The National Review College Guide: America's 50 Top Liberal Arts Schools

Although this book is now more than a decade old it is still an invaluable resource for parents and students. Of particular importance is the introduction by Wm. F. Buckley Jr. Even if you and your college bound youngster do not choose one of the recommended colleges, the introduction will enlighten and familiarize you with what a classical or "liberal arts" education, vs. technical or vocational training, should be. You can thus judge the educational institutions you are condsidering by the criteria and characteristics described in the book. I had my own list of acceptable colleges for my daughter, all derived from this book, but she fell in love with a college that didn't make the list -- primarily because of its reputation for being far on the left of the political and social spectrum. In light of the essays and guidelines offered in this book I was comfortable with her choice -- because her small, private, liberal arts college did demand the core curriculum, based on 5000 years of knowledge and culture from western civilization, that any good liberal arts college or university should provide, no matter the size or purported reputation. These criteria for an enduring, quality education have not changed for hundreds of years, so the fact that this book was published in 1993 should not be a hindrance to its critical regard and purchase. (Daughter was graduated from Reed College in Portland, OR)

Leftists concerned about the "National Review" authorship should not be deterred from reading and using this book.This is a great guide to where you'll find a good, solid liberal arts curriculum. If your idea of a solid liberal arts curriculum does not match the author's, then the text is certainly useful as a way to eliminate schools from your list. We discovered Schenectady's Union College in this guide, went to visit, and were so impressed, we put it on my child's list of schools to apply to. We would never have considered it, without this guide book.

Just reading the intro material rearranged my understanding of what it means to be educated. . . This book forever changed my life (!). Now that I've graduated (from one of the schools included), I hand out this book to young worthies that will benefit from its content and guidance.

Any concerned parent of a college-bound student would do well to read this book and take its warnings seriously. Too many college students have been graduated with little or no knowledge of the bases of western civilization, and many have not had the pleasure of being taught in small classes by real professors. Choosing a college from this list will almost guarantee your student a good foundation for applying thought and critical analysis to the ideas they will encounter the rest of their life. This book rates, in my opinion, right up there with Charles Sykes's "A Nation of Victims," and Dinesh D'Souza's "Illiberal Education." All three books will forever change the way you view education in America.

I, as the mother of a high school junior,read and studied this book from cover to cover. Those colleges which my husband I thought would be "right" for our daughter we had her investigate more thoroughly. YOUR synopsis does not properly reflect the schools presented in this book and should be revised. Core curriculums, NOT politically correct, professors teaching classes, small classes, western civilization not "bashed", and course titles NOT from the leftist liberal agenda!!! Those are the words that best describe the schools listed in this book. As far as my husband, my daughter and I are concerned she would only attend one of the schools listed in this fantastic college guide!!I would recommend this book to any parent who is very concerned about the direction the majority of our colleges and universities have taken. Thank You for allowing me to voice my opinion! Linda Lee Scharff