Editorial Review

Reviews

Great book, but there are some errors, July 27, 2009
I am a private math tutor and author of Math Study Guide for the SAT�, ACT�, and SAT� Subject Tests - 2011 Edition (Math Study Guide for the SAT, ACT, & SAT Subject Tests). I gave this book five stars because it has the best collection of practice tests. However I found some errors:

pg 618. The answer to problem 6-14 is 5, not 6.

pg 641. Problem 13 should be c(x)=((600x-200)/x)+k.

pg 680. Decimal points are missing from problems 4-15 and 4-17.

pg 804. The decimal point is missing from problem 3-9.

pg 866. The answer to problem 7-17 is B, not C.

The only book you *must* have for SAT preparation, August 4, 2009
It's been a few years since I wrote my original review for the earlier edition of this book. Back then, I was a student taking the exam in order to get into college. However as a tutor I have taken the exam multiple times since I applied to college, gotten a few more 2300+ scores, and now pass on my knowledge to the next generation of students vying for competitive college admissions. The first thing I tell my students to do is to buy the Official SAT Study guide. It's simply the best. Why?

Well, first off, let me start with the changes to this new edition. It now has 10 practice tests, three of which are recycled from the new administration (now that they've given enough tests to disclose them) and seven from the original book. So I'll say now that it may not be a good idea to buy this if you have the older edition, but this newer edition is much more useful since there are three *real* exams. Other than that, it's pretty much the same as the old book.

The review sections are divided into three categories: critical reading, math, and writing. The reading section isn't all that helpful. A few obvious test taking tips and some practice passages with explained answers. Good for a warmup, but not much else. The math section, the most substantial in the book, is pretty useful. It contains most of the facts from middle schoool/early high school math that you've likely forgotten by the time you're a junior or a senior. It also has some sample problems to show you the kind of "out of the box" thinking you'll have to do: SAT math isn't a factual recall or "plug 'n chug" exam, but the section does give you the facts you need to survive. And finally the writing section. The review section has a lot of information, including good writing habits as well as a set of grammar rules.

The review sections, as I've mentioned, have good sets of review problems (that do NOT overlap with th practice tests) that will get you used to the *type* of questions, but it is the practice tests that will take you from small sprints to the longer marathon. Each practice test is comprised of real questions or questions of real-standard (mostly recycled from 10 Real SATs -- the predecessor to the first blue book). I usually suggest to my students to do two or three exams untimed but continuously, two exams in pieces (do individual sections timed), and the rest under real, pressured conditions (in a library or other quiet place preferably). Not only does this get the student used to the format, but it will get the student to try to devise ways to make his or her thinking more efficient and suitable for the exam.

The College Board, when it says the SAT can't be prepped for, is telling a half-truth. No, you can't prepare for it by cramming lots of facts, but you can prepare through practice, and in that practice your SAT skills don't just go up, but your ability to handle academic situations. Your thinking becomes clearer.

So I wholeheartedly reccomend this second edition of the Official SAT Study Guide. It's more useful than its predecessor because it has more tests and more accurate tests, and if used effectively can be the single best tool to prepare for the SAT.

Good luck and best of luck with college admissions. Don't see the SAT as an obstacle; see it as an opportunity to show what you can do.

Disappointed, July 23, 2009
I've been teaching the SAT verbal portion for a good 6 or 7 years, and when I saw that the College Board finally had a new edition out, I was delighted. I've running out of good materials for my students, and using College Board is really the best prep, since the CB writes the test. However, I was really disappointed when I got this book. They've added 3 tests at the beginning that are taken from October 2006, January 2007 and May 2007 - definitely a benefit if you don't have access to copies of original tests. But the rest of the book just uses the same tests from the original 2005 version, with very slight changes in some of the critical reading questions (changes that were much needed, I think). If you're going to buy this book as you begin your study process, this will help you understand how the test thinks. But if you are buying this to supplement the 2005 version, be aware that you're only getting 3 new tests. You be the judge of whether that's worth your money.

Defective material, October 14, 2009
I opened this book in great anticipation, and what I found was a yellow ERRATA page listing all the errors in this book: Two full pages of errors! I do not have the time to go to every specified page to correct every error before I use this book. College Board (CB) should be ashamed to sell this edition. This book should be given out free of charge, as DEFECTIVE material. There are content errors and editorial errors. For your information, the previous edition and this new edition have 7 tests in common (that is, 7 tests from the previous edition are reprinted in this new edition), and the errors occur in these 7 reprinted tests. The CB did not make these errors in the previous edition. It is hard to believe how CB people could "produce" so many errors--on tests they were able to print without errors the first time around. The 3 newly added tests do not seem to contain any errors; but I am not sure yet. I am quite upset. The company should proof-read, edit, and reprint this edition before selling it. I begin to question CB's intentions.

2130 -> 2330, February 28, 2010
Don't bother with practice tests from Kaplan, Barrons, etc. The tests in this book are created with the same secret set of rules as are actual SAT tests, so the tests in this book are far better for practicing with.

Only complaint is that there are a few typos.

50 hours with this book increased my score from 2130 to 2330. That's an increase from the 97.2nd percentile to the 99.8th percentile, from 1/35 rarity to 1/500 rarity. That increase really speaks for itself about how much this book helped me. Easily worth the money and time.

Welcome addition, but only 3 new tests, and it has the wrong answer key on test #10, October 14, 2009
I am a professional SAT tutor in San Diego with 11 years of experience, so I was excited to see that the College Board has finally released a new edition of this book.

The last 7 out of 10 tests in this book are taken directly from the 1st edition of the Official SAT Study Guide. The new tests (first 3 tests in the book) are a welcome addition, especially since they provide actual scores in the conversion tables, instead of just score ranges.

However, the College Board should have included more than 3 new tests in this book. In the last year alone, they have administered 21 separate "live" versions of the SAT, all of them scaled accurately. So why not pack this book full of completely new versions of the SAT, with accurate score tables to boot?

Furthermore, there is a glaring (and embarrassing for the College Board) error at the end of the book. The answer key for test #10 is the wrong key, and in that answer key, there are two sections labeled as section 6.

All in all, this book is still worth the cost, despite its flaws. It continues to be the most essential SAT preparation book on the market.

Its okay., July 24, 2009
This book is very similar to the 1st edition, this 2nd edition is just a simple revision of the 1st edition, nothing much new except some new tests, it is still missing explanation of the answers to the test, tho it does say you can get explanation of the answers off their site.
It is a great book to get familiar with the SAT, but remember this book does not teach you how to solve the problems on the SAT, this book just help you understand how the SAT is like by giving you practice tests and tips. The main benefit of this book is knowing how the SAT works, and knowing what is on the SAT.
You get tips, practice tests, and the answer key to all 10 tests with this book.

You can further your studies by exploring what you don't understand in this book and finding explanation or similar type questions by researching them online or from other prep/text books.

My reason for a 4 star is that it does not fully prepare you for the SAT, it just gives tips on what is on the test and a couple of practice tests. (no explanation on the tests answers, you can't be prepare if you don't know how to solve the questions, but you can research them online.)


amazon shipping was not too satisfactory, my book was slightly bent due to the box being to tight and small, this does not effect my ratings toward this book tho.

This shouldn't be your only book, July 23, 2009
The College Board's books are excellent sources of practice tests, but that's it. Get your theory down cold using other sources, then practice it with this text.

I've taught SAT prep for 4 years, and the McGraw Hill SAT guide by Christopher Black is the one I've come to rely on for all my private clients. You get tear-out flash cards, vocab lists that include root study, logic-based testing techniques without gimmicks, and the best essay prep method I've seen.

Decent Study Guide, August 20, 2010
My main problem with this book is that it is from the test-maker. At first, I thought that would be a good reason to buy it. When I received it, I realized that was not so. I was expecting tips on how to recognize the tricks used and how to avoid them. After reading through the first few chapters, I was thoroughly disappointed. Then I realized, this book is published by the test maker. Why would the writers of the test want to provide a resource that teaches you their tricks and traps? The tips recommended in this guide are general test taking tips that you could find in any test prep book. I did not receive any enlightening information from them. The practice SATs are the component that pushed my rating up to a four. The practice tests are great for preparation, because they are exactly like the real thing. If you work through a few of these, you will know exactly what to expect come test day. Overall, I recommend this for the practice tests. Do not buy this if you are looking for guidance on avoiding test-maker traps. I would look elsewhere.

Buy it here!, July 29, 2010
I love this book. I love the price. The GREAT thing is that if you go to Border's or B&N you get a sheet with all the errata that you have to worry about. My copies from Amazon already had the errate fixed! My only criticism is that - at times - I could have used some of the detailed explanations that you find in some of the other SAT prep books. The math questions are excellent. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Real ACT Prep Guideis the only book with insider test-taking tips and strategy, practice, and insight from the makers of the ACT.

... Read more

Reviews

A must have book for the real tests, but bad for content and strategy., March 4, 2009
First off, if you could only buy one test prep book for the ACT, I would whole heartedly recommend The Real ACT prep guide. This is saying a lot coming from none other than an author of another ACT prep/analysis guide! The main advantage of this book is that it has tests which contain REAL questions made by the ACT organization. While other books may tout having "(Insert High Number Here) ACT practice Tests", the one serious shortcoming of all these books is that the questions in these tests are not real ACT questions made scientifically and validated statistically by the ACT corporation, which has adequate funds to employ such methods. Another huge advantage of this book is that it gives detailed explanations for every question in the three tests that it offers. While many other unofficial test prep books give explanations for their answers, the questions themselves are not scientifically validated like the questions from the test makers. The explanations to the questions explain the concepts behind each question, as well as why the wrong answers are wrong. This book certainly provides an enormous amount of useful material for your hard earned money!

