Ellie Kahn
Contributing Writer
Once again, The College of Wooster has made its way into the 2018 version of the renowned Fiske Guide to Colleges guidebook, an extremely helpful and thorough resource for those taking part in the college search process.
Fiske Guide highlights around 300 of the “best and most interesting schools” in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, offering a glimpse into the academics, social scenes and strengths of each institution.
The guidebook also makes sure to include the tuition per year of each college or university as a way of comparing the value of the education that the students receive with the monetary cost that comes with attending.
The inclusion of Wooster in the 2018 edition highlights many of the College’s strengths, discussing a variety of topics including the financial aid, academic rigor, housing, athletics and social atmosphere. Predictably, Fiske Guide also highlights the inclusion of the mentored undergraduate research that occurs at the College, emphasizing the benefits that come along with each student completing an Independent Study project.
Wooster’s inclusion in the Guide also makes note of the Advising, Planning and Experiential Learning Center here at the College. A.P.E.X. is complimented for helping to “coordinate opportunities for internships and study abroad, which has been expanding as students seek the world.”
This isn’t the first time the College has been recognized within Fiske Guide. In the 2014 edition, Wooster was described as an institution “renowned in academic circles” that creates an “intellectually serious” environment, priding itself on “turning better-than-average students into real scholars.” Recognized again in the 2017 edition, Fiske wrote that students at Wooster “praise faculty members for their devotion to teaching and mentoring.”
Fiske Guide to Colleges has been gathering information on different colleges and universities for over 30 years now, advising thousands of prospective students and creating a name for itself in the academic community. The author of the guidebook, Edward B. Fiske, served as the education editor of The New York Times for seventeen years, starting in 1974. It was during this time that he became aware of the urgent need for information for prospective students and their families on colleges and universities. Since the first edition was published in 1982, it has become critically acclaimed around the world, becoming known as the “best college guide you can buy,” according to media outlets such as USA Today.