several comparisons to different schools within the section. The author has an extensive background and expertise in guiding prospective students.
I will continue to recommend this book to everyone I get into a college discussion with. It is at the top of my gift giving list.
I hate to say this but this book makes a person think out of the typical college search box.
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