Chai, 1

Caitlin Chai Ms. Jamie Vinson English 11 B February 14, 2012 An Annotated Bibliography of College Guides Fiske, Edward B. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2009. 25th ed. Naperville, IL: Source, 2009. Print. The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2009 informs prospective students and their families about the best colleges in the United States by introducing them to over 310 college and universities, each of them explained in 2-3 page long sections. The guide contains details or ratings of numerous factors such as academic rigor, social life, percentage of returning freshman, and many more. The statistics and ratings are displayed in a box to the right. The campus history, its layout and environment are described in the introduction of each section, and statistics and quotes by current students and faculty members are dispersed throughout the pages to provide readers with an inside-look of the school. Regarding social life, descriptions are given of the fraternities, sororities, societies, athletics, popular annual events, and some activities available on and off campus. The diversity of the student body, study abroad programs and qualifications of faculty members are mentioned. The guide lists the strongest courses offered at the college and explains each of them. In addition, a box titled overlaps at the end of each profile notes other schools that have similar interests. The four most important criteria to keep in mind when evaluating a college guide are the ease of use, amount of student perspective shared, the details provided on the college, and

Chai, 2

the overall appearance of how the information is presented. Based on these criteria, the Fiske Guide to Colleges is almost perfect. Ease of Use: The colleges and universities are well-arranged simply in alphabetical order, so it is easy to use and find certain colleges. At the beginning of the guide, there is an organized list of the contents and three resourceful indexes. Indexes go by price, location, and majors. A fourth alphabetically ordered index is available at the end, too. y Student Perspective: Students talk about their studies, the campus, the social scene, and many other things informatively and impartially. One student reveals of The University of the South, The courses are very hard, very time consuming, and the professors standards for A are very high (381). Many of the current students perspectives are shared generously throughout the guide. y Details: The pages are packed with descriptions, lists, statistics, and quotes. There are more than enough details provided in each profile to leave the reader with a well-rounded idea or clear image of the school. y Overall Appearance: The guide lacks an aesthetically pleasing layout and seems dull and boring. The profiles need more catchy visual aids, such as colored pictures showing the campus, or of interacting students. Finding the right college or university for yourself starts with selecting the right college guide to walk you through all your options. Students aiming to apply to some of the most competitive colleges in the United States will do well to buy the Fiske Guide to Colleges, since it only includes descriptions of the best 310 schools. If you are one of these students, the detailed content available in Fiskes guide will surely prove to be most

Chai, 3

effective. Resourceful, helpful, informative and to-the-point, The Fiske Guide to Colleges is an essential tool in the search for anyones dream college. Although it wasnt amusing to read because of its boring format, evaluating this college guide has affected the way I look for colleges since it helped me realize that college rankings are quite irrelevant when it comes to choosing a school. There are hundreds of outstanding schools to consider in the United States, not only the top ten or twenty, and anyone else who examines the Fiske Guide to Colleges will come to discover that!

Barron's Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges 2011. Seventh ed. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2011. Print. Barron's Educational Series.

Barons Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges is an 1143-page publication representing 70 extremely selective colleges and universities across the United States. Each profile starts with a general overview of the entire college, stating the recent improvements that have taken place, its main attractions, and why it qualifies as one of the most competitive colleges. The contents of each profile are organized into the following subheadings: admissions requirements, academic life, social life and activities, financial aid, graduates, and a conclusion. Under the subheading of admissions requirements, the colleges requirements for tests, interviews and essays are explained, as well as the application process, diversity at the university and directions for freshman or transfer applicants. Descriptions of faculties, classrooms, academic resources, study abroad programs and the colleges strongest programs are included in a section titled academic life. Social life and activities

Chai, 4

provides information regarding fraternities, sororities, athletics, student government, and other activities available off campus. The financial aid section can provide information on student loan programs and available student employment (27). It informs readers of who qualifies for financial assistance, the percentage of students who receive it, and shares financing strategies, too. For example, it gives a helpful suggestion to students to apply for campus jobs in order help cover weekly expenses. The valuable network of graduates from the school and their accomplishments are described, enticing prospective students to join in the long line of prestigious achievers. Colored boxes containing heartfelt quotes by students share student experiences and their perspectives. Each profile concludes with a reassuring note, inviting readers to the school. When evaluated using the following criteria, Barons Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges is undoubtedly a most effective tool for ambitious students and their parents. Ease of use: The guide is easy to use, since it begins with a simple list of contents and a short and precise introduction, followed by alphabetically ordered profiles and an index listing colleges by state. The subheadings used within the profiles indicate what the paragraphs below it explain, which helps readers to get straight to the answers they may be searching for. Say, if you were specifically looking for information on the admissions process of Vanderbilt University, you could save time and go straight to the profile and spot the information below the subheading of admission requirements, instead of having to skim through the all of its contents (960). However, the profiles lack a distinctive area to list the statistics of the college and reviewing an easily accessible statistics section is a most useful method for readers to get a good idea of the college quickly.

