Product Description
Rankings & Grades
Picking a college is hard, but were here to help. The lists at the beginning of this book group 200 schools in a variety of categories. Interested in location, size, or selectivity? Check the lists. Curious about which schools have the best dining, dorms, or local atmosphere? We rank those, too. Cross-compare between the different lists to find the schools that match all of your needs.
Individual School Profiles
Dive into our school-specific sections and find out why those colleges you have your eye on scored well in one category and poor in another. Just like the original College Prowler guidebooks, each schools section is student-written and provides its own unique dialogue to help you discover if the college is right for you.
Customer Reviews:
Useful College Review Book.......2007-04-06
This book, though not definitive and clearly subjective, based on only a few student comments in each area of review, is, none-the-less, a very helpful addition for students and parents who are screening colleges. Use it along with another book, such as the one by the Yale Daily News, and you'll get a very good feeling for the atmosphere at the schools before going. My daughter and I found it to be very helpful.
Terribly subjective and superficial.......2006-12-28
While this series is cute, and useful to get a flavor of the differences between schools, it cannot be used to compare schools "apples to apples". The comments themselves are revealing of the character of a school, but the actual grades are meaningless, particularly when assessing academic quality - the consequence of subjective methodology since the students themselves (who know only their institution)give out the grades. They simply don't have the information necessary to assess their school against peer institutions in an objective way. So yes, use it for entertainment, but don't make decisions based on this flawed research methodology: visit, interview, form your own opinion.
The most Helpful and Entertaining College Guidebook.......2006-11-03
As a student that is extremely serious about the college selection process, I bought every single college guidebook out there that covers multiple schools. The Big Book of Colleges was in a league of its own.
I loved this guidebook because of its readability. Yes, it looks like a phone book on the outside, just like all the other college guides, but like my mother always told me, it's what on the inside that counts.
The book profiles around 200 schools, and each school goes into depth about many different aspects of campus life. Professors, Girls, Diversity, Campus Strictness (my favorite section!), Drugs, and more.
Each section has student reviews that are straight from the students mouths, and you can really tell they aren't holding back. I would type some of the student quotes on here, but I think that's copyright infringment. Sample pages are available on the College Prowler website.
So for example, let's say you're interested in Diversity at Princeton. Well, College Prowler interviews tons of kids that sound off on what diversity is REALLY like on campus ... behind the numbers and the campus brochures.
I was surprised to discover what life was really like at many of the schools I was interested in. I know that this book doesn't go that much in depth about each school, like College Prowler's "single-school" guides ... but it's a great starting point when you're an 11th grader that wants to get a great overview of each school. I'll buy the single-school guidebooks to the schools I want to apply to next year.
Buy this book if you want to know the truth about America's best universities.
Buy This Book!.......2006-08-30
The Big Book of Colleges is the new authority when choosing the perfect school. Let's face it, it's about getting into the school that's ranked the highest by US News anymore ... it's all about enjoying the next 4 years of your life and choosing a college that's actually RIGHT for you.
What I mean by RIGHT for you is somewhere that you won't end up transferring out of because you haven't met any friends, you can't handle the workload, and the sun never shines!
The Big Book of Colleges starts off ranking all 201 schools in 20 different categories. You get to see right off the bat, which schools have the best professors/academic programs, the best dorms, the best food, prettiest girls, hottest guys, best local atmosphere, and a whole lot more.
Each school profile is about 4 pages, and flooded with student testimonials - talking about the insider info you really want to know. What's the school known for, are the students really happy, how much red tape is there in the administration, are kids transferring out ... etc, etc.
You can also get a brief run down on the basic stuff available any where else, such as campus size, what the school is known for academically, and even harder facts to find, like acceptance rates and other admissions stats.
The Big Book of Colleges though is all about the student testimonials. They're hilariously accurate, and controversial. I'm surprised colleges haven't come out and battled College Prowler on the stuff they publish ... I guess because you can't really dispute the truth.
