<p>I've read this book by Loren Pope and I am wondering if these colleges are only for students who cannot go to a school with higher admission level. Say I can go to Boston College and the colleges around this level, do I still want to go to one of the 40?</p>
<p>The reason why I am asking this is that Loren Pope seems to be the only person who does not encourge going into a tough-to-get-in schools; others recommend that you get in the toughest school you can because that way you are to be on the flow and be as tough as your classmates.</p>
<p>And why is it that those 40 colleges mostly have low ratings in college books (princeton review, FISKE). Shouldn't they have high academics ratings despite low admission ratings?</p>
<p>The whole point of the book is that there are VERY GOOD schools out there, such as the those listed in his book, which offer not only great, sometimes very rigorous, academics, but which also have something special to add to the entire educational experience. You should check the grad school placement statistics at some of the schools he mentions in his book if any have appeal for your, because you are likely to be surprised. They are also schools which enjoy a great reputation in the business world. So, the answer to your question is that yes, these schools are for the A student - these are good schools that a discerning prospective student concerned about fit, and the overall college experience, will consider. By the way, none of the schools listed in Princeton Review or Fiske are low schools - they are all chosen for review as they reside among the "best", as the guide titles suggest and at any of the schools you will find the your valedictorians, your national merit scholars and otherwise very bright or brilliant students. Pope wanted to highlight some of the less obviously excellent educational opportunities out there.</p>
<p>I believe Reed college is mentioned in 40 colleges, definitely not a school for most B students.
The schools Loren Pope is trying to give more recognition schools are great schools but not as widely known as some others.</p>
<p>Another school in the Colleges that Change Lives book that is definitely not "low ranked" is Whitman College in Washington. It's very selective and ranked by US News & World Report among the top 30 LAC's in the country.</p>
<p>I think the point of Loren Pope's book is that it is what colleges DO with the students they accept that matters - the colleges in his book are ones that may not have huge recognition but that he feels do a good job of taking students at all levels and yet turn out students as well-educated and prepared as more selective schools. A school like Swarthmore might take only "A" students...and turn out "A" students. Pope is talking about schools that not only take A students and turn out A students but schools that also take B and even C students and turn out "A" students. Sometimes I think he "hypes" the schools in the book a little too much but there really are some hidden gems in there when you start looking at the actual programs they offer and the success of their graduates. As always, rankings aren't everything and neither is selectivity.</p>
<p>Northeast:
Allegheny College
Clark University
Goucher College
Hampshire College
Juniata College
Marlboro College
Ursinus College
Western Maryland College</p>
<p>South:
Agnes Scout College
Birmingham-Southern College
Centre College
Eckerd College
Emory and Henry College
Guildford College
Hendrix College
Lynchburg College
Millsaps College
Rhodes College
St. Andrews Presbyterian College</p>
<p>Midwest:
Antioch College
Beloit COllege
Cornell College
Denison University
Earlham College
Hiram College
Kalamazoo College
Knox College
Lawrence University
Ohio Wesleyan University
St. Olaf College
Wabash College
Wheaton College
College of Wooster</p>
<p>Southwest:
Austin College
St. John's College
Southwestern University</p>
<p>Northwest:
The Evergreen State College
Reed College
Whitman College</p>
<p>A fair number of top students go to these schools... even if they could go to "higher ranked" places... because they like the environment and vibe.</p>
<p>BTW, Western Maryland College is now called McDaniel College.</p>
<p>The schools on Pope's list are far from being poorly ranked . In, fact most I have had contact with are well into the top 100 LAC's on anybody's list.. And Grinnell didn't "drop-out" they dropped "up". It's no longer unrecognized as it is clearly a top 20 LAC and has been for years. If you look at the stats you will see that most students at these selective schools are students with excellent GPA's and test scores. Look at Rhodes' stats for an example. Sat about the same as Bucknell if I remember right. Compare them with entering stats anywhere outside the 20 LAC's. Pope's list has been the spark that ignited the idea that there are several great schools for each student and that you should personalize your choice with factors you can't find in guidebooks.</p>
<p>Rhodes, Hendrix, Centre,Southwestern, and Austin are all colleges D has visited and they are all incredible places . Each has it's own distinct personality. D plans on visiting Knox and Wooster and hopes to see Earlham and the Pennsylvania schools, Allegheney, Juniata, and Ursinus. Maybe more. I have found a remarkable amount of consistency in their differences,though. All schools we have seen have well maintained campuses, quite reasonable endowments but more than that- the students are proud of their school and more than happy to "show it off". Quite important factor if you ask me.</p>
<p>Actually I went to the "quality" portion of the Kiplinger list (based partially on data from Peterson's) and B.C. finishes lower than Centre, St.Olaf, Wheaton, Rhodes and Beloit. I'll check collegeboard for stats when it comes back up.</p>
<p>Another definite plus of many of the schools on the list: many are significantly less expensive than more selective schools and also offer amazing merit money to top students. For the quality of education you get at many of these schools, they are a real educational value.</p>
<p>Of course, if you're looking to brag about "getting in" to a "name" school, these probably aren't going to be right for you.</p>
<p>In addition to his "colleges that change lives book" Pope has another book called "Beyond the Ivy League" that includes many other colleges, including some very well-known and selective schools. It's worth checking out.</p>
Hello all,
The list forgot to mention Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Hope is a mid-sized college of 3400 students on the edge of the charming downtown area of Holland. Congressman Moolenaar of Michigan graduated from there and then went on to Harvard; it is known to be a good feeder into graduate school. My friend is a chemist at University of Chicago and because Hope’s science department is so good, he told me he recruits from Hope.
My daughter (ACT 28 and 3.8 GPA) and my nephew (ACT of 34) both from Chicago, found the college independent of one another and are now sophomores. They are both challenged academically and have made solid friendships. It’s a Christian school without any religious pressure other than to serve the community if you choose to; neither one of them attends church.
Best of all, merit scholarships are offered to kids with good grades and ACT scores so neither one is paying full tuition.