The book's main downside, however, lies in the introductory content sections before the practice tests are introduced. In the math section, for example, the guide tells you that you need to have a clear understanding of basic trigonometric relationships to be successful on the test. On page 55, the book gives you an example problem and simply tells you that you must use the sin relationship to answer the question. However, it does not state the definition of the different trigonometric relationships needed for the test, such as sin, cos, and tan(and in some cases: cot, sec, and csc). While looking at real ACT tests, I have seen many questions in the math section where the test asks one to evaluate a specific trigonometric expression, such as "What is the tan of (specific angle in triangle) in triangle ABC". A clear understanding of these identities are needed to solve these problems, and the ACT prep guide fails to define these, assuming that the reader already has a firm understanding of them. A prep guide does not have to go into the detail of a text book, but it should at least define the core concepts that will be tested. The prep guide also tells you to think about the question extensively before writing anything down- not a very good idea. When approaching a problem, you should always write expressions or representations of the problems, as it is much easier to see relationships on paper than in your head. Using your pencil frees up storage in your short term memory, so you can focus on the approach to the problem. Strategies that are not often beneficial with regards to the time constraints of the test are also present in the science reasoning introductory content section. For example, on page 115, the guide states that it is important to read the text thoroughly and make notes in the margins before you approach the questions. Because of the extreme time constraints of the science section, it is very hard if not impossible to completely understand the introduction to the experiments in each passage and still have time to answer all of the questions. The English section fails to mention a few concepts such as parallel structure and other smaller concepts that I have seen on multiple real ACTs in the past.

Despite these shortcomings in the introductory concept sections of the Real ACT Prep Guide, it is still an invaluable resource for ACT test prep. No other company can make ACT questions like the ACT. Even my book, DISSECTING THE ACT 2.0: ACT TEST PREPARATION ADVICE OF A PERFECT SCORER or ACT TEST PREP WITH REAL ACT QUESTIONS], is dependent on real test materials that the ACT provides free of charge. Using and analyzing real test materials is the single best way to prep for the ACT, and this book has three of them.

If you have an older version of this book, you do not need to get the newer edition, since nothing substantial has changed since the book has some out several years ago. You can also save money by getting used versions of this book.

Bottom Line: A must have book, but use only the practice tests and explanations. Ignore the rest of the book since it contains quite a bit of bad advice. This is based on my experience of taking the real ACT and getting a prefect score of 36. For ACT content and strategy there are other better books, but no other book gives you three real ACT tests.

Crucial for test preparation--but unfortunately, you'll need more than this to ace the test, September 3, 2009
We run a very successful test prep company and highly recommend The Real ACT Prep Guide to students. It is important to note that the ACT is one of the most predictable tests ever created. This test always tests the same skills--in the same amounts!--on each section of the test. For example, the English test will ALWAYS have 10 questions testing punctuation, 12 questions testing grammar, 18 questions testing sentence structure, etc. And within those categories, the same skills are always tested. This predictability can be found in all sections of the test. The math section will ALWAYS have 14 plane geometry questions, 4 trig questions, etc.

Why am I blabbering on about this? Since the ACT is so predictable, the best way to prep for the test is to take official ACTs. The same question types just repeat and repeat. With enough practice, you'll know exactly what to expect on test day. And no, the fake Princeton Review and Kaplan ACT practice tests just don't cut it. (Just check out all those Amazon reviews for those books. Sadly, they are filled with comments like, "The tests in this book were nothing like the real thing. Not a good thing to find out on test day." Oy.)

This book is the only one out there offering real ACT tests. You need this book!

There are several problems with this book, however:

1) The Real Guide doesn't give you a "big picture" view of the skills you need to improve. Let's say you answer a test question incorrectly and review the answers and explanations. Hopefully, you won't get a similar question wrong next time. But you don't necessarily have a "macro" sense of the topics you need to review.

2) Even if you realize what skills you need to improve, the Real ACT Prep Guide doesn't really review any skills tested on the ACT. Don't remember how to calculate the distance formula? Forgot what subject-verb agreement is? You're stuck.

3) The Real ACT Prep Guide doesn't offer practice problems (besides for the 3 included tests). We often find that students who are most successful practice with hundreds of practice problems before test day (particularly those practice problems that focus on their weak areas).

4) The Real ACT Prep Guide doesn't offer "sneaky" strategies. After all, this would be a conflict of interest for the ACT folks.

As a result, you need more for good ACT prep. In our program, we use Boost Your Score! The Unofficial Software Guide to the Real ACT along with this book, since it analyzes student performance on the real ACT tests in the book and then provides practice problems and strategies to boost weak areas. We have actually turned out two perfect scorers using the software in combination with The Real ACT Guide.

Other good products we have used include Princeton Review's 1,296 ACT Practice Questions (College Test Preparation) or the Kaplan or Princeton books when they are used just for strategy, but not for the practice tests.

Best practice tests, February 8, 2008
Not the best review or test taking tips; ACT is not going to give too much away. The value of this book is in the three practice tests it contains. There is no substitute for practicing on the real thing. Answers and detailed explanations are included.

The best ACT book - but please read this if you have the older edition!, January 20, 2009
This is the only ACT prep book that contains 3 actual, retired ACT tests, and hence it is the best book available. All other ACT prep books contain tests created by the test prep company, and they are NOT THE SAME as an actual test! They may look the same, but don't be fooled! The amount of work and expertise that goes into developing an actual ACT test is staggering, and it cannot be duplicated by Kaplan, Barron's, Princeton Review, etc. I make my living providing ACT prep, and this is the only book I use. I give it 5 stars, but with a warning: if you own the 2005 edition, don't buy the new one. The practice tests and study materials are exactly the same. The new edition does provide some updated information about test norms, but this is a single page of data, and is essentially meaningless to about 99% of the users of this book. I thought it was misleading, even dishonest, to advertise this as an updated product, but nonetheless, this is still the only book I recommend.

Great resource to improve score, October 31, 2008
I used this book along with the Real ACT book, the McGraw Hill 10 Practice Tests, and Sparknotes Guide to the ACT. I found that this books was one of the more helpful ones. The strategies given are insignificant, as it is a conflict of interest. This book's value is attributed only by the 3 practice tests. The three practice tests are exactly the same as you would see them during test day. The answer sheet is exactly the same, and there are also blanks for you to add your personal information as you would during test day. That example shows that the book prepares you so that you will not be unpleasantly surprised during test day. The tests are exactly the same in content as you would find during test day. The answer explanations are one of the best aspects of this book; you will find out exactly what you did wrong as the explanations are completely thorough. By practicing on a real ACT, finding out what you did wrong, and using the corrections through the extensive explanations to deter future mistakes, the Real ACT book is the way to go.

This book helped me get a 33!

Great resource, March 16, 2008
I'm a college student and I coordinate an ACT tutoring program for the inner-city high schools and we purchased 5 copies of this book. So far, it's been a very good resource. I felt that the best way to prepare for the ACT exam is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE -- so we just work through problems from the exams and go over the answers. And this book comes with 3 REAL ACT EXAMS! PERFECT for what we're doing. :D

Great English, not so great Math, May 1, 2009
My daughter just took the ACT after working through this book. She found the English and science portions helpful, but the math presented in this book was not anywhere near the level of the problems on the actual test. She consistently aced the practice test problems easily, but not so on the actual test. The English and science portions were an accurate reflection of actual test level. This guide also did not cover the writing section at all (which is optional on the actual test, but was my daughter's worst area by a long shot - it would help to have more guidance in that area in the prep book).

ACT book EXCELLENT, May 2, 2008
The Real ACT book is one of the best books of its kind. I teach SAT and ACT prep, and this book not only is well formatted with REAL ACT problems (by the test-makers), but the book gives the fullest explanations of the correct and incorrect answers that I have ever seen. I'm using it exclusively in my classes. Parents looking to help their kids get prepared should buy NO OTHER BOOK.

Robert Sposato

No different than 2005!, October 18, 2008
The 2008 Copyright Second Edition, Revised and Updated by ACT, The Real ACT Prep Guide, has exactly the same sample questions, tests and test questions, as the 2005 Real ACT Prep Guide. If you have the 2005 Copyright, this new, second edition will not give you any additional, original practice. Misleading advertising.

An essential book, but you need another book for content and strategy., June 14, 2009
This book has three real ACT tests form the makers of ACT test. All three of tests have very good explanations. Nothing will improve your scores more than practicing with the real test, figuring out what you are doing wrong and changing the way you take the test. This makes this book essential. In my opinion, the practice tests and explanations are the only worthwhile things about the book. The rest of the stuff in the book is not worth the time. There in no good summery of concepts you need to know. No list of math formulas you need to memorize. No useful strategies. For content and strategy consider getting Dissecting the ACT:Dissecting the ACT: A Unique Student Perspective on the ACT or ACT Test Prep with Real ACT questions. These two books are all that you need.

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Editorial Review

Kaplan SAT 2011: Strategies, Practice, and Review gives students the expert advice, practical hands-on tips, and test practice that have made Kaplan the smart, proven choice for SAT test preparation. This comprehensive guide offers everything a student needs to succeed in achieving a high SAT score: strategies, practice tests, and content review of all aspects of the SAT exam.

Kaplan SAT: Strategies, Practice, and Review also features:

• Tips from Kaplan’s SAT expert instructors and tutors 
• Advice and strategy callouts from Kaplan’s SAT perfectscorer 
• Helpful parents’ guide explaining how they can help their children use the book and prepare for the exam 
• Student study group guide 
• Four full-length practice tests with detailed answer explanations
• Additional full-length practice test online

Reviews

Better than the Official SAT Guide, October 29, 2010

Kaplan SAT 2011 Sra=rategies, Practicd, and Revoew, September 6, 2010
The book was divided up nicely amoung test, a good self assessment with timed sections and 5 actuat tests at the back of the book. The answers sheet gave full explanations whay the correct answers were chosen. My son preferred Kaplan over Barrons. He said Batton's works book had antiquaited paragraphs and vocabulary. Kaplan gave lots of test tips and SAT test traps, 'what to look out for' clues. He is very happy with this book and also ordered the Educational Testins Service their own SAT 10 test booklet.

Kaplan Convert, November 4, 2010

Comprehensive SAT Review, November 4, 2010

Kaplan is a class act, November 19, 2010

Editorial Review

In college, there's a surprise around every corner…

The #1 Student Handbook; Updated 3rd Edition

But that doesn't mean you can't be prepared! From sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes, The Naked Roommate is your behind-the-scenes look at EVERYTHING you need to know about college (but never knew you needed to know).

From sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes, The Naked Roommate is the behind-the-scenes look at everything students need to know about college (but never knew they needed to know). Completely revised and updated, this essential guide used by hundreds of thousands of students is packed with expert advice on everything from managing money to managing stress—plus hilarious, outrageous, and telling stories from students on over 100 college campuses:

College Living

• Dorm do's, don'ts, and dramas
• Lying, noisy, nasty roommates

Finding Friends

• Facebook and MySpace
• Friend today, gone tomorrow

Classes

• To go or not to go?
• How to get an A, C, or F

Dating

• 16 kinds of college hookups
• Long distance = BIG concerns

The Party Scene

• The punch in the "fruit punch"
• Sex, drugs, and the truth

Money

• Grants, loans, and loose change
• Credit cards and online gambling

The Naked Roommate is the #1 bestselling college life guide, and Harlan Cohen is the top voice on college life. Through his speaking engagements, college tour, music, and website, he has reached thousands of students with his message of relaxing, being yourself, and making the most of the college years.