Buy this book if you want to choose the perfect school.
This book is great!.......2006-08-16
Choosing a college has seriously been driving me crazy. I've gotten a ton of brochures from universities all over the country, which hasn't helped me since all of the literature basically looks the same.
My parents bought me "The Big Book of Colleges" as a gift, and I cannot recommend this book enough. First of all, it's the only college guide I've come across that isn't boring. As I was reading the book, I kept laughing loudly at the hysterical student quotes (to which my brother looked at me like I was nuts).
Seriously though, for each of the 201 colleges it covers, students tell it like it is. From the best dorms to live in to how hot the guys are, they don't hold back their opinions. And for all of the interested girls out there, the schools with the hottest guys are: Clemson, Loyola Marymount, Ohio U, Texas A&M, UCSB, U of AZ, U of FL, U of GA, and U of TX ;)
Another thing I really like about the book is how they rate every aspect of each college with a letter grade, which makes it really easy to compare the schools across different categories (like academics, local atmosphere, nightlife, etc.).
Now I have narrowed down my potential schools to Clemson (no, not just because the guys are hot), Richmond, and Wake.
Hope my review helps all of the other prospective college students out there!
Book Description
For honest, unbiased information, College Prowler delivers an inside look at college, straight from the students' mouths. Complete with hundreds of quotes, grades, stats, and reviews, each student-written guide offers a comprehensive collection of information on one particular school. See how students rate their campus when it's time to look beyond the brochures and talk about key issues that really matter.
Customer Reviews:
College Bound Kids.......2005-10-12
Students searching for the inside scoop on U of Mich will enjoy reading this book. The book provided some insight on the housing on campus that we couldn't get from the college website.
Great book!.......2005-05-16
For all your info needs on University of Michigan, turn to this book. Seriosly. Nothing has impressed me more in terms of the kind of detail given to all aspects of the college. I came away from reading it with such a much better feel of both the school and the area around it. The fact that a student wrote it makes it that much more unique and honest.
Average customer rating:
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Prowlers
Eugene Izzi
Manufacturer: Crimeline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Hard-Boiled
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Izzi, Eugene
| ( I )
| Authors, A-Z
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0553296752
Release Date: 1993-03-01 |
Product Description
Introduction from the Author
Coming from the northwest corner of the United States, people are often befuddled when I tell them I go to Northwestern University. Is that in Seattle? they ask. Apparently, word hasnt reached Portland, Oregon yet about this ever-demanding, challenging, and intriguing school in suburban Chicago.
Most people already knowor think they knowabout Northwestern: fairly small school, right outside of Chicago, excellent academic reputation
and, Didnt Ross from Friends go there? True, but to those on the inside, NU is so much more. Its a diverse school boasting six sub-schools that concentrate on everything from education to music to engineering. Its a campus open to discussing all aspects of contemporary global problems, and its also our home.
Northwestern is often referred to as a jewel of the Midwest, and in the last 30 or so years, it has gained recognition as a leading research institution. The University has been entrenched in scandal over the death of a football player, and it has gotten into a lawsuit with the city of Evanston.
Behind the news and magazine articles, behind the historic legacies, and behind the campus tours, there is a throbbing pulse to Northwestern. As you leaf through the following pages, I hope you begin to discover the Northwestern that myself and my classmates all know: the living, ever-changing University, that is in a constant struggle to one-up itself and come out on top. You too can find the heartbeat of NU. You just have to be willing to feel for it. You can start by reading through this guidebook.
Torea Frey, Author
Northwestern University
Customer Reviews:
inside scoop.......2006-11-11
College Prowler books are well worth the investment for students and parents investigating colleges. They give a detailed picture of the school, written from current students' perspectives. Once you have narrowed your list of schools to 10 or fewer, I would recommend buying the College Prowler titles for all of those. It's a small investment compared to the cost of visiting the campus, application fees, and -- of course -- TUITION!
