I agree with others here that the CTCL book can be a useful reference if your child is interested in LACs. Reading the descriptions can give you ideas about the schools included as well as questions you might want to ask about any school you are considering. I read it cover to cover, but then I also read the Fiske Guide, the Insider’s Guide and the Princeton Review guide more or less cover to cover with respect to the LACs included in those guides. As I recall, Lauren Pope’s original goal was to identify schools with acceptance rates above 50% that offer an excellent and highly-personalized education, places where kids could grow. (Maybe the book’s most important purpose is reminding parents that such places do exist!) The list has changed somewhat over time - I read that Grinnell and Franklin and Marshall were both on the original list but dropped off as they became more competitive. Other schools like Denison and Reed presumably they see some benefit in staying in.