Review: Colleges That Change Lives–40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You’re Not a Straight-A Student (Paperback)

August 5, 2005

Loren Pope

I took my 16 year old on a swing of some these schools, and I have a simple bottom line: the author established an interesting formula and title years ago, and over time, half his recommendations do not live up to the billing. Some of his recommended schools are in the middle of no where, with very poor maintenance, sloppy students and inattentive staff, and not at all as advertised. Others, like Evergreen in Washington State, are clearly top of the line.

I have also realized that with the thousands of colleges and universities across America, including community colleges that are now going “upscale” and expanding their computer and laboratory facilties, that this book is like a placebo–it pupports to offer a life-changing experience with a very narrow selection of schools, when in fact there are plenty of life-changing schools right before our eyes, in every state of the Union.

It merits comment that this past week none of the schools in this book that we visited caught my son's attention (he is one of those who thought, until this trip, that he never wanted to go to college), but when we visited Muhlenberg College, my alma mater, not only did he perk up, but the hand of God was visible–a college educated custodian opened the locked rooms in the Arts Center, showing him the music and digital video programming rooms, and that sealed the deal.

Read this book for ideas, discard the “list” as flawed and misrepresentative and open your eyes to all the options.