Product Description
Introduction from the Author
You are about to embark on an all-inclusive, first-person report on Boston University. If you are reading this introduction, it means that you probably already have some interest in BU, and you were inspired to consider it as an option for furthering your education. It is my job, in the following pages, to give you some insight about BU.
So, what is my perspective? I am writing as a recent graduate (read: unemployed) from this fine institution, with a double degree in philosophy and psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences. I have lived in Boston, both on and off campus, for the past four years, and have a pretty good idea of the resourcesand frustrations you will stumble upon, assuming that you decide to attend. Unlike many of the post-adolescent, idealistically-oriented cynics I spend most of my time with, I have actually engaged in BU life and academia enough to report back to you in an honest, and even optimistic, fashion. The purpose of the following is to provide you with a fairly entertaining, and hopefully coherent stream of consciousness as I reflect on my college experience. Allow me to elaborate.
Boston University has a reputation that generally holds true when considering the students, faculty, and administrative aspects of university life. While the University is a huge community, it is possible and necessary to establish yourself as an individual entity and independently-thinking being, despite the obvious obstacles. For those of you who are hesitant to leave high school behind, you are in good company. I am currently in the position of dealing with the same sort of confusion and instability in prying myself away from college life. To put things in perspective: you have nothing to worry about. College will be one of the most dramatic learning experiences of your life, if you allow it to be. This place, both the good and the bad, has played a huge role in my perception of the real world.
The truth: college is a time during which you exist each day, liberated from the confines of life, while remaining cared for and sheltered on a very necessary level. Considering that college is such a huge transition, choosing a school certainly has undeniable effects on the course of your near and distant future. On the other hand, most universities, especially those offering as large a community as BU, will probably be equally enabling to your self-actualization. Nevertheless, the following information and suggestions should make the overwhelming nature of the process of starting school slightly less paralyzing.
Caren M. Walker, Author
Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences
Customer Reviews:
Simply Amazing!.......2006-08-15
There is no way to describe College Prowler's books other than amazing. Whether you're already in college, still deciding on one to go to, or deciding which ones to apply to, College Prowler's books are probably the best asset you can have.
It's the only guide written with information from students who actually go there, instead of just what the school wants you to think. College Prowler's guides can tell you everything: where to hang out, where to live, how much money to have on hand, where to park, how much drugs/alcohol is being passed around, how attractive your peers will be, and just about anything else you could want to know about a school.
Buy This Book!!!!.......2005-01-17
I am currently a senior in high school, and will be graduating this spring. I received this book as a gift recently and read it from cover to cover. It's no nonsense, in your face honesty is something I truly enjoy and respect. This book has put me over the edge in my decision to attend BU, and I have decided to enroll early acceptance as a result. Bravo to the authors!
A highly entertaining and intelligent look at life at BU.......2004-12-02
Unlike most college guidebooks available about particular schools, this review goes far beyond the statistics...allowing the reader to get a real glimpse at life at Boston University. Adhering to a "by students, for students" attitude, this edition is aimed at high school seniors who are uncertain whether a particular university will suit their lifestyle, preferences, and individual needs. With a generous dose of humor and honest commentary by the author about her experiences as a student, this is an excellent choice for any potential student.
Book Description
Introduction from the Author
I've been at the University of Southern California long enough to know that the quality of an education depends on two variables. The first is the extent to which a student is willing to pursue knowledge and gain experience. The second is the extent to which the institution can tailor its resources to fit the student's needs. At USC, the relationship between a student and the institution is reciprocal. Hopefully, this guide will give you an idea about what an education at USC means to actual USC students.
The University of Southern California is the oldest research university in the West. There are 15 professional schools along with the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. The Marshall School of Business, School of Cinema/Television, Annenberg School for Communication, and the Thornton School of Music are among the University's—and the country's—top professional programs for undergraduate students.
