<p>Mr. B - thanks so much for starting this thread! I've gotten quite a bit out of reading the links everyone's been thoughtful enough to have provided...at this point I'm not quite sure where it was that I found the one to <a href="http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/default.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegesofdistinction.com/default.asp</a> - however I am very glad that I did... There's quite a bit to this particular site and I've found it very useful and thought provoking.</p>
<p>Wonderful site - thank you! I have been reading about small colleges that AREN'T top ten LACS that have many grads getting Fullbrights; grads going to grad school at Harvard, Cornell, Stanford, Yale, etc; that have great teaching. This is making me feel a LOT better about some of my junior D's "safeties" (in quotes since some of these schools have accceptance rates that are lower than some top tier schools!). Some of these schools have much HIGHER rates of students going on to grad schools than some top ten schools.</p>
<p>As someone who places a high priority on great teaching and great prof/student interaction, and who has another child coming up who is not as interested in top tens as the siblings, I find this site very useful. Thank you again!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nicolet.k12.wi.us/Guidance/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.nicolet.k12.wi.us/Guidance/index.html</a> has a decent web site advice format. I have seen the college of distinction site and while it has a lot of interesting stuff, when I saw the lists of colleges I wondered if it was an advertising venue since it only lists certain LACs in each state and certainly missed out on some great schools. Just look at the listings for Mass and NY and you will see some very impressive schools missing. A site that lists Hartwick, but skips Union, Colgate, Hamilton, Smith, Williams...sends up some kind of flag.</p>
<p>I remember that the book "Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools" received a very lukewarm reception on CC -I think that Carolyn and I were not shy to fault the hidden agenda of the publication. </p>
<p>I noticed that both COD and ISI list Southern Methodist University (SMU) very highly. I have little direct information, but I think that SMU's motto is still "Pay your fees and collect your Bees". Quite a distinction!</p>
<p>Has anyone seen other graphs like this...I think it is helpful when considering match schools.</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone who contributes to this site, I enjoyed the college supply list and the organizational material other schools use. I want to put something together for our high school/district, I think administration has dropped the ball.</p>
<p>I will say that in re Colleges of Distinction I'd wondered, too, about those missing colleges in NY and Mass...among others. It's been a long time (think about 25 years) since I've even thought about looking at colleges...</p>
<p>Appreciate the alerts to any and all possible "red flags"! ;)</p>
<p>Mr. B, the graphs of Arcadia have showed up on CC in the past. I think it was Dstark who posted the link to the HS. They are called scattergrams, and I would recommend to google the term and see what shows up. You may want to refine your searches. I did one on Hign School scattergram and this came up: </p>
<p>Colleges of Distinction is NOT associated with the ISI book or organization. However, the organization behind COD did run Loren Pope's Colleges that Change Lives web site for several years. Apparently, there was some sort of falling out between the two and now the COD organization has developed its own website and disassociated itself from Pope. </p>
<p>By the way, while the COD website is an excellent way of learning about some lesser known schools, you should keep in mind that the schools on the site supply ALL of the information about themselves. In other words, it is not in any way shape or form an "independent" evaluation of these schools. It is simply another marketing vehicle for the schools that appear on the site. So, as with everything, use it as a starting point, not the final verdict on any particular school.</p>
<p>I am glad you posted. As I read the information about a number of the schools on the COD site, it became clear that the info was exactly what I had seen on their websites. My initial response when I first looked at COD was "Wow, here is such positive information! And what great pictures!" It pays to be careful what and whom you trust, and how much to credit them!</p>
<p>Many thanks for the background... When I searched the site, I kept trying to find out who "they" were...naively hoping for something altruistic. :(</p>
<p>BLUMINI,
I hope you don't feel badly . . .the COD site reminds me a lot of the mags my two sons have received from the "consortium of private colleges and universities": they do have lots of information of use, even if they have a bias. Take care!</p>
<p>Everybody, thank you for your discoveries and observations. When I look at sites like this for a first time, I try to compare what they say with what I already know. I didn't agree with their brief discussion of what to do if you are deferred, and then I decided to look at different states to see if they listed any of the Colleges I found interesting.</p>
<p>Yes, it looks that way doesn't it. ;) Really what I liked was the overview, the advice to the students and their worry wort parents, the time tables, and the reading suggestions.</p>
<p>Again, this is a nice handy thread to have Mr. B. :)</p>
<p>I plan to spend my vacation next week visiting and comparing these sites. I want to give my eighth grade students a "getting into college booklet" since most of them don't have relatives beyond the community college level.</p>
<p>What else have people found useful. Particuarly sites that could help minority students. I have a number of Hmong, Hispanci, and African American students.</p>