With calendars, planners, and The Naked Roommate being used as the first year experience guide at colleges across the country, The Naked Roommate is the top name in college life advice.

PRAISE FOR THE NAKED ROOMMATE

"If The Naked Roommate existed when I went to college, I would have devoured every page before I stepped foot on campus."
Linda J. Sax, Associate Director of the Higher Education Research Institute and Director of the CIRP Freshman Survey

"The most useful guide [on college life]. (Five stars)"
The Daily Orange, Syracuse University

"The Naked Roommate is one of the best and most practical college advice guides I've read."
Andrew Tinnin, administrator at the University of Michigan

Naked Roommate Article (PDF) (20100826) ... Read more

Reviews

A great resource for the college-bound, March 5, 2005
Harlan Cohen is an advice columnist and speaker for college campuses. The Naked Roommate is one of the best and most practical college advice guide's I've read. The tips are based on questions actual students have asked, actual students have provided real-world advice on, and Cohen has added his professional perspective on as well.

Cohen and Sourcebooks are launching an on-line companion site, http://www.thenakedroommate.com/, that I look forward to visiting.

The first, very crucial tip (and a staple in Cohen's campus addresses) is: "Relax. Have fun. Enjoy it all. Your job is simple: be your best, meet lots of people, make new friends, make smart decisions, possibly find a career, possibly find love, and take risk after risk after risk so that you can figure out what you love and what you don't love. If you do this, you'll leave college with more than a degree. You'll leave knowing what it takes for you to be happy."

Buy this for my college bound teenagers, June 27, 2007
The author, Harlan Cohen, gives advice on the hard issues, like dating, sex, alcohol and drugs, plus tips on going Greek, getting involved, skipping class and dealing with roommates and the stuff we tend to overlook, like avoiding the 'freshman 15' and doing laundry without losing your unmentionables. And yes, there is a tip on how to deal with a naked roommate (tip #16). My all time favorite advice is what to do if your roommate enjoys having sex in your presence. First he suggests you talk to her and let her know it bothers you and if that doesn't work then invite friends over to watch. She might move her lovemaking to somewhere a little more private if she realizes she has an audience.

There are so many things to love of about this book, but let's start with humor. Harlan doesn't spend over 400 pages preaching. Instead he writes as if he's sitting around chatting with his friend [and that friend is you, the reader]. He cracks jokes. He invites you to check out his mySpace and Facebook pages. And he never once talks down to you. This is great considering the target audience is teenagers and I think we all know how hard they are to get through to.

Another great thing about this book is the testimonials. Each tip begins with a comment from a real live college student. And the tips come from students all over the U.S., even Iowa. It was great to hear from students who are living it, have learned from their mistakes and are willing to share [anonymously]. It made the advice feel more credible since we're hearing it from all different types of students from all different kind of schools.

But what I love best about this book are the chapters on the tough stuff; sex, alcohol and drugs. I'm one of those who thinks we can [and should] preach abstinence and `just say no' to drugs and alcohol, but we also need to make sure our kids understand the consequences and know what to do if they don't listen to our preaching. Some of our kids will experiment and they need to know what to do in those situations. Harlan does a great job of giving both sides.

In the sex section, his advice is to not have sex until you are absolutely ready and in love and won't be ashamed of it in the morning. Several times he states you must feel comfortable enough with your partner to discuss both of your sexual histories. He discusses different birth control options plus what to do if you make a mistake. And he pounds home the point that you need to make sure you aren't doing something drunk that you wouldn't do sober.

In the alcohol and drug sections, he makes it clear that not everybody on campus is getting drunk and high. Kids come in to college thinking everybody gets drunk four nights a week, but the reality is more than half of students are there to [gasp] get an education. But he also has advice for those students who do decide to drink or do drugs. He suggests they figure out how to balance it all; drinking and making it to class so they don't flunk out. He also has some suggestions for dealing with druggie roommates or alcoholic friends.

This is the stuff our college students want to hear about. They don't want to hear their parents preaching "be safe." They want real advice about what to do when they find themselves in these situations and Harlan gives them those answers.

I could go on and on about the great tips offered in this book, but instead I'll just leave you with one last tip; finding your place on campus (tip #3). Throughout the book Harlan emphasizes the need to be involved. Several tips talk about joining sporting clubs or religious clubs or political clubs or starting your own club. This is one of the most important tips in the book. Too many kids spend their first few months holed up in their room not making friends. College is such an amazing experience. Not one second should be wasted and I think with the help of this book kids will be able to dive right in and make the best of it. If you have teenagers get a copy of this book. If you have toddlers, put this in your Amazon wishlist so you'll remember to buy the latest edition when they are teenagers. I can't wait for my teenagers to read it.

Great book for RA Staff, March 13, 2006
I used this book in RA Trianing after learning about it at the ACUHO-I 2005 conference and meeting Harlan in person. The staff loved the book, and it has a lot of great examples and speaks well regarding University resources for students to seek out and utilize. The book was so well-liked, that I bought a copy for each of the RA Staff members for International RA Recognition Day in February 2006!

I wish I would have had a book like this when I went to college, June 30, 2006
It would have been less stressful. The book is very well written. Easy to read and follow. It flows well from topic to topic. It's engaging and truthful without being patronizing to the reader. Gives great tips on how to handle, approach and deal with most everything one can and will encounter during their years in college. It's also very real, because Harlan Cohen has students themselves sharing their experiences. A must read for every student headed for college.

A little disappointed., August 4, 2009
I am an entering college freshman. I read the reviews for this book and was really excited for it's arrival. Overall, it is informative but incredibly repetitive. It could have been cut down to about ten tips instead of the overwhelming and somewhat boring one-hundred and seven. A lot of it is common sense and I could have done without reading it. The study tips included and the conflict resolution/avoidance tips will come in handy but I am not really impressed.

Amazing Read, July 29, 2007
I am a first generation college student so it is not as though I had anyone to talk to about what to expect in college. I ordered this book to answer some of my questions. This book did that and so much more. It wasn't a boring "self-help" book; it was engaging and informative at the same time. Truly amazing read. If you are going off to school or your children are going off to school, get this book.

Some good content..., May 5, 2006
This book is extremely well written and it is clear the author (Harlan Cohen) has experience in this field and has done the appropriate research to be and expert.

That being said this book does contribute itself to the pile of books before it that are categorized as "college guides". "Be careful using a credit card", "you're on your own now that you're at college", "beware long distance relationships", etc. This are some pretty cliche terms typical in any "college guide-book". Albeit students need guidence when going to college they are better off reading a book like The Power of Focus for College Students which is a book with much more valuable content for the student reader.

If you want a good college guide book this is it. If you want more, then this isn't it.

Finally, THANK YOU!, March 8, 2005
Having two kids in college and one getting ready to go away to school next fall, I've read all these types of books. This one is by far the best of the best. I loved the stories from real students and Harlan has a great sensibility and sense of humor. I couldn't have said it better. This is sure to become the book on college life and teenage life. For other parents, like me, who read Charlotte Simmons, The Naked Roommate is the real story. Read this one. It's non-fiction and it will help you sleep at night.

Why didn't he write this 4 years ago?, August 8, 2005
I was a teacher for four years and was always on the lookout for a book to give to my graduating students (the ones I liked at least) that wasn't sappy or over-the-top inspirational. Sadly, I never found one that fit the bill. That's why I wish this book had been written back then. Now that I'm no longer teaching, I have found The Naked Roommate, a book that is practical, funny, and encouraging without being cheezy. I definitely recommend this for people going off to college and people looking for a gift to give someone going off to college.

The Best Without a Doubt -- Required Reading!, July 10, 2006
I should start off by saying that I've bought The Naked Roommate for my son, my son's friends, my nephews, my nieces, and for my friends' children and a few friends (they were having a tough time dealing with the college transition). Every single person who has picked it up has raved about it. The book captures the essense of college life in a way that is rarely seen and heard. I just heard through my nephew that it's being used as required reading on his friend's colleges. I was familiar with the author from his advice column, and appreciate his style of writing. I'm also a fan website(thenakedroommate.com) an online forum for the book. I found the title after I came across a rave review by the New England Board of Higher Education (I'm a teacher). That was last year, and this year I saw it everywhere! But I saw it first! Anyone who has something disparaging to say about this book, clearly has not read the book or has some other motive. In conclusion, this book is smart, funny, witty, extremely well researched, on the the best book out there for students, parents, educators, and anyone who wants to know about college life. I can't wait for his next. I'm sold. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What makes The Best 373 Colleges the most popular college guide?

The Best 373 Colleges is a comprehensive college guide written for any student or parent mystified by the confusing college admissions process. This essential college-planning guide, from the experts at The Princeton Review, provides the facts about the best schools in the country, popular college ranking lists, and the information needed to make a smart decision about which schools to consider.

Revealing answers from college students cover each school’s unique character and give you extensive insight into their classes, financial aid, social life, and everything in between. Students are the experts, after all, and we talked to 122,000 of them!

•Unique "Financial Aid Rating" scores for all 373 schools and list of 100 "Best Value" Colleges

•One-of-a-kind college rankings reveal the top colleges in 62 categories based on how students at the schools–the real experts! –rated their colleges. The ranking lists include:
-Top Professors  
-Best Financial Aid
-Best Career/Job Placement Services
-Best Classroom Experiences
-Top Party Schools
-Dorms Like Palaces 
-Best Athletic Facilities 
-Best Campus Food
-Most Politically Active Students
-Most Liberal Students
-Most Conservative Students
-Best College Newspaper 
-…and many more!    

