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Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student
Offers profiles of forty colleges which focus on individual needs and high academic standards; provides insider tips for choosing a school based on personality; and discusses homeschooling and learning disabilities.
- GenresNonfictionEducation
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1996
3 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Loren Pope
8 books1 followerLoren Brooks Pope was an American writer and independent college placement counselor.
In 1965, Pope, a former education editor of The New York Times, founded the College Placement Bureau, one of the first independent college placement counseling services in the United States.
His first book, "The Right College: How to Get In, Stay In, Get Back In" (Macmillan, 1970), was followed by a nationally syndicated article series, "Twenty Myths That Can Jinx Your College Choice," and his final and best-selling work, "Colleges That Change Lives" (Penguin, 1996). His top 40 schools would, he claimed "do as much as, and perhaps even more than, any name-brand schools to fully educate students and to give them rich, full lives."
In 1965, Pope, a former education editor of The New York Times, founded the College Placement Bureau, one of the first independent college placement counseling services in the United States.
His first book, "The Right College: How to Get In, Stay In, Get Back In" (Macmillan, 1970), was followed by a nationally syndicated article series, "Twenty Myths That Can Jinx Your College Choice," and his final and best-selling work, "Colleges That Change Lives" (Penguin, 1996). His top 40 schools would, he claimed "do as much as, and perhaps even more than, any name-brand schools to fully educate students and to give them rich, full lives."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 27, 2015
This book has been on my “meaning to read” shelf for nearly 20 years, and I finally got around to it, long after it had any relevance for me or any of my children. Why now? In the previous book I read, I found out that Loren Pope as a young $25/week copy editor for a Washington daily paper convinced Frank Lloyd Wright to design a house for him. Such is the life of a reader, illustrative of the twists and turns my own education took.
Despite the lack of immediate relevance, I’m glad I read it, if only for the paradoxical effect it had. One thing that obviously turned Pope on was for a faculty member at a school he was investigating say: “I wish I had studied here instead of [insert name of big-ticket, well-known research university here].” Yes, that speaks well of the small, lesser-known schools Pope touts. But inversely, it also demonstrates that even at the schools Pope maligns for, in his estimation, cheating their students, it was possible for students there to become the kind of self-directed, life-long-learning educators who became caring teachers at these life-changing schools. So something went right.
In the end, Pope’s message is mixed. Education is, as he maintains, learning how to learn, to critically analyze information, and communicate clearly. In other words, there is a healthy dose of self-directions required. Even if one concedes that the schools Pope highlights promote these and other life-enriching skills in a more conscious, focused way, in the end it is the responsibility of each person to become an educated adult.
Perhaps one reason I put off reading this book is that I share with those faculty members Pope loves quoting a tendency to fantasize how my life would have differed had I made wiser, better-informed decisions about my education 50 years ago, and I was afraid this book would reinforce that. Paradoxically, it did the opposite, and I am more atoned with the places where I ended up, even though they did many things Pope rightly decries. Instead of focusing on this, I appreciated anew things that were right in those less-than perfect learning environments. That is perhaps the lasting value of this book, even though the specific 40 schools featured might have changed again had Pope lived to do a third edition, as they did in his second. Despite the repetitive nature of the entries, and the tiresomely-zippy nature of an ex-journalist’s prose, Pope thinks hard about what an institute of higher learning could and should be. He challenges prospective students and their parents to look beyond schools with big reputations and commensurate price tags and to think like consumers. There is no one school perfect for everyone, and there is a big payoff in analyzing not only schools but oneself in the interest of a better match-up.
For all the diversity in the 40 schools Pope covers, what he writes of one applies to his estimation of all: “a growth hormone that raises kids’ trajectories and instills the power to soar. The Ivies take in fast-track kids and turn out fast-track graduates not much changed.” I’m not sure that it’s necessary to run down the Ivies to praise these schools; I believe the college experience anywhere profoundly changes nearly everyone. Pope’s favorite high school student seems to be the B or even C student with middling SATs who blossoms unexpectedly because of the experience at one of these lesser-known schools that are both challenging and nurturing. He never mentions students such as I was, with indifferent grades, poor study habits, but astronomical SATs at a fast-track high school. Where should I have gone, Mr. Pope? Maybe St. John’s, but if you ask tomorrow, I might say Marlboro or Bard. In the end, it doesn’t matter.
The specific recommendations might change. What doesn’t is this: Pope highlights the things good schools do well, giving the reader the tools to make a better-informed choice. In the process, he helps us all think about the nature of education. Recommended for anyone interested in the question of quality in higher education.
A final note: I didn’t read the second edition, but the first (1996), and it contained one of the most delicious typos I’ve encountered in a while, when he cites the author of a best-selling philosophy textbook, “Attacking Faculty Reasoning.”
Despite the lack of immediate relevance, I’m glad I read it, if only for the paradoxical effect it had. One thing that obviously turned Pope on was for a faculty member at a school he was investigating say: “I wish I had studied here instead of [insert name of big-ticket, well-known research university here].” Yes, that speaks well of the small, lesser-known schools Pope touts. But inversely, it also demonstrates that even at the schools Pope maligns for, in his estimation, cheating their students, it was possible for students there to become the kind of self-directed, life-long-learning educators who became caring teachers at these life-changing schools. So something went right.
In the end, Pope’s message is mixed. Education is, as he maintains, learning how to learn, to critically analyze information, and communicate clearly. In other words, there is a healthy dose of self-directions required. Even if one concedes that the schools Pope highlights promote these and other life-enriching skills in a more conscious, focused way, in the end it is the responsibility of each person to become an educated adult.