USC has long been known for shaping the minds of leading figures in the entertainment industry including George Lucas, Johnny Carson, and John Wayne, as well as sports legends Mark McGwire, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer, and—EEK!—O.J. Simpson. The University's president, Dr. Steven Sample, has focused his efforts on promoting the school's integrity as a first-rate academic institution. The quality of academics at USC has skyrocketed in the last decade. USC also has one of the most ethnically- and racially-diverse campuses in the country.
School spirit is huge at USC. Our football fans were likened to Trojan warriors in a 1912 Los Angeles Times article, and the nickname stuck ever since. Today, when the sports teams are dominating the PAC 10, it is not difficult for a spectator to take pride in becoming a fighting Trojan. The Trojan spirit also prevails in the classroom; mean SAT scores for incoming freshmen in 2003 were higher than those at any of California's public universities, including UCLA and UC Berkeley. At USC, we have many reasons to be proud.
Before you dive into this book, consider the following information: USC has an undergraduate population of more than 15,000 students. Scary? Sure it is. But imagine the opportunities afforded to a student who is willing to learn outside of the familiar. If you can begin to understand what life is really like for a student at USC, you will be more confident in deciding whether or not it is the school for you.
Thank you for picking up this book. If you learn half as much reading this as I did researching it, we will have shared in something worthwhile. Enjoy!
Alex Valhouli, Author
University of Southern California
Customer Reviews:
Buy the book!.......2005-05-14
If you're interested in USC this book is for you! It's got an insider's perspective on everything from academics to nightlife and everything in between. The perspective is great because it's written by a student which makes me feel like I know the school a lot better than if I heard about it from a faculty member.
Customer Reviews:
It's ok.......2007-08-30
I was hoping to find the different majors and programs that each of the schools have in this book, but was really disappointed. All it has is whether a school has good parking, good looking guys and girls or good food. The only interesting part is the community the school is located in. Otherwise it was a letdown.
Overall Good Guide.......2007-08-01
While there were some simple errors and some confusing statements from the contributing students, this book was very well written and helpful overall. It gives you an inside look (mostly from students) into the college's Greek life, drug scene, campus and off-campus housing, among other things. If you're looking for a general overview of the many California colleges, this is a great book to accomplish that.
(not actually a kid).......2007-06-12
I have bought a lot of different books to help me to choose the right college for me. This book is so helpful, it has one of the main things I was looking for in a college guide: the most popular majors (which can tell you if the college specializes in the field you want to go into). It's very clear and tells you about almost everything you want to know from restaurants in the area to parking to housing to drug problems.
worth the money.......2007-03-19
this book really helped me decide which school to go to, it tells you about the stuff you care about...social scene and atmosphere! definitely worth a read.
California .... No Doubt About It!.......2006-08-16
After reading this guidebook, I am definitely going to school in California. I'm from NY, and my parents want me to go to an Ivy League school ... either Cornell or Dartmouth, but I'm DYING to go to either USC, UCLA, Berkeley, or hopefully, Stanford.
After reading this guidebook though, I felt like I spent 4 years on each campus ... each school is covered in dept, around 40 different schools in Cali, and it's really easy to read. I get good grades, but I'm not much of a reader ... but the way this book is laid out is so incredibly easy to read, that anyone can breeze through the book and fall in love with any college in California.
Be warned though, they talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly in this guide.
For example, USC is not in the safest part of town ... but if you're from NY, like me, you'll be OK.
I'm more interested in what the student body is going to be like then some dumb US news ranking ... after all, I'm most likely going to meet my life long friends at college, including my wife! I don't want her to be some uptight Ivy nerd ... I want a nice cinnamoned tan californian!
Thanks to College Prowler's Calfornia Colleges, I have seen the light!
Product Description
Introduction from the Author
Amid the sprawling suburbs of Los Angeles, and tucked away in one of the most glamorous neighborhoods, lies a university that adds even more allure to the already rich traditions of the city. The University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) is a world-renowned institution with joint campuses planted in over 35 different countries around the globe, and professors that are so knowledgeable in their fields that some have even received the Nobel Prize.