Chai, 5

Student Perspective: Void of brief, vague quotes, the student perspectives provided throughout are well-structured, informative and helpful to prospective students. Most views shared are conveyed in several, elaborate sentences. The names and graduating years of the students who are quoted are also stated, adding a more personalizing effect. Knowing how long the student has been at the school helps users to determine how reliable the information provided is.

Details: From admissions to graduates, everything you need to know is there in the guide, including a list of the prominent grads from each school. In addition to detail, advice is also given. For example, regarding the academic requirements Wellesley College, the guide advises that you complete [two of four 300-level courses] during your first two years at Wellesley, so you can concentrate on completing your major and travel during senior and senior years (1056). A chart comparing all the colleges is spread over 5 sheets, followed by brief biographies of the authors of the guide.

Overall Appearance: The overall appearance of the book is excellent. The image of a section of an old college building on the front cover portrays the title of the guide well, since the most competitive colleges are the oldest schools in the country. Appealing pictures of the college are placed above the title, and the paragraphs are in neat order with just-right line spacing.

Keeping in mind the title of the guide, Barrons Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges, I suggest the guide to the most competitive students. Since the colleges described inside are difficult to get accepted into, and also very expensive, users should be realistic and aware of their academic abilities and financial situation when purchasing this book.

Chai, 6

Assessing this guidebook didnt affect the way I look for colleges much, because it discussed only 70 colleges that are quite similar to each other. With an average of about 12 pages per profile, the guide has a commendable flow of details on the most prestigious colleges which are undoubtedly a useful source for high-achievers, but an insufficient one for those not as competitive.

Barron's Profile of American Colleges 2011. 25th ed. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's, 2011. Print. Barron's Educational Series. Presenting almost no images and over 1000 words on each one of its 1652 pages, Barrons Profiles of American Colleges is packed with profiles of more than 1650 schools. The content is divided into the four following parts: An Introduction to College, College Facts and Finances, Index of College Majors, and, A Close Look at the Colleges. The introduction is basically a self-help section for first year students, because it walks the applicants step-by-step through choosing the right college to getting in college and through their freshman year. For example, at the very beginning, a college planning values assessment and self-knowledge questionnaire are provided for the user, to help him get to know his values (2). Part two is composed of a chart listing all the facts and figures of a school, and a directory of colleges by cost. Part three is an alphabetized index of majors. The fourth and largest section of the guide is made up of profiles of all the colleges in America and begins by listing colleges by their competitiveness. Each profile begins with an introductory paragraph, followed by the headings: student life, courses, admissions, financial aid, international students, computers, graduates, and an admissions

Chai, 7

contact. Below the heading of student life, the housing, activities, athletics, services, and safety are considered. Admission requirements and procedures, information for transfers, and visits to the college are explained under admissions as well. Barron's Profiles of American Colleges is a mediocre, easily accessible, informational guidebook when it is evaluated with the following criteria: Ease of use: All the information is very well organized and easy to access but the only downside is that the font is tiny and single-spaced, making it hard to read quickly. A table of contents in the beginning and a whole section describing the format of the book will definitely help users navigate their way through the guide. You can search for a college or university by state, since the profiles are organized alphabetically according to the location, or by majors. Using the directory of costs, which lists colleges according to its price, you can find a college that is affordable. In addition to the chart of facts and figures, each profile has a box of statistics, and bold headings easy to spot. y Student Perspectives: There are no student perspectives provided at all. Student perspectives give users and prospective students an inside look into the college. Without them, Barron's Profiles of American Colleges are only good for the indexes provided. y Details: The thousands of words on each page of a profile make up an endless flow of detail on each page, conveyed in short and simple sentences. However, an excessive amount of words, and a lack of sentence fluency makes reading the details a chore.

Chai, 8

Overall Appearance: On the exterior, the guide looks like a directory or a dictionary because of its thickness and two- columned format. The content appears to be boring and dull, due to its wordiness and lack of pictures. The dreary appearance of the pages is not inviting to readers.

Since I found Barron's Profiles of American Colleges inadequate and dull for my taste, studying it did not affect the way I search for colleges. In my opinion, it is an introductory college guide for those who are looking to get a college education in America. You may want to purchase this book to get a good idea of all the colleges that are available, but after making a list of your choices, a different guide should be used to get an accurate image of the school. If youre only looking for statistics, figures and facts, Barron's Profiles of American Colleges would be perfect. However, if you want specific information about a handful of colleges, I would not recommend this guide at all.