•Learn what you can do in high school to prepare yourself for admission to a selective college  

•Get all the application essentials–tuition, admissions criteria, deadlines, phone numbers, addresses, demographics, student/faculty ratios, and most popular majors–for quick reference and easy comparison when you’re narrowing down your choices

•Green college ratings help readers find out if schools are environmentally friendly

•Special section on great colleges for the 15 most popular majors
   

 What the media is saying about The Best 373 Colleges from The Princeton Review: 

“The offbeat indexes, along with the chattily written descriptions of each school, provide a colorful picture of each campus.”–The New York Times

“The most efficient of the college guidebooks. Has entertaining profiles larded with quotes from students.”–Rolling Stone

“A great book…it’s a bargain.” –CNN

“Our favorite college guidebook.” –Seventeen

“Provides the kind of feedback students would get from other students in a campus visit.” –USA Today ... Read more

Reviews

The best college-search book, period., August 3, 2010
The Princetown Review publishes a number of college search-related books, including the "Complete Book of Colleges" and this one. This book is essentially a distilled version of the "Complete Book", and frankly a lot more useful (but for people completely new to the college-searching process, definitely check that out too).

"The Best 373 Colleges (2011 Edition)" (840 pages) is similar to last year's edition. After holding the number of best colleges at 371 last year (remember this book started off in 1992 with the best 350), this time there are 2 new "best" colleges: Austin College and the University of Missouri-Columbia. Not a single school from last year's list was dropped (if the inflation of "best" colleges continues, I surmise we'll get to 400 by 2020 or so). There are over 60 fun-to-browse top 20 lists of best/worst, such as "Most Beautiful Campus", "Students Study the Most", "Party Schools", and "Most Politically Active Students" (my daughter is attending the #1 ranked school on that list, it was ranked #2 last year, so yes these rankings change from year to year).

The best feature of this guide remains the 2 page layout for each of the colleges, with in-depth information on campus life, academic selectivity (the number of applicants, how many were accepted, and of those how many actually decided to attend), up-to-date tuition and room/board costs (I checked the numbers of the college that my daughter is now attending, and they are accurate), etc. Another aspect that is very helpful is the "Survey says" sidebar, in which the essence of the university is distilled from the college students themselves, and "The Inside Word" segment on how tough it really is to gain admission when all is said and done.

The proof is in the pudding: of the many college guides out there, my daughter spent more time with this book (when she was looking at colleges a few years ago) than with any other. This book is not the first place to start the college search, but once your son or daughter has narrowed down his/her colleges of choice, and assuming those colleges are featured in the "best 373", this book clearly is the best resource, the last step before a campus visit, and can be used again following the campus visits. I've looked at a lot of college-search books and if I was forced to recommend only one book among all the college search guides, this book is clearly it.

College planning BIBLE, August 3, 2010
My pre-order came in today, and thank goodness! I've been doing summer college visits with my niece, and in looking through Best 373, we found some more potential options for her to tack on before school starts up again. The rankings are great, as are the college info pages - everything you need to know, and then a little more. Highly recommended for families/students planning their college visits, or starting to research college options. A college bible, if you will.

Highly recommended!, September 14, 2010
The 2011 edition of The Best 373 Colleges should be in every high school and many a general lending library. It's the most popular college guide in print, juxtaposing direct quotes from students and unique rankings of the top 20 colleges in 62 categories with detailed admissions information from applications to majors and tuition. Highly recommended!

Great resource for students, September 25, 2010
I ordered this for my son who is a high school junior. The way the book is organized makes it very easy to access the information you need. The reviews give not only an academic feel for the institutions but also the flavor or culture of the place. This has been a very helpful resource for creating his long list of possible colleges. By having the book at home he has been able to browse at his leisure. For such an important decision, well worth the money.

Great reference, September 12, 2010
This book came recommended by a relative who's very demanding. It provides useful information, including useful facts but also insights and views from alumni and others. It's tough enough to plan the rest of your life and fully understand what one occupation or field will be like, so it's good to have all the perspectives you can get, organized in a useful manner, and this fills the bill.

OH MY GOSH Incredibly thorough with LOTS of insider info, December 14, 2010
This book provides a GREAT summary of each school reviewed, and is a perfect addition to all the books you need to narrow down this important process.
DONT try to think you can get away with just one reference book though - they ALL design them with limited info so that you need to buy multiple books. This book is a great addition to the mix. it has summaries of real student surveys - real insider opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of each school - I wanted to know if these were party schools, or which ones have drinking problems, or which ones emphasize greek membership - this book goes there with anonymous student feedback. GET THIS BOOK

Passed the teen-ager test, December 13, 2010
I bought this for my cousin who is a senior in high school. His mother tells me that this (among more than a few college guides) is the one he's kept going back to. This is the one that's dog-eared with post it notes, etc. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"The best college guide you can buy."
-USA Today
For more than 25 years, this leading guide to more than 310 colleges and universities-fully updated and expanded every year-has been an indispensable source of information for college-bound students and their parents. Helpful, honest, and straightforward, the Fiske Guide to Colleges delivers an insider's look at the academic climates and the social and extracurricular scenes at the "best and most interesting" schools in the United States, plus Canada and Great Britain.

In addition to the candid essays on each school, you will find:

• A self-quiz to help you understand what you are really looking for in a college
• Lists of the strongest majors and programs at each college
• Vital information on how to apply, including admissions and financial aid deadlines, required tests, and each school's essay questions
• "Overlap" listings to help you expand your options
• Selectivity statistics and SAT/ACT scores
• Indexes that break down schools by price and state
• A list of schools with strong programs for learning disabled students
• All the basics, including email addresses and university websites

Plus a special section highlighting the 5 public and private Best Buy schools-colleges that provide the best educational value

The guide the San Francisco Chronicle called "the bible."

Reviews

A Standard Guide to Colleges, November 13, 2008
The "Fiske Guide to Colleges" is probably the best known college guide in the country. This is the guide you will want to buy when you would like to read descriptions of most of the colleges that you have probably heard of. Most of the colleges and universities that the average high school student would be interested in are included. One feature that will appeal to many high school students is the ratings of a college's academics, social life, and quality of life. The social life opportunities at a college are an important consideration to a lot of today's teens. The guide rates the college's social life possibilities on a scale of 1 to 5 - with 5 being the highest. It has a similar 1 to 5 rating of each college's academic credentials that is based upon the school's reputation, the quality of its faculty, the quality of its facilities, the academic abilities of its students, and the academic seriousness of its students and faculty. There is also a 1 to 5 rating for the quality of life a school offers it students. This rating, however, seems somewhat difficult to pin down in terms of how it would affect any given student.

In some ways, the "Fiske Guide to Colleges" is the antithesis of books like "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges". Whereas the "Colleges That Change Lives" book extols the advanages of small liberal arts colleges, the Fiske Guide seems to extol Ivy League and Ivy League wannabe schools. In fact, the author actually hints that the real reason some people say liberal arts colleges provide a better undergraduate education than Ivy League schools is due to sour grapes because they were not smart enough to get into the Ivy League schools!

Regardless of the reasons some people think small liberal arts colleges provide a better undergraduate education, there are some legitimate things to consider about the ratings in the Fiske Guide. First, the ratings and descriptions are subjective. They come from questionaires and interviews with those associated with the colleges. Ideally, it would have been nice if there would be some way to objectively consider every aspect of how a college meets the needs of various types of students. Unfortunately, there is no practical way to do that when considering so many colleges. Second, schools that the guide rates the highest academically tend to be the country's most prestigious schools (i.e., Ivy League and Ivy League wannabe schools), while most small private 4-year colleges are mostly rated academically average. However, the ratings cannot capture the value of smaller class sizes, a closer relationship of professors to their students, and a faculty in general more devoted to teaching than to research and publishing. Third, the guide's academic ratings do not prove that a school with world renown professors will give the typical undergraduate student much (if any) opportunity to learn directly from those professors. In fact, most of their classes will probably be taught by teaching assistants rather than the professors themselves. Finally, while reading the views of students at each college provides useful information about that particular college, it does not provide much in the way of comparative information. Most students will say good things about their colleges during interviews that they know will be published. The interviewed students have not attended the other colleges and are not in position to say their college is better than the others.

Despite its shortcomings, the "Fiske Guide to Colleges" is a valuable resource to have when evaluating colleges and universities. It provides College descriptions, and it includes ratings and statistics that most people will find useful.

3.5 stars... Not your first stop for college searching, July 9, 2009
Is it just me or are these college search/guidance books coming out sooner every year? I mean, we are barely into July, and here already is the 2010 edition of The Fisk Guide to Colleges. I am well aware that the publishing business on college search/guidance books is a multi-million business, but still.

"Fiske Guide to Colleges 2010" (774 pages) is a curious college-guidance/search book in my opinion. It lists the "best and most interesting" colleges in the country, about 300 out of 2,200 four year colleges in the US are written up. According to the introduction, they were selected on the basis of academic quality, geographic diversity, a balance of public and private schools, and schools that are currently popular for certain programs (engineering and technical schools, religious emphasis, etc.). Being from Ohio, I look at the list of schools that "made the cut" and inexplicably Xavier University (a fine Jesuit college here in Cincinnati) is left out of the book. Huh? While the descriptions give a good flavor of a particular college, there are essentials missing, such as the exact tuition/room/board (there is only a general 1 to 4 star rating on how expensive a college is). Also not helpful in my opinion is that the colleges are presented alphabetically, rather than by state, since most kids look at colleges in a particular state (usually their home state), although there is an index by state.

When my daughter was simply looking to get basic information, she did not spend a lot of time with this book. As she narrowed her choices, she did read up more on her pool of colleges in this book. Bottom line: if you are at the very beginning of your college search, this is not the book to start with. For that I would instead recommend "The Complete Book of Colleges" issued by the Princeton Review (the 2010 edition is coming out in early August). The "Fisk Guide to Colleges" is instead more helpful to get a second (or third) opinion once your child has narrowed down his/her selection of colleges of interest.

Detailed information with useful student feedback, August 25, 2008
This is one of the best college guides out there. It has a lot of great detailed information on the colleges including quotes from students. The number of colleges profiled is just right--enough to provide some options but not so many that it's overwhelming. I really like how Fiske shares which colleges are similar to the one you're interested in. That makes the college search a little easier.

good book.. but old school, October 10, 2008
this is a good book, but i can't help but to think that the old school college guidebook is a little outdated in today's tech-savvy world. i'm looking for a searchable tool, somewhere where i can enter in specific criteria that i'm looking for in a college and subsequently find the perfect college for me. i'd realy suggest using a website such as www.campuscompare.com that incorporates the quantitative information available in such a guidebook with the student-reviews and digital media that reveals the personality of the school, all in a searchable database, online format that i am familiar with.