Perhaps one reason I put off reading this book is that I share with those faculty members Pope loves quoting a tendency to fantasize how my life would have differed had I made wiser, better-informed decisions about my education 50 years ago, and I was afraid this book would reinforce that. Paradoxically, it did the opposite, and I am more atoned with the places where I ended up, even though they did many things Pope rightly decries. Instead of focusing on this, I appreciated anew things that were right in those less-than perfect learning environments. That is perhaps the lasting value of this book, even though the specific 40 schools featured might have changed again had Pope lived to do a third edition, as they did in his second. Despite the repetitive nature of the entries, and the tiresomely-zippy nature of an ex-journalist’s prose, Pope thinks hard about what an institute of higher learning could and should be. He challenges prospective students and their parents to look beyond schools with big reputations and commensurate price tags and to think like consumers. There is no one school perfect for everyone, and there is a big payoff in analyzing not only schools but oneself in the interest of a better match-up.
For all the diversity in the 40 schools Pope covers, what he writes of one applies to his estimation of all: “a growth hormone that raises kids’ trajectories and instills the power to soar. The Ivies take in fast-track kids and turn out fast-track graduates not much changed.” I’m not sure that it’s necessary to run down the Ivies to praise these schools; I believe the college experience anywhere profoundly changes nearly everyone. Pope’s favorite high school student seems to be the B or even C student with middling SATs who blossoms unexpectedly because of the experience at one of these lesser-known schools that are both challenging and nurturing. He never mentions students such as I was, with indifferent grades, poor study habits, but astronomical SATs at a fast-track high school. Where should I have gone, Mr. Pope? Maybe St. John’s, but if you ask tomorrow, I might say Marlboro or Bard. In the end, it doesn’t matter.
The specific recommendations might change. What doesn’t is this: Pope highlights the things good schools do well, giving the reader the tools to make a better-informed choice. In the process, he helps us all think about the nature of education. Recommended for anyone interested in the question of quality in higher education.
A final note: I didn’t read the second edition, but the first (1996), and it contained one of the most delicious typos I’ve encountered in a while, when he cites the author of a best-selling philosophy textbook, “Attacking Faculty Reasoning.”
May 29, 2012
This is my very tattered, very beloved book. Whenever I feel down or discouraged about some obstacle (usually education wise) I'd just pop open this book and get inspired.
March 20, 2019
Loren Pope published another book with a similar title 4 years after this one; it probably has additional insights. Although it is now over 20 years old and some of the details have no doubt changed, this is full of excellent insights on higher education in particular that are relevant to learning at all levels.
By visiting a lot of different kinds of schools, Pope shows us that success in teaching and learning can come in a lot of forms, and that it has more to do with how faculty and students approach learning than about the things that are usually highlighted in numerical rankings of students OR colleges.
The key, by the way, is not promote these PARTICULAR schools, but rather to understand the variety of approaches they represent.
I have been to some of these schools, and enjoyed the traveling college fair put on by the schools featured in this book. We actually drove to the middle of Illinois to visit one of those schools, and really enjoyed our conversation with the admissions officer there.
By visiting a lot of different kinds of schools, Pope shows us that success in teaching and learning can come in a lot of forms, and that it has more to do with how faculty and students approach learning than about the things that are usually highlighted in numerical rankings of students OR colleges.
The key, by the way, is not promote these PARTICULAR schools, but rather to understand the variety of approaches they represent.
I have been to some of these schools, and enjoyed the traveling college fair put on by the schools featured in this book. We actually drove to the middle of Illinois to visit one of those schools, and really enjoyed our conversation with the admissions officer there.
March 1, 2021
This is one of those books that I didn't read straight through, more like picked it up on and off over a period of time to pick at. I was interested in reading about non-Ivies, and looking at it from the perspective of how students are succeeding in their college/university experience that struggled prior to coming to college. To that end, it is informative. The edition I read, which I believe is the last printed, is 2013 so it is a bit dated. But it still provided a baseline for future research for me and a good point of reference.
May 26, 2015
Very helpful. Gave me a starting point to find colleges that would be a good fit for my son, who is a very smart B-B+ student. About half the colleges on his list to apply to next year were from this book. It also served as a catalyst to other smaller residential colleges I found I liked just as well, with similar methods and principals. Not for the parent/child who is looking for a large research university or rah rah football/basketball powerhouse, but definitely one for looking for a well rounded education with lots of research experiences and getting to know professors and working alongside them. Must read!!
September 17, 2011
The introduction is really worth reading if you are a high school student or parent of a high school student. The profiles of the 40 colleges is informative, detailed, and useful. There are schools on his list that I wouldn't have considered recommending to Emma before, but now I think we'll take a second look!
Want to read
November 20, 2010378.73 $14 Evergreen Reed Whitman Hampshire Allegheny Marlboro --
January 9, 2014
Very useful book, especially for those who think of college as more than just job-preparation, but as preparation for leading a full, examined life.
September 20, 2015
A great book for anyone with high school students. I don't know if such small schools will be a good fit for my child, but it is good to consider all of them going into this process.
October 30, 2015
This book is a guidebook of colleges that gives you more info in the future. Very useful.
December 20, 2016
Do I have to admit that this is what I've been reading. Would much rather be reading historical romance novels, but my daughter needs some direction and this seems like a good Starr.
Read
November 10, 2018Definitely a valid resource for students who want a 4-year liberal education. I wonder how saturated these schools will be within a few more years of this book's publication? Of course, then there will be some other colleges that will become those "that change lives."
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews