Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth about America's Top Schools

ISI's latest guide goes beyond statistics and rankings. Each school is meticulously researched and analyzed with an admitted bias about "the purposes of education and the responsibilities of the educators." Even though my kids aren't quite ready for college yet, I will definitely use this book when the time comes. I wish I'd had it when I was choosing a college. In fact, reading through this guide and the excellent introductory articles, is an education in how to be truly educated.

One of the first things you come upon in this book, is Jeremy Beer's nostalgia for "The Core Curriculum" of years past. It is this that truely sets the frame for the rest of the book. Jeremy's beliefs are very narrow, and those colleges that don't conform are thouroughly critized by him. But in his process of critizing these schools, one learns the most about them of any college book. While I happen to disagree at least partially with view of a full two-year core curriculum in great books and history (Like that of Columbia's, which to give him credit, he lauds despite being a very liberal school), in his attempt to describe schools philosphies in comparison to his own, one garner's a lot more information about academic life than any other college book. His boook also manages to give a better view to the reader of the school, both in life at it, and political leanings. However the book is not without fault. I happen to disagree with a lot of his personal views. He believes choice at colleges is a mostly a bad thing. I also wouldn't be surprised to see him wanting to amend the United States constitution to ban Woman's, African, Carribean, (or any other non anglo-saxon and/or non-male) studies. Some of the things he writes are down right offenive to anyone who has ever believed in multiculturalism. Some of his political critisms of schools are right (even if they were a bit hard to take for this self-described liberal). He makes it his job to point out whenever poltiical bias crosses the line in courses from that of the professor's own opinion, to indoctrination of the class, and rightfully so in my opinion. He also often shows his conservtive feathers in descriptions, such as description of Harvard's dedication to stem-cell research, he describes it as "[So controversial that President Bush has decided not to support it]" But in his narrowmindedness (in my opinion) he does provide a much more full picture than any of the other comparable college guides and is worth purchasing.

There are college guides that have something to say about all the colleges in the country. This one is different. In its almost a thousand pages it talks about only a hundred twenty five schools. As the sub-title says, this book talks about America's Top Schools. Here you'll find several pages on Cal Tech and six of the University of California schools. But you won't find San Jose State. You'll find Brigham Young, but not the University of Utah. Again unlike many college guides, this book does not just say complimentary things about the schools. LSU's theater is described as - dirty, depressing, dilapidated and demoralizing. If you're looking at the big name schools, the information provided here will be of great value in helping you to decide if this particular school is for you.

In today's climate of "tolerance for everyone except for those who aren't liberals," this guide provides an overview of what is really going on in higher education in America. It is essential reading for any parent, prospective student and for the colleges and universities themselves. Hopefully, the pages will be like clanging bells, sounding the alarm, alerting everyone of the danger we all face when the free exchange of ideas and beliefs is openly discouraged in favor of political correctness.

The writers do a wonderful job of analyzing where a good liberal arts education can be found in America; the result of doing diligent research about curriculum, quality of teaching and academic and student life. Some people may flinch at the accounts where politically correct colleges gone awry are substituting rigorous study for indoctrination but the truth of the matter is that students are losing out immeasurably when they fall prey to those who would destroy freedom of thought. A great guide which should be read by every thoughtful high school student.