A useful guide!, October 3, 2008
The Fiske Guide presents thorough information on a remarkable number of schools. In addition to basic enrollment statistics, this book provides up-to-date contact information for admissions departments, enrollment deadlines, a list of the school's strongest programs/departments, a list of similar ("overlap") schools for each college or university, and an in-depth discussion of academic and social life at each school. Well-researched and accurate. I am an academic counselor, and I refer to this book *constantly*. It is far superior to other college guides I have read. A must-have for anyone embarking on the college search process.

Read book at library,not worth purchasing., July 14, 2009
It is an interesting read, but not was I was looking for. Book is well written, clear and concise, but reads as a narrative about various colleges. Even the authors admit, the process used in choosing these colleges are selective and subjective. By choosing only 175 colleges , Many good institutions are unfortunately absent from this book. An hour spend reading this book is ample, and I doubt after reading it you would ever refer to it again. Check it out at your local library

Indispensable for narrowing choices, July 21, 2010
I have done College Admissions Counseling for 28 years. The only book I require students
to have is this Fiske Guide. Using it, we are able to decide if a school is a stretch college or not.
Some of the percentages are higher than actual figures, but the 'guide' helps to compare colleges.

great preview of colleges, October 24, 2009
Fiske gives an overview of hundreds of colleges using the same format for each school. The scores, quality of life, seriousness of each school ratings are very helpful. The only confusing part is comparing what a particular school's primary majors are with the listing of what schools have great programs in each major--somewhat contradictory.

One of the better guides, August 27, 2010
Some good info in the guide. Has more opinionated information than many of the other guides, which is good, though it tends to accentuate the positive side just a bit too much. The information about the school's "best majors" and the cross-over schools is very helpful. Would be nice if it had more detailed information that some of the other guides include. For example, it rates the schools with $ signs in terms of cost, but does not provide detailed cost information. But I suppose if you're really interested in a particular school you should be looking at their web side to get definitive cost data.

Fiskes, August 1, 2010
Definitely a good book to get to start your college search. Recommended by our college counselor & I agree, there is lots of good info to help put that list together ... Read more

Editorial Review

If it’s on the SAT, it’s in this book. Cracking the SAT, 2011 Edition, includes:

• Access to 5 full-length practice tests—4 in the book and 1 online
• Practice questions with detailed explanations
• Updated and exclusive “Hit Parade” of most frequently seen SAT vocabulary
• Expert advice on how to tackle and ace the essays
• Practical information the what, when, where, and how of the SAT
• Key information about SAT strategies and myths
• Thorough review of all topics covered, including essay-writing techniques and a focused grammar review
• Planning and organization tips to get you all the way to test day! ... Read more

Reviews

disappointed in online tools, September 6, 2010
This is a great study tool, but when my daughter went to take the online practice tests, we learned her code had "expired", 5 weeks after purchase. No where in the materials does it state that you need to register online immediately. Very disappointing.

Best tool for SAT preparation, October 7, 2010
This book is by far the best tool for SAT preparation. It teaches very useful tactics and presents a complete vocabulary list, which provides 99% of the hard words in SAT tests.

SAT Prep, October 3, 2010
I bought this book for my daughter who is preparing to take the SAT. It arrived on time and in great condition. The material is easy to navigate through. We would recommend this. ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent Information!, October 25, 2003
After being shown this book, I ordered two copies; one for my niece and one for my nephew, both of whom will be graduating from eighth grade next spring. Having gone through the experience of looking at, applying to, and choosing colleges with two sons, I can say that the information this book contains is right on the mark. It is thorough, succinctly presented, and easily understood. The list format and quotes from students present the information in a logical way that is fun to read. Organizing the lists as tasks to be considered during each year of high school makes the college search process much less overwhelming. I wish that "Countdown to College" had been available as my family felt its way through the process for the first time seven years ago.

College Parents of America Recommends "Countdown", August 23, 2004
As the president of College Parents of America, the only nationwide member association dedicated to serving and advocating on behalf of current and future college parents, I consider Valerie Pierce's "Countdown to College" to be one of the most valuable and user-friendly college planning guides in print. When I first began compiling and culling information for parents to access on our Web site (www.collegeparents.org), I consulted "Countdown" frequently for resources and easy-to-understand explanations of complex preparation and application processes. I found the book to be concise, well-organized and comprehensive in its "To Do" lists for high school students. Today, my staff and I still keep several dog-eared copies around for quick and easy reference. And, we have enlisted Ms. Pierce as one of our "Ask the Experts" panelists for our members to consult. I highly recommend this book for all parents of high school students -- and I guarantee that their copies will become dog-eared as well!

Must Have!!!, September 24, 2003
This book is a "must have" for any college-bound student. As a certified trainer for the College for Texans program, I know how important it is to start the process early. This book is a comprehensive guide to the entire college preparation, admission and financial aid process. I've seen many, many guides to college and this is very best!

THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE!!, January 16, 2009
I am in eighth grade and am already looking into what to do to get into top colleges. Through all of my research, I have to admit, I got very confused. This book helped me see when to get things done, how to get them done, and also gave some extra sites to help you on your journey through high school and on to college. This book is chocked full of financial aid and scholarship tips, volunteer information, the "ABCs of SATs and ACTs", many checklists of what to do in each grade and in the summers, how to lay out a four year plan, and tons of advice from students who have already taken the journey into college.

I would recommend this book to anybody!! And it was easy to read for an eighth grader!! 21 'To Do' Lists for High School is a great investment!!

A great book for preparing for college, October 20, 2003
This book is a wonderful resource on preparing high-schoolers to move through the college preparation and application process. I wish it had been available when my children went to college.

You have got to have this book!!, September 25, 2003
Countdown To College, gives each reader practical tools and insights on how to effectively plan and prepare for college. I guarantee it will answer every question you might have about the college process. This is a must read for all high school students and their parents.

Wow! This book really will SAVE YOU MONEY!!!!, September 24, 2003
I picked up a copy of this book for my 10th grade daughter about 2 months ago. This is a phenominal resource for ANYONE with college bound children, especially those just getting started with high school like my daughter. We have already put most of the suggested "to dos" for the sophmore year into action. At this point, I fully expect that we will recieve a 5000% return on investment in this book! In fact, I'm going to buy another one right now so that I can work the program along side my daughter!

the early birds get the worm....or at least a head start, November 16, 2009
I found this book to be very helpfull in planning for the junior year...it gave me alot of insight. i purchased copies for my children...to get them motivated and helpful in planning for the upcomming school years. I like how it was broken down into sections by year. The suggestions/quotes by students/counselors. The time line gives me a starting point...before reading this i was overwhelmed with where to start, when and what i needed.

Terrific resource for parents and teens, October 25, 2009
I have loaned out my second copy and will probably buy 2-3 more because we have lots of friends with kids in high school. Everyone LOVES this. This is another awesome book I stumbled upon on Amazon that we've been referring to a lot for the past two years. Nice affordable gift for a family or a teenager. Great resource to help you keep up with the tests, college applications, finances, scholarships, jobs, visiting schools, and almost every imaginable part of college preparation. No matter what grade your student is in, it is not too late. You will find lots of helpful information to help you get on track and ready for college. Highly recommend this!

What a great way for my niece to plan for college!, October 14, 2003
I bought the book for my niece. Then I bought one for her mother. They are planning together for her college years. I haven't seen such a useful book in ages. ... Read more

Editorial Review

First complete collection of rhyming word and visual mnemonic aids for rapid vocabulary enhancement. This unique book contains 290 words commonly found on the SAT test and is presented with easy to remember memory aids in the form of word associations and humorous cartoons. Students learn three times more words in independent school tests. Makes vocabulary fun! As easy as reading the comics. It is a must for every college bound middle and high school student. ... Read more

Reviews

Good book using mnemonics, July 25, 2001
Like many of you, I have used lots of other methods in memorizing vocabularies, and only found that it is totally useless. Even though you have learned those new words one day, you forgot them the next day. It is because we do not make the best use of our brain in memorization. If you know psychology, you know that human memorize by association, that is, you link up a new fact with the old information already contained in your mind. The success of this book is to help you to form association with other English words that you have already known. For example, according the book, the word "Giddy" is associated with an easier word "City", because they have similar pronounciation. Then a picture showing a village farmer getting dizzy with all the complicated roads in the city remind you the meaning of "giddy": dizzy, frivolous. The mnemonic method are based on psychological research, and that is why it is a good source in learning new words. I have tried Princeton Review Word Smart Cassette Programme before, and found that I forgot those learned words within a few days. This book has better methods, and the cartoon makes the whole learning experience less stressful.

STUDENTS LEARNED THREE TIMES MORE WITH MEMORY AIDS, February 27, 1999
I was one of the Florida teachers who tested Vocabulary Cartoon study aids in actual classroom tests in 1997. In double blind tests, my eighth grade students with the vocabulary cartoon books learned three times more than in the control class with traditional rote memory vocabulary books. Both classes studied the same words and were given the same study time. I highly recommend the memory aid format found in the vocabulary books to both parents and teachers. Diane Woolley Port Charlotte Middle School Port Charlotte, Florida

Very effective method, not too advanced, September 22, 2002
This is the best mnemonic vocabulary book I've come across. Most vocabulary books expect the reader to simply memorize dozens of words from a definition, an etymology and a sentence, then use fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice to reinforce and test you. As most know, it quickly becomes overwhelming. Vocabulatoons visual representations are truly memorable and I still remember the picture for the word for fjord (tourists looking at Ford cars in a Fjord).

The words are definitely geared toward high-school vocabulary and the SAT (as the book cover suggests) so I found myself already knowing about 75% of the words (e.g. gloat, legacy, phobia, vocation, ajar, aftermath).

I'm hoping the sequel to this book will have more advanced words, however, it never hurts to reinforce what words you *think* you already know.

Words Everyone Should Know, October 29, 2004
Vocabulary Cartoons 290 key words presented through cartoons.
Each word contains a "link" word which is intended to serve as a mnemonic device, helping you to associate the new word to the word that you may be more familiar with. A good deal of the "link" words rhyme with the "key" word. To make the association even easier, the authors have provided a phrase which is easy to remember as in "We LAMENT that Joe got buried in CEMENT". This phrase is portrayed through a cartoon, providing a visual mnemonic.

Under each cartoon, you'll find three sentences with contexts where it may be appropriate to use the "key" word. These examples will also help you to develop the feel for the word, as well as to create more associations to the key word.