Located in the filmmaking capital of the world, there are movie premieres weekly in the adjacent town of Westwood. The warm weather beckons students to venture outside to study year round, and the prime location offers students a quick escape from their studies to one of the local beaches for a quick dip in the Pacific Ocean. UCLAs strong athletic program, with some of the most notable national-championship teams in recent history, also helped to make the school such an internationally-respected institution.
The University is growing, and the diverse student body only helps the campus flourish. The diverse mix of students fits well into a University that houses five different schools of study, from Letters and Science to Arts and Architecture. Here in the melting pot of Los Angeles, under the guidance of intense professors, and surrounded by many other brilliant, young minds, creativity blossoms and students grow intellectually both inside and outside of the classroom.
There is a longstanding tradition of hard work and dedication at UCLA. Much of the student body requires financial aid and hold jobs simultaneously while taking classes. The resourcefulness of students at UCLA has grown throughout the years as college costs have increased and academic standards at the school have skyrocketed. Many professors note that there is a difference between the public-school student who has to make him or herself heard in the crowded lecture hall versus the private-school student who has smaller classes and does not have to grapple for that same attention. The difference is that at a public school like UCLA, students have to take the initiative in their classes much like people need to take initiative in real life to achieve certain goals. Students need to be resourceful and work harder to gain their professors attention, and there is definitely something to be said of the person that can meet that challenge at an institution as rigorous as UCLA.
!
Erik Robert Flegal, Author
UCLA
Product Description
Introduction from the Author
Founded in 1960, UC San Diego has quickly become one of the top universities in California and in the country. Although UCSD has only a few decades of history, they are filled with academic achievements, award-winning research, and excellent teaching. The combination of academics, an intelligent and diverse student body, and the laid-back atmosphere of San Diego results in a unique and rapidly growing University.
UCSD is a large research university, but its main concern remains with providing an exceptional education to its undergrad and graduate students. At UCSD, students spend a challenging four years exploring whatever fields interest them. The general education requirements make UCSD students well-rounded and versatile. With the guidance of a world-class faculty and staff, it is impossible not to succeed at UCSD.
It takes more than academics to make a great university. There are so many things going on on campus and around San Diego, sometimes its hard to find time to study. UCSD offers great facilities, diversity, leadership, sunshine, recreation, and friends to its students. Lectures, labs, concerts, festivals, readings, studying abroad, speeches, and parties make UCSD into an entertaining place to live and learn.
When faced with the choice of picking which college to attend, I felt clueless. All I knew was that I wanted to stay in California. I visited a couple of other universities before coming to UCSD and was frustrated and confused. None of the universities I visited felt like they had the right combination of academics and atmosphere to make me happy to call them home. This all changed when I spent the day at UCSD and saw first-hand all the exciting programs it had to offer. Hopefully this book will be able to give you snapshots of what life is like at UCSD and help you find the perfect college for you.
Shelby Gunderman, Author
UC San Diego
Book Description
Introduction from the Author
There is a joke at Washington University, grown a bit old through repetition, about the University's generic name. Ask twenty people on the street where to look for Washington University, half will describe a sprawling state college, basking on the West Coast (they're thinking of the University of Washington, in Seattle). The other half will tell you that it's an institute of political science, located in our nation's capital (they're thinking of George Washington University).
Washington University in St. Louis has fought an uphill battle to achieve name recognition as a top university. But after hosting 2004 presidential debates, graduating Rhodes Scholars and a Real World cast member (Cara Nussbaum, `01), playing a central role in the Human Genome Project, and ascending to a place among America's best colleges, Wash U has overcome its relavtive obscurity. It now competes for America's most accomplished high school seniors, alongside the colleges of the Ivy League.
