From Deseret News archives:

Books help guide school choice

Personal knowledge provides students with a place to start

Joann Levy-Prewitt

Published: Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 12:34 a.m. MDT

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Everything about this book is authentic and credible. It is packed with anecdotes, and closely matches both what I've seen on campus as well as the personal experiences of my former students. It also contains a sidebar with statistics about admissions, demographics, academic ratings, deadlines, financial aid and popular majors. My favorite part is what I call the "crossover" list, because it designates other colleges that applicants liked or attended.

"The Big Book of Colleges 2007," College Prowler

This is the most comprehensive of the College Prowler guides. All College Prowler books are based on reviews written by student authors, so readers will get recent and relevant information about life on campus. College Prowler also publishes regional guidebooks (New England, California and the South) as well as small guides about individual schools.

These three books are the best guidebooks available with honest and pertinent information about many popular American colleges. My only complaint about them is that even updated admission and demographic data can be as much as two or three years old. That means students who are curious about profiles of recently admitted students or information about policies such as early decision, should consult either the college Web site or call the admissions department directly.

FOR FURTHER READING:

— "Colleges That Change Lives," Loren Pope (Penguin)

— "Guide to the Most Competitive Colleges" (Barron's)

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— "The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2007" (Yale Daily News Staff)

Joanne Levy-Prewitt is an independent college admissions advisor who works with students in the San Francisco area. E-mail her at jklprewitt@gmail.com.