The authors have appropriately said that this book is "for everyone". The words in this vocabulary book seem to be for the most part on a high-school level.

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK FOR THE SAT, May 23, 2001
You can sit down for 15 minutes a day and learn 30 SAT words. There is no other book like this anywhere. Buy it. It is really amazing..

How To Double Your Vocabulary, October 27, 2003
How To Double Your Vocabulary

Despite advertising hype, no ONE book will double your vocabulary, but reading several vocabulary-building books can double your vocabulary. Different vocabulary-building books have different words and different explanations. If you don't learn a word from one book, you can learn it from another book.

Any vocabulary-building book will have many words, a fourth to half the book, that you already understand. You can always skip or skim the easy-to-you words.

Varied, incomplete word selection is another reason for using several books. Some books just take words used on past-standardized tests, neglecting other words. Other books, limit their words to words based on word roots, neglecting others. Often authors have thrown in personal favorite words, even if others rarely use the words. If you see a word in two or three books, it's generally a need-to-know word.

Cartoon/Mnemonic vocabulary books have their fans who like the mnemonic memory aids, which are useful before tests. If you don't like cartoons with mnemonic reminders, don't buy this book. The main weakness of Vocabulary Cartoons is with only one word and one cartoon per page, these books may only have a few hundred words and are expensive per word. Audio vocabulary books such as Elite Word Power, let you hearing each word pronounced correctly, helpful for improving speaking vocabulary.

Not Quite Enough, July 14, 2003
At first I thought this book would help me increase my score of 650. But I soon found the book lacking in more difficult words. Words such as gainsay and mundane are words that I seem to use in my so-called coloquial language.

I only recommend this book to those who want to reinforce their vocabulary or have trouble recalling things under pressure.

Pictures ARE Worth 1000 Words, July 5, 2005
My students enjoyed perusing these texts to learn new words to use in their essays. They enjoyed using them so much that they actually chose them as their SSR texts time and again. I have to say that along with volume 2, these texts really do help to improve their vocabulary.

Extremely Helpful, July 14, 2002
I absolutely loved this book. Not only have I learned the 250 words effeciently in a fun way, but I also developed the ability to use menomic device for other words as well.

A Excellent Resource, April 22, 2000
This book offers a much easier, funner, faster, and better way to learn and to *REMEMBER* vocabulary than most other vocabulary books (including those by Kaplan, Princeton Review, *for Dummies, Arco, and Barrons). What makes this book an excellent buy is the unique method that is employed in teaching vocabulary: humorous CARTOONS that serve as visual mnemonics! You will rarely find this strategy utilized anywhere else! Verbal mnemonics for each word are also incorportated into the book. This ensures that you will not forget the words you've learned!

The words used in this resource emphasize focus on attaining a better score on the verbal section of the SAT I. I have come across most of the 300 words in this book on sample SAT Is. I would recommend this title to those who would like to effectively increase their vocabulary in a short amount of time, especially to those with weak vocabularies.

A sample word used in this book is "ubiquitous". The verbal mnemonic is "as big as us". The visual mnemonic is a cartoon that features two extremely heavyset people who claim: When you're "as big as us" you feel "ubiquitous". (Ubiquitous, by the way, refers to the quality of being everywhere at once.) ... Read more

Editorial Review

Scoring high on the AP World History Exam is very different from earning straight A's in school. The Princeton Review doesn’t try to teach you everything there is to know about World history–only the strategies and information you’ll need to get your highest score. In Cracking the AP World History Exam, 2011 Edition, we’ll teach you how to

-Use our preparation strategies and test-taking techniques to raise your score
-Focus on the topics most likely to appear on the test
-Test your knowledge with review questions for each topic covered

This book includes 2 full-length practice AP World History tests. All of our practice questions are just like those you’ll see on the actual exam, and we explain how to answer every question. ... Read more

Reviews

Great Asset to AP World History Class, September 22, 2010
My daughter's teacher recommended, but made it optional, this book to use along side their regular AP World History Textbook. My daughter has benefited over and over again from this book as it explains and makes the textbook much more understandable. It will also be a great tool as she takes the AP test at the end of the year for college credit. A great investment, worth every penny!

Fast Delivery on Media, October 5, 2010
I used to purchase books and they take forever to recieved them and not happy with product. However for this purchase, i did receive it within a week and satisfied with the packing. thanks! i will order again. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This comprehensive AP guide from the test-prep experts brings you everything you need to prepare for the AP U.S. History Exam. Inside Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam, 2011 Edition you’ll find proven techniques and strategies, as well as:

•2 full-length AP U.S. History practice tests with detailed explanations
•Essential review of all key historical eras and timelines covered on the exam
•Targeted strategies for mastering the multiple-choice question section
•Detailed guides to writing great AP essays for the document-based and free response questions
•Terms and concepts organized by time period and category
•And much more! ... Read more

Editorial Review

If you are preparing for the AP Calculus AB or BC exam, you’ll find all the techniques and information you need in this guide. Cracking the AP Calculus AB & BC Exams, 2011 Edition comes from the test-prep experts at The Princeton Review, and it includes:

•5 full-length AP Calculus practice tests — 3 for Calculus AB and 2 for Calculus BC
•Comprehensive subject review covering the essential test topics: derivatives, logarithmic functions, integrals, and more
•Numerous problem sets for practice and review
•Detailed explanations for answers to all AP Calculus practice and test questions
•List of critical Calculus formulas and prerequisite math ... Read more

Editorial Review

Kaplan SAT 2011 Premier with CD-ROM is a complete test preparation program that provides students with all the expert strategies, practice, and review needed to insure a high score. This complete SAT guide offers features that no other guide on the market can match including:

• Live Online: A state-of-the-art online event in real time that lets students interact with and have their test questions answered by a Kaplan SAT expert, complete with audio, video, instant chat, whiteboards and screen sharing 
• Fast Fact Videos: Kaplan’s best tutors review the most important concepts from each chapter in 4-minute video presentations
• SmartPoints: A Kaplan exclusive strategy based on years of analyzing actual SAT exams, SmartPoints identify the topics and question types that are tested most often, allowing students to focus their test prep time appropriately to yield the best possible score
• Premier Tutor test tips lets self-study students benefit from the Kaplan classroom advantage
• Perfect score tips: Test advice and strategies from an actual Kaplan student who earned a perfect score on the SAT
• A parent guide
• An SAT study-group guide helps students prepare with their peers
• 10 full-length practice tests
• Diagnostic test with targeted feedback
• A personalized online study plan with syllabus and progress report
• Six months of new quizzes delivered monthly via email for extra practice
• A progress report so students can track their performance as they utilize the program

Reviews

Excellent study guide for SAT, December 6, 2010

Excellent guidance, good layout, never muddled., November 6, 2010

Editorial Review

Helpful practice tests for acing the fastest-growing standardized exam

The ACT is growing into the most preferred entrance exam by colleges and universities across the country. So if you want to get into the school of your choice, you need to achieve your best score on the ACT. You need the experts on your side!

McGraw-Hill's 10 Practice ACTs offers the most ACT practice available anywhere. It includes 10 complete sample ACTs, with in-depth explanatory answers for every question that act as a mini-review for ACT test topics.

• NEW! Eye-catching 8-page Welcome section, including 50 Top Strategies for Test Day, ACT Study Plan, Getting the Most from the Tests, Using Online Resources, and more.
• NEW: Free access to more practice ACT tests online.
• In-depth explanations for each question.
• Scoresheets to monitor your progress and predict your score.

Topics include:
Introduction; Using This Book; Understanding the ACT; Your ACT Study Plan; 50 Top Strategies for Test Day

Reviews

great book for practice tests!, November 14, 2010
This book is great for the practice tests. It is definitely worth it. The 10 practice tests are very similar to the real test. I recommend doing a test a day about 2 weeks before the test. These tests really help you pace yourself on the real thing especially the science section. Prefer this book over The REAL ACT Guide. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Vocabulary practice is critical for success on the SAT, and these vocabulary flashcards provide you with an easy, efficient and portable way to prepare for the verbal section of the exam. This box of SAT flashcards includes 500 vocabulary words, with definitions and examples of each word used in context. It also includes 50 bonus customizable flashcards, so you can enter in words that you personally need to practice the most, as well as a unique divider that helps you keep track of your progress as you learn and perfect new SAT words

Essential SAT Vocabulary includes words from the Princeton Review’s famous “Hit Parade” of vocabulary most likely to appear on the SAT. Start your practice today with key words from the test prep experts and raise your SAT score! ... Read more

Reviews

Very useful, only a one small issue..., November 20, 2009
These cards are an easy way to boost your SAT-specific vocabulary. The flashcard format allows for quick repetition, more than with books in my opinion. I only wish they had pronunciation keys next to the definitions. I recommend these cards along with "Verbal Advantage" and a pocket dictionary for a lasting vocabulary increase. Daily reading, however, is still your best bet for a lifelong and effective vocabulary. These cards are just tools to speed up the process.

not worth it, November 20, 2010
Just not worth it. The majority of the words are common, words we all know and use. Unless your vocab is elementary I don't think it's worth it.

Great study tool!, October 6, 2010
The design of these cards is very attractive and I love how there are dividers included.
There's nothing better than some old fashioned flash cards to help you learn new words.
:) I'm very satisfied.

Excellent Study Source, June 4, 2010
I bought the Essential SAT Vocabulary Cards for my son and am pleased to say that he is very confident about taking the SAT. He has added some very valuable words to his vocabulary.

Excellent!

It's really good, August 17, 2010
These cards really does help improve your scores for the SAT. It gives very simple definitions and a few synonyms. Also it comes with a nice box XD.

Excellent Service!, October 8, 2010
I received excellent service for a top-quality product at a low price. It arrived speedily and was in excellent condition.

Just a bunch of words and definitions printed on cards, January 2, 2010
You could easily just go on google and search "SAT vocab" and find some flashcards you could print out ... Read more

Editorial Review

If it’s on the ACT, it’s in this book! Cracking the ACT, 2011 Edition includes:
 
· 3 full-length practice tests with detailed explanations—2 in the book and 1 online
· Comprehensive and engaging review of all ACT subjects from trigonometry to reading comprehension
· Practice questions and explanations in every chapter
· Practical information on the what, when, where, and how of the ACT
· Detailed walk-through of how to write great essays
· Strategies for turning complex algebra into simple arithmetic
· Online lessons and tutorials for more practice
· Planning and organization tips to get you all the way to test day! ... Read more

Reviews

Good place to start, but there are some errors, December 7, 2010
I am a private math tutor and author of Math Study Guide for the SAT�, ACT�, and SAT� Subject Tests - 2011 Edition (Math Study Guide for the SAT, ACT, & SAT Subject Tests). I like to use the practice tests in this book as a warm up for students and then follow it with the official practice tests found in The Real ACT Prep Guide: The Only Guide to Include 3Real ACT Tests. However I found two errors in the first practice test:

pg 433 problem 39. The answer is 5 times the square root of 29. This is answer choice C, not H.

pg 441 problem 58. The answer is -12/5. This does not match any of the answer choices.
... Read more

Editorial Review

The updated edition of the must-have resource for any student applying to college

This thoroughly revised and updated edition of the bestselling book Admission Matters demystifies the college application process and offers practical advice for choosing the right school, writing an effective essay, navigating financial aid, and more. This handy resource will help any college-bound student whether they attend well-funded private schools or cash-strapped public schools. Filled with helpful suggestions, ideas, and advice, the new edition also includes tips for home-schooled students who are preparing to attend college.

• Helps all students who are applying to college understand the process and find the school that fits their needs
• Expanded information on testing, early decision/early action, applying as a home schooler, and tackling the dreaded college essay
• Up-to-date advice on financial aid in tough economic times – how it works and how to maximize your chances of getting aid
• Authors bring the multiple viewpoints of college admissions officer, high school counselor, and parent of college-bound students

This book gives any college-bound student the information they need to make the application process run smoothly. ... Read more

Reviews

Very informative and timely, September 13, 2005
For three years, my daughter and I read U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking of colleges with growing anxiety, a feeling that she had to apply to "the best" ones. Thank heavens for Admission Matters with its message that my daughter should apply, not to the "best" colleges but to the right colleges, ones which will allow her to blossom.

Admission Matters is really three books. The first contains a wealth of information on how to choose "good fit" colleges. The second offers a behind the scenes understanding of what happens in the admissions office, and the third provides a no-gimmick approach to preparing a strong application.

The authors were able to write a book that was valuable to my daughter and to me. They could not have done that without a deep understanding of the anxiety applying to college creates within the family. Well done!

It's all about the fit..., September 9, 2005
Finally, a how-to-apply-to-college book that won't make you, or your kids, break out in a cold sweat.

There are no cute tricks here, no half-baked theories, and most thankfully, no anxiety-producing rankings. Just everything you need to know about finding the right college, and getting accepted there--while keeping your sanity.

As a mom of two, I've read many, many college admissions books, but none cover the process from beginning to end as thoroughly as Admission Matters. The chapters on fit (yes, it is possible to be unhappy at Stanford!) and applying early are worth the cost of the book alone. The section on athletics as a "hook" was eye-opening.

Sure, you'll still need Fiske's Guide or one of the other huge tomes that provide the lists and score ranges--but this is the book you'll want to refer to when you finally sit down with your kids to narrow down the choices and get the applications rolling. It's a winner!

Wonderful Resource!, November 2, 2005
"Admission Matters" attracted me for a number of reasons--the background, experience and knowledge of the authors is compelling, but moreover I chose this book because as the parent of three with two already in college and the third an applicant now, I was hopeful that I would find new details and advice regarding the competitive hurdles that my youngest will be facing. My hopes were more than fulfilled! This book is an engaging and informative resource that blends just the right amount of humor, candor, anectodal details, encouragement and reality for parents and their college bound kids. It is also organized to facilitate quick reads of sections and question areas of greatest interest. This is a refreshing and valuable guide in the high-anxiety sea of college planning.

THE textbook for college counseling at The White Mountain School, December 19, 2009
As a college counselor, I try to read pretty much everything published in the field, with an eye to recommending the best for my students. After all, applying to college can be a frightening process, all the more alarming because of its complexity and apparent inscrutability. In this second edition, Admission Matters takes the reader through the whole process - from identifying colleges that are right for a given student, through applying for admission and for financial aid, to how to choose which college to attend once accepted. The authors unravel the complexity, explain the jargon, and clarify the seeming inconsistencies of admissions decisions. There are worksheets to help students identify their own priorities in the college search, charts to illustrate the elements of standardized testing and to graph decisions "by the numbers" (prepare to be surprised), practical advice on visiting colleges and interviewing and crafting an essay, a sample blank Common Application, a timeline for the process, and a worksheet for comparing financial aid offers. This book is so complete, so professional, so readable and clear that - for the first time in all the years I've been advising students - I am buying a copy for each of them.

Packed with helpful information, September 10, 2005
Many books about college admissions - especially those written by high priced admissions consultants - leave readers with the impression that you need to use some sort of secret (and sometimes devious) trick to get into the college of their choice. This book is different. Sally Springer and Marion Franck demystify what goes on behind the doors of college admissions offices every spring. They provide solid, down-to-earth advice about deciding where to apply and preparing an application that will make admissions officers take notice. No devious or secret tricks here: just great information and terrific ideas that will boost your chances of having a mailbox full of "fat envelopes" come April. Highly recommended.

Great for procrastinating seniors, October 16, 2005
I'm a huge procrastinator, even when it comes to really important stuff (like applying for college!). Admission Matters had great charts and timelines that have helped me get on track quickly. Although this book isn't exactly pleasure reading material, the quotes and stories made it fun-for a book about college admissions. Overall, the book has been really helpful and informative. Highly recommended!

Guide for the college bound, September 16, 2005
Admission Matters by Sally Springer and Marion Franck was the most helpful of all the books I read about college admissions. I especially liked the insiders view of what goes on in the selection process in college admissions offices. Even more helpful was the discussion of how important it is to find which colleges are really the right match for my son. After reading this book I feel well prepared to help my college bound son with his college applications.

Amazing resource for anyone with admissions question, October 10, 2006
As a high school senior, I've been having the usual problems with finding a college that I feel is right for me, and then actually going about the process of applying. Not only was this book helpful in answering nearly all of my questions, but it is written in an interesting, friendly manner that I found heartening in the midst of a process that has been incredibley stressful! I recommend this book not only to high school students but their parents as well - my Mother read it and she loved it too!

excellent resource for students applying to college and their parents, September 2, 2009
I have read virtually every book written about selective college admissions and I can tell you that this book is the most up to date, clear, and comprehensive guide you can find. I especially appreciate chapter 3 on how colleges make their decisions, which seems like the biggest mystery to students and parents. The way the authors explain the process from the college side makes absolute sense. While 2 highly selective colleges may make different decisions on the same applicant, you learn that the outcome can be unpredictable but at the same time, not random. You also learn that while you might be qualified to attend a certain college, you may not necessarily get in depending on the institutional priorities of the college and the class they are trying to create. In addition to this valuable information, students and parents get tips on how best to approach each part of the college admissions process. They leave nothing out. You learn how to put together the best list of colleges for you, that are good fits academically, socially and financially. You learn how to rank schools for yourself, instead of buying into the published rankings. In fact, if you follow the advice in the book, you'll have at least 8 first choice colleges to apply to. The authors finally include a whole chapter on how to finance a college education, which in an economic downturn, is critical to understand. So, if you are just embarking on this process or want to get a head start, and you can only invest in one book, this is the book to buy.

the best college admissions book I've seen, December 15, 2005
This is an outstanding book. What I appreciate most about it is its thoughtfulness. Where other books present statistics and give only brief attention to very important topics, this book presents a fair, smart, and thorough account of the World of Admissions and encourages you to sit down and think about things, guiding you along each step of the process. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The experts at The Princeton Review offer the most complete and effective preparation for two important secondary school admissions exams, the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) and ISEE (Independent School Entrance Examination). This fully up-to-date 2010 edition of Cracking the SSAT & ISEE includes 5 full-length practice tests: 2 for the SSAT and 3 for the ISEE. In Cracking the SSAT & ISEE, 2011 we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and

•Correctly answer difficult analogy and synonym questions without knowing what all the words mean
•Ace the Math section by eliminating answers that are planted to fool you
•Use our step-by-step approach to simplify the Writing Sample
•Analyze difficult passages using our Tips & Tricks in the Reading Comprehension section

All sections of the SSAT & ISEE are covered in this guide. It also includes scoring charts to help you identify how many questions you should attempt to get the score you want and our exclusive Hit Parade of vocabulary words, grouped in easy-to-memorize bunches. ... Read more

Reviews

No new material, August 16, 2010
I bought this hoping that the material had been updated since a much older version. I'm very disappointed to see the very same material as the 2003 edition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Now fully revised—the perennially popular guide to choosing the right college

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. ... Read more

Reviews

He Is Still the Best, August 17, 2006
If you ever hanker to think that your child may have been better off going to that school whose name everyone knows, pull out this book and read the first 20 pages and you will become instantly relaxed.

In a nutshell, Pope espouses that liberal arts undergraduate education in the Ivies is faltering, if not failing, but America has plenty of great liberal arts educational centers and they are at the numerous well established liberal arts colleges (LAC's) of America. Those LAC's and some "other" LAC's are great places for undergraduate education. Some of those "other" LAC's are the topic of this book.

This is the old book (Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student) with quips at the end of the 40 schools which update his research of each respective institution. He has added passages at the end of the 40 schools to describe what has happened at some of the schools which makes his statement(s) of a decade ago as true or even truer than when originally written. In short, the LAC's of this book are not only still good schools, most are better schools than when he delivered their names in the original book.

He writes well. He is very persuasive. And, in the end, his arguments clearly show each school's strength through his writing skills and by the statistics recited throughout this book.

If you want more, there are two others on this same line of reasoning: The College Admissions Mystique by Bill Mayher and Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That's Right for You by Loren Pope. If you think Ivy (for undergraduate) is the answer before reading these three books, you may discover a change of opinion after reading these books.

Advise families to read, January 11, 2007
As an Independent Educational Consultant, I often give this book to my students that think they want to attend a big university or a name brand school. Often students fall through the cracks at these well-known schools, but the Colleges That Change Lives are nurturing environments that do not let students become just a number. If a student has graduate school aspirations, I especially recommend this book, because these schools have much better track records for preparing and having their students accepted into first choice graduate programs. One of the criteria for being in Colleges That Change Lives is a school cannot be too selective. Even though some of these schools have become quite popular from inclusion in this book, they still accept other than straight A students, because they firmly believe in the learning experience gained from the academic mix of students. This updated version is even more inspiring than the previous. These colleges really do change lives!

