<p>I've been using The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010 to help me figure out which colleges to look into. I'm a bit doubtful of its advice on the strong majors for some schools and was hoping for a second opinion. Any advice on which other guide to use? I'm trying to find some good schools for physics.</p>
<p>Go to your local Borders, or Barnes and Noble, and page through a few of them. Look up schools you like (and are familiar with) to compare the treatment by several guides. Then buy the one that seems to fit your interests and style best. </p>
<p>Actually, the Internet is almost a substitute for any printed guides. But it’s nice to have one book so you can keep printed notes, or to carry with you on visits as a reference.</p>
<p>No college guide will give you the last word on top schools for physics, because no undergraduate department rankings exist. The closest thing to it in book form probably is Rugg’s Recommendations, which gives an unranked list of “recommended” schools for Physics (and other departments), grouped by selectivity. Hard to say how reliable it really is.</p>
<p>For Physics, Rugg’s recommendations among “most selective” schools include Clarkson, Chicago, DePauw, Georgetown, Gettysburg, Hopkins, MIT, Northeastern, Reed, Rhodes, Trinity (CT) and Trinity (TX). I can tell you, the Physics departments among the recommended schools range from truly world class to maybe 2nd or 3rd or 5th best in the individual state. So you’d be better off looking at the school as a whole, then possibly considering factors that may have a bearing on Physics such as science research expenditures (which you can get from the Washington Monthly rankings on the Internet).</p>
<p>We were really happy with the Princeton Guide. It is nice to have a book for a quick reference.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for “good colleges for [insert subject],” Rugg’s is perhaps the best place to start. It is slanted towards LACs.</p>
<p>[Rugg’s</a> Recommendations on the Colleges](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Ruggs-Recommendations-Colleges-27th-Frederick/dp/1883062764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267984031&sr=1-1]Rugg’s”>http://www.amazon.com/Ruggs-Recommendations-Colleges-27th-Frederick/dp/1883062764/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267984031&sr=1-1)</p>
<p>Also of use, though dated, is the Gourman Report. It is slanted towards large universities.</p>
<p>[Gourman</a> Report of Undergraduate Programs](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Review-Undergraduate-International-Universities/dp/0679777806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267984316&sr=1-1]Gourman”>http://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Review-Undergraduate-International-Universities/dp/0679777806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267984316&sr=1-1)</p>
<p>For descriptions of colleges, I think the Insider’s Guide is by far the best.</p>
<p>[The</a> Insider’s Guide to the Colleges](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Guide-Colleges-2010-Students/dp/0312570295/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267984563&sr=1-2]The”>http://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Guide-Colleges-2010-Students/dp/0312570295/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267984563&sr=1-2)</p>
<p>Your public library might have copies.</p>
<p>The Princeton Guide, from what I recall back in the day, was pretty good. The book has rankings for professor quality to the happiness of the students. I remember it was easy to read and gave me the information I needed.</p>
<p>The Princeton Review’s “Best ___ Colleges” guide (don’t know what the number is now) is very good. The copy I had also had a small section of a few pages in the front with majors and which schools were strong in them. The profiles of each college are well written and informative.</p>
<p>What I like about PR’s “Best 371”, all in alphabetical order! Easy to find school, if in there. </p>
<p>US News Premium Online Edition is good for comparing schools. (5 at a time)
Paid subscription, but worth it, for listings about “Most Debt” “Least Debt” “Smallest Classes” “Most Merit Aid” “Best Values” etc. The “rankings” themselves we ignore.</p>
<p>Go to the public library, and look at all of them.</p>
<p>When my children were college-searching we used Fiske (but see my comment below), Princeton Review, and Insider’s Guide–and they all pretty much say the same things with slightly different spins. If you read a few college guides you will be able to get a sense of the schools. Stereotyping is an issue for all of them–only variable really is the angle from which they are viewing the schools. Fiske does not seem to update or fact check very often–I find Fiske’s lapses disappointing and worth mentioning because it started out being written by an authoritative grown year ago.</p>