Juniors: Subjective Guidebooks and Websites for your College Search

One of the most important steps in the college application process is researching the colleges. Last week, we brought you our list of objective guidebooks and websites -- the comprehensive catalogs that provide at-a-glance overviews for colleges and universities with facts and figures on variables such as location, cost, test scores, academics, athletics and financial aid. These are great starting points for your research.

This week, we have the subjective guidebooks and websites. These subjective resources can also provide basic facts about colleges and universities, such as acceptance rates and enrollment. But they also "review" the schools -- offering fact and opinion about the physical campus, student body, academics and other aspects of campus life. Their anecdotal nature makes them very entertaining, but pay attention to how they gather their information and from whom.

All of these guidebooks are usually available in bookstores, libraries and the office of your high school college counselor. Websites are available to everyone free of charge.

SUBJECTIVE REFERENCE GUIDES

Books

The Best 371 Colleges, Princeton Review
Big Book of Colleges, College Prowler
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges, Loren Pope 
Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement, Princeton Review 
Fiske Guide to Colleges, Edward B. Fiske
The Insider's Guide to the Colleges: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know, Yale Daily News Staff

Websites

Unigo at www.unigo.com
Colleges of Distinction at collegesofdistinction.com
College Prowler at www.collegeprowler.com

 

Please note: Guidebooks are usually published annually so make sure you are using the most up-to-date edition.

 

You can find more guidance on research resources and how to use them in Chapter 8 of College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step, "Creating an Initial List of Colleges" and on our website under the Book tab at "Resources."

 

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