Like the typical Midwestern city that it inhabits, Wash U straddles the line between provincial and cosmopolitan, liberal and conservative. It's a school known for working its students hard in class, but rewarding them with a lax, party atmosphere. Its classically beautiful campus, which recalls Princeton University's gothic distinction, contradicts Wash U's relative youth (established as a Unitarian seminary in 1853 by the family of T.S. Eliot, it was a day school until the 1960s). Wash U is, above all else, an institution in full development, architecturally and temperamentally. A lack of hallowed traditions means that students can constantly invent their own.
For an increasing number of high school seniors, then, Wash U has become an attractive place to spend four years. It has its quirks and drawbacks, as well, which this guide will point out. By giving you a detailed and unbiased look at student life at Washington University, I hope this volume will make your choice of college easier, and render your decision a more informed and successful one.
Dan Carlin, Author
Washington University in St. Louis
Customer Reviews:
Great insight into WashU.......2005-05-14
I wasn't sure about Washington University before reading this book but now I think I know it much better. I'm happy to have found such a well written guide on this college. What really impressed me was the detail of information given and the fact that it was written by a student. I think anyone looking at this university should get this book. You won't be disappointed!
An inside look at student life at a hot school.......2004-12-15
In the last ten years Washington University in St. Louis has grown into one of the country's premiere liberal arts colleges, drawing more and more prospective students to the midwest for a look.
This College Prowler guide is the ultimate companion to a visit to St. Louis. The book's 29 chapters give you hundreds of uncensored student opinions on topics including the best and worst campus food, Greek life, campus dating, the best dorms, the intramural sport scene, and which professors to avoid at all costs.
Prospective students can pick up some Wash U slang, read about how to dress for the horrible St. Louis winters, discover the quirky stores on South Grand Blvd., or read up on campus traditions like Thurtene and WILD. Learn what frat parties are like, the prevalance of student drug use, and even track fashion trends on campus. Above all you'll find out the best and worst things about living and studying at Washington University.
You're about to pick a place to spend the next four years of your life. This College Prowler guide helps you make the right decision by giving you the opinions of those who know the school best -- real Washington University undergrads. Written by students for prospective students, it's an honest and essential aid in making your big decision.
You'll also find in the guide a wealth of information about things to do in St. Louis and at Washington University, so if you decide to attend, you'll already have a head start on diving into the clubs, arts, sports, business, and social life of the area.
Please feel free to contact me, the book's author, at dan.carlin@gmail.com
Books:
- The Book of Air and Shadows
- The Cointelpro Papers: Documents from the Fbi's Secret Wars Against Dissent in the United States (South End Press Classics Series, Volume, 8)
- The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)
- The Fred Factor: How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary
- The gem collector's handbook
- The Hope Chest (Brides of Lancaster County #4)
- The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance (Jossey-Bass Business and Management Series)
- The Innkeeper's Song
- The Invisible Path to Success: Seven Steps to Understanding and Managing the Unseen Forces Shaping Your Life
- The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Prima Official Game Guide)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Atlas of Novel Tectonics
- The Lion Who Had Asthma
- Searching for John Ford: A Life
- Singing Lessons: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Hope, and Healing
- The Goon Volume 1: Nothin' But Misery
- The Patience of the Spider
- The Lorax
- An International Dictionary of Accounting and Taxation: 12,000 + Entries on Accounting, Auditing &am
- Surviving Capitalism: How We Learned to Live with the Market and Remained Almost Human
- Flashman and the Dragon
The Best 361 Colleges, 2007 Edition (College Admissions Guides)
Fiske Guide to Colleges 2008 (Fiske Guide to Colleges)
Students' Guide to Colleges: The Definitive Guide to America's Top 100 SchoolsWritten by the Real Experts--the Students Who Attend Them
U.S. News Ultimate College Guide 2007 (Us News Ultimate College Guide)
The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2007: 33nd Edition (Insider's Guide to the Colleges)
