Most of us think that valedictorians can write their own ticket. By reaching the top of their class they have proven their merit, so their next logical step should be to attend the nation’s very best universities. Yet in Top Student, Top School?, Alexandria Walton Radford, of American Institutes for Research, reveals that many valedictorians do not enroll in prestigious institutions. Employing an original five-state study that surveyed nine hundred public high school valedictorians, she sets out to determine when and why valedictorians end up at less selective schools, showing that social class makes all the difference. Radford traces valedictorians’ paths to college and presents damning evidence that high schools do not provide sufficient guidance on crucial factors affecting college selection, such as reputation, financial aid, and even the application process itself. Left in a bewildering environment of seemingly similar options, many students depend on their parents for assistance—and this allows social class to rear its head and have a profound impact on where students attend. Simply put, parents from less affluent backgrounds are far less informed about differences in colleges’ quality, the college application process, and financial aid options, which significantly limits their child’s chances of attending a competitive school, even when their child has already managed to become valedictorian. Top Student, Top School? pinpoints an overlooked yet critical juncture in the education process, one that stands as a barrier to class mobility. By focusing solely on valedictorians, it shows that students’ paths diverge by social class even when they are similarly well-prepared academically, and this divergence is traceable to specific failures by society, failures that we can and should address. Watch an interview of Alexandria Walton Radford discussing her book here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F81c1D1BpY0

Prospective college students and their parents have been relying on Loren Pope's expertise since 1995, when he published the first edition of this indispensable guide. This new edition profiles 41 colleges—all of which outdo the Ivies and research universities in producing performers, not only among A students but also among those who get Bs and Cs. Contents include: Evaluations of each school's program and "personality" Candid assessments by students, professors, and deans Information on the progress of graduates This new edition not only revisits schools listed in previous volumes to give readers a comprehensive assessment, it also addresses such issues as homeschooling, learning disabilities, and single-sex education.

An invaluable resource for high school students who dream of getting into top- flight colleges College Matters offers the guidance of 12 students who made it into their dream colleges. They share their expertise about the entire process, from first explorations, to estimating chances, through the practical work of reaching the goal. Here's what you need to know to optimize your chances of admission to one of the most selective colleges. Features include: Proven techniques for getting into an elite college An approach that teenagers can identify with Chapters that are written by students uniquely qualified in specific topics--for example, Evelyn Huang, author of the financial aid chapter, won more than $110,000 in scholarships

When it first appeared USA Today called this book "the guide that doesn't follow a textbook approach to college life." The Best 310 Colleges is based on The Princeton Review's student surveys--the largest campus surveys in the nation. More than 59,000 students answer questions on everything from academics to campus life. Topics include: the quality of teaching, dorms and dining hall fare, campus politics (left or right and conservative or liberal), whether the student body is diverse or homogeneous, tolerant or intolerant (of race/class relations and of gay students), and high or low in its use of beer, liquor, and marijuana. In fact this book has caused schools across the country to change their food, campuses and drinking policies. Also included is information concerning admission and financial aid policies, student body demographics, average recentered SAT scores and "What's Hot/What's Not" as well as the Counselor-O-Matic, an easy-to-use (if highly unscientific) guide to your chances of getting into each of the top 310 colleges by calculating your "desirability rating" and comparing it to each school's "selectivity rating." Here's a sampling of what students have to say: "This school is filled with wealthy, well-dressed egomaniacs who are about as socially conscious as Marie Antoinette." "I'm premed and there's no place I would rather be. The academics are a killer, no joke, but for those few who survive, the world is their oyster." "If you're not Caucasian, the adjustment here is tremendous." "Since this is a Jesuit institution, not all viewpoints get expressed, particularly liberal ones about gays and premarital sex." "You have to be smart about whereyou go at night." "The food here is really bad; it's either bland or sickening. You're lucky if they don't screw up the bread." "Socially, the surrounding area is so dead that the Denny's closes at night." "Girls over 5'8" watch out--for some reason, guys here have munchkin blood in them or something."