One of the only two books you need, August 15, 2006
As a parent in the grips of high anxiety (I have a high school senior and I high school junior) I highly recommend this book. Although I am a bit concerned that these 40 schools are about to be swamped with applications, I think it will encourage familes to look for their own "schools that change lives." The other book I highly recommend is GETTING IN WITHIUT FREAKING OUT by Arlene Matthews. It is written for anxious, confused parents like me and lays out exactly what to worry about and what NOT to worry about as you and your kids negotiate every step if the school search and application process. The second book is also very reassuring and funny, which I appreciated.

I graduated from one of the 40 schools, November 19, 2006
I actually graduated 25 years ago from one of those 40 schools Pope reviewed. Looking back, I do agree that although my college was not a "name brand" college, the education I got was like no other. They were formative years and as Pope says, I was "educated" not "trained".

Looking back to those days at college, I would attribute much good of what I am today to attending that Liberal Arts College. My graduate school, post college, was a Big Ten University. The difference? While the Big Ten U. was very "competitive" based, my experience at the Liberal Arts College mentioned in Pope's book was "collaborative".

Yes, I do agree that we are oversold on "brand-name" schools, and Pope's book would be a good guide to exploring your options. If you are thinking of sending your child to, or if you yourself are considering, college, then this book is a "must read" !!

A Great Perspective, September 15, 2006
I first bought this book 1.5 years ago when I was researching colleges for my oldest son. It changed the way I looked at selecting colleges from my prior misconceptions that "bigger is better" (like large state schools) and "it has to have a well-known name to be any good." Pope succeeded in convincing me that not only are there invaluable advantages to smaller-size schools but that there is definitely something to be said for "liberal arts & science" institutions that offer a well-rounded curriculum. I was able to relax then because my son had no idea what he wanted to pursue. As a result of reading the book, my son is now attending Cornell College in Iowa where he is getting a wonderful education in small classes with caring instructors and an administration that "took me by the hand," upon his initial arrival as a freshman, & addressed all my fears and concerns about leaving my son with a bunch of strangers 4 hours away. Because the book includes little quantitative information (%'s of in- vs out-of-staters, tuition costs, % of students who graduate/return sophomore year/go to graduate school, etc.) you will need to supplement this book with another, such as the Fiske guide, to give you a basis of comparison across schools. Even if you don't select any of the schools mentioned, it is worth a read if for nothing else other than a refreshing perspective.

This book changed my son's life., February 9, 2007
What a refreshing change from all those other college guides! This book neither gushes over the ultra-Ivies, nor chuckles at the party-hearty habits of the big universities; instead, it offers hope to the average student, the learning disabled, and the late-blooming adolescent. It focuses on pointing readers in the direction of colleges that make a difference in the lives of young men and women, and in the community at large. A chapter in the beginning, entitled "Today's Learning Disabled Will Be Tomorrow's Gifted", while perhaps slightly over-optimistic, nevertheless opened my eyes to so many possibilities for my son. If you are a hopeful idealist, looking to do something that matters in your life, or looking to guide your underacheiving or learning challenged child, and you're looking for a college that cares about its students and truly wants to admit the students who apply, do as I did and buy or borrow this book today.

This WILL change the way you think about colleges., August 3, 2007
This book is a must for anyone looking at colleges. After reading another Pope book "Looking Beyond the Ivy League...," I was already leaning away from any large colleges. I then read "The Gatekeepers" which was fascinating, but leaves one with the feeling that they should be grateful if a college accepts them.

Colleges That Change Lives reminds us that WE are the customer. WE are choosing the school and we should do it by keeping in mind that our children's education is more important than being able to say our child went to Harvard, Yale, etc. There are schools that welcome our children. Why should we put our children through the stress of applying somewhere they are not likely to get in, where they are not likely to get the close attention most of us need to learn better?

The one thing that stands out in my mind about the highly-selective, well-known schools after reading this book is that we assume the colleges are good (and best for our child) based on the kind of students they accept.

The results are another thing. We, as consumers, assume that if the "best" students get in to those schools, they automatically do well and are assured a successful future. What do we base that on? Assumptions aren't enough.

Read this book.

Lots of information to consider and is thought provoking, August 27, 2006
I have a daughter ready to apply to colleges this fall and have found this book very helpful in planning and sorting through the myriad of information out there.

What I liked: Understanding the administration's vision, including teaching personnel's qualifications and the number of qualified competent undergraduates that each school can turn out is very helpful.

What this book doesn't tell you is the underlying student culture, the nuances of the location and the freshman return rate and other important considerations. So some of these schools sound absolutely too good to be true, but when you additionally use other resources to learn about the school's geographic location, what students say about their school, etc., you get a better picture of the college in it's entirety.

I commend the author who is investigating each college to discover the best intellectual powerhouses out there. In the end, it's the applying senior from high school that has to figure out which college or university is going to provide the best supportive and enriching environment in which to truly learn and grow!

Definitely get this book but do not use it solely to make your decision to attend a particular college named in this book.

Too much gushing and too little objectivity, December 19, 2006
I might agree that the "Ivies" are over-rated but this book just gushes on and on about how wonderful these 40 schools are. All of them are perfect and idyllic and everyone who ever went to any of them is a wonderful success and had wonderful and life changing experience at the school.

Somehow, I have to think the real world is a little less rosy than the picture this book paints. If you read one of the school descriptions you've pretty much covered them all as only the names and the adjectives for "wonderful" and "idyllic" change. Basically, it reads as though these 40 schools got together and decided to save money by publishing one sales brochure that includes all of them.

Check this one out from the library, read the first couple of chapters, skim through the descriptions for a few schools and write down the school names from the table of contents. Now get online and see if you can actually learn something about the school aside from the "fact" that it's idyllic and wonderful.

PS. I'm not knocking the schools, just the book. A little less sales and a little more info would have been nice.

High-value advice for applying to college, November 9, 2006
I enjoyed the book a lot, especially its focusing on a small number of not-often-discussed colleges. Well-written and thoughtful throughout, the book would be of use to students with not-at-that perfect records, who are looking for a good alternative to some of the very hard to get into "elite" schools. A good "sister book" for students considering colleges, which I also quite liked, was Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College, by Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman. They tell, from the professors' point-of-view what students already in college can do to get A's. A useful thing, too. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Students preparing for the Advanced Placement U.S. History exam will welcome this set of flash cards, which offers them the flexibility to study history in ways not available from textbooks and study guides. 504 cards encompass the entire AP course, reviewing all key topics. Cards are numbered and labeled so that students can arrange them within a chronological time frame or according to any of seven categories. The cards run chronologically from the Colonial era of the early 1600s to the present day. The seven categories are: Arts and Sciences, Domestic Policies, Presidential Matters, Wars and Foreign Relations, Economy and Business, Legal Issues, and Society and Culture. Questions and answers on flash cards cover every significant aspect of U.S. history from Abolitionism and Articles of Confederation to the Yalta Conference and Zachary Taylor. Here is an efficient and productive way to brush up on facts for the Advanced Placement exam, and an ideal supplement to classroom textbooks. ... Read more

Reviews

Amazing, March 13, 2006
This is literally the best review of US History. I felt yesterday that I knew no US History and I had my final exam at third. That night as well as before third I had gotten through the cards three times and knew the answer to every question on the exam. There is nothing better. If you want a 5 get these cards immediately. Great for a quick rview before the exam and a great value. These cards saved my life.

Valuable resource, January 31, 2010
I purchased these cards for my daughter when she was taking AP US History 2 years ago and now my son is taking the same course. Both of my kids use these as one of their primary study guides. My daughter got a 5 on her AP exam and B+ / A- during her AP US History class her Jr. year of high school. My son just got a B on his AP US History mid term for his class as well as his buddy who borrowed the cards to study with. Needless to say, these cards are quite helpful! My only complaint is that they aren't numbered so keeping them in order can be a bit tricky if you aren't meticulous with them. Put the card after it sideways, always, and it will be fine.

Great teaching tool, December 1, 2008
Great way to get a lot of information quickly. There is the ability to categorize the set with handy symbols on the front of each card. This makes it really nice for teaching and learning themes not simply memorizing the information which is helpful for the essay and DBQ portion of the A.P. exam. The cards can also be used in the classroom for review. I have handed out stacks of cards and had students make flow charts for the information so they understand the cause and effect for a series of events. I would suggest this be one of a few review tools and not used alone because it will be harder for students to understand connections of events in this format.

Good review material, May 14, 2008
I got these for my son who is a good student (A- or B+) in history and he found them very helpful. Not a replacement for studying the material but a very good review before the exam. They are color coded on the edges for different time periods so you can take just the blue ones for one era, or the yellow ones for another time period. He went through them all and selected the ones he needed the most and just kept them with him for a few days. He took the SAT and AP US history exams. The SAT he found pretty easy, but the AP test was hard - mainly because of the essays. These cards helped on the multiple choice.

Most of cards contain much more than just a date or name, they have a little paragraph summarizing the facts (including dates and names) in context. They cover social and political movements not just events or famous people.

Very Helpful, October 15, 2010
Far more helpful than some of the other AP flashcards or study helpers I have looked at. I love that they are divided by time and type of event (economic, presidential, society, ect...). I have found these quite helpful even for studying for tests throughout the year.

Very Cool Indeed, September 29, 2010
The notecards are helpful when you need to review information and do not have the time to scour a textbook. The notecards do not cover information in detail(as they are notecards)but they hit the best points which is all you can ask for when you're in a rush.

You can organize the information by categories, numbers(dates) and however else you want. They are hole-punched which is so much more helpful.

The information was pretty helpful especially with information I had forgotten and had never covered. It gave me the basis to do my own studying in the areas I was weak in.

I would recommend them---if you are actually going to use them.

TG, September 25, 2010
This is a fabulous tool for any student taking AP US History. My daughter reviews these cards daily.

Great addition, April 27, 2010
These cards are a really great addition. Highly recommend them for group studies or just easy practice whenever and wherever and a great way to see how much you KNOW about each specific topic instead of just reading a book and hoping you retain it.

Flash cards, July 28, 2008
High quality product. Cards are a wonderful tool to memorize everything that was studied in class, and can be used as a very comprehensive and helpful tool to put history in perspective. Cards are a great addition to the AP history book.

Really helpful., January 20, 2008
Really helpful, but these are flash cards and they do not replace knowing the material in depth. ... Read more