4 Revised and expanded every year

4 Packed with tips from current students aboutthe ins and outs of their schools

4 Includes Fiske’s exclusive academic, socialand quality-of-life ratings for each school

THE TOP-RATED GUIDE TO THE BEST COLLEGES

INCLUDES THE 45

BEST BUYSCHOOLS

2007EDWARD B. FISKE

Twenty-third Edition

Edward B. Fiske served for 17 years as Education Editor of the New York Times, during which time he realized that college-bound students and their families needed better information on which to base their educational choices. Hewrote the Fiske Guide toColleges to help them. Heis also the author, withBruce G. Hammond, ofthe Fiske Guide to Gettinginto the Right College.

The best college guide you can buy. Ó—USA Today

COLLEGES

FISKEGUIDE TO

FISKE

COLLEGESFISKEGUIDE

TO2 0 07

ÒBest CollegeGuideÓ

—USA Today

4 A self-quiz to help you understandwhat you are really looking for in a college

4 Lists of the strongest majors and programs at each college

4 Vital information on how to apply,including admissions and financialaid deadlines, required tests andeach school’s essay questions

Plus a special section highlighting the 45 public and privateBest Buy schoolsÑcolleges that provide the best educa-

4 “Overlap” listings to help you expandyour options

4 Selectivity statistics and SAT/ACT scores

4 Indexes that break down schools byprice and state

4 A list of schools with strong programs forlearning disabled students

4 Plus all the basics, including emailaddresses and university websites

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

For more than 20 years, this leading guide to more than

300 colleges and universities has been an indispensable source

of information for college-bound students and their parents.

Hip, 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.

ÒMost readable and informativeÓ o fall college guides.—USA Today

ÒThe best college guide you can buy. Ó—USA Today

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$22.95 U.S.$31.95 CAN

The guide the San Francisco Chroniclecalled “the bible.”

ISBN-13: 978-1-4022-0660-3ISBN-10: 1-4022-0660-7

WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE 739Fiske Guide to Colleges 2007

do with the long, cold winters by immersing themselves in study and finding waysto have a good time.

Small, innovative, and undergraduate-oriented, WPI is anything but a stodgytechnical institute. The WPI Plan is hands-on and project-based. Teamwork isemphasized instead of competition. WPI is half the size of Rensselaer and a third asbig as MIT.

As a pioneer in engineering education, Worcester Polytechnic Institute has built a solidreputation on the sciences. But with its ever-expanding academic curriculum, surpris-ing devotion to music and theater, and dedication to hands-on undergraduate experi-ences, WPI is not content to rest on its laurels. Students must complete severalextensive projects, endure seven-week semesters, and engage in real-world experiences.But it’s WPI’s humanistic approach to engineering that really sets it apart.

WPI is the third-oldest independent science and engineering school in thenation. Its compact 80-acre campus is set atop one of Worcester’s “seven hills” on theresidential outskirts of town. Worcester is an industrial city (third largest in New Eng-land) and the home of 14 colleges, most notably WPI, Clark University, and HolyCross. These schools are brought together by the 13 member Colleges of WorcesterConsortium.* WPI is also home to the Social Web, which is a one-stop academic andsocial gathering place on the World Wide Web where students can discover what ishappening at local college and nonprofit organizations. New additions to the cam-pus include the Fuller Chemistry Complex, the Bartlett Center for administrativeoffices and a new life sciences research center, under construction now.

The city is also a base for the rapidly growing Northeastern biotechnology andbiomedicine industry. The area is one of the nation’s most successful high-technologyregions, which supports WPI’s project andresearch programs. WPI’s campus borderstwo parks and the historic Highland StreetDistrict, where local merchants and stu-dents come together to form the neighborhood community. Old English stone build-ings, complete with creeping ivy, are focal points of the architecture, but modernfacilities have moved in to claim their own space on the immaculately kept grounds.

There are four terms per academic year at WPI, each lasting seven weeks, whichstudents say changes the climate. “The courses are not overly tough, but with seven-week terms, they are very fast paced,” says one junior. “We learn time managementearly,” says a technical writing major. The Interactive Qualifying Project has stu-dents apply technical knowledge to one of society’s problems and the Major Quali-fying Project represents a student’s first chance to work on a truly professional-levelproblem. Courses provide the information students need to complete their projects,

Wooster: Early decision: Dec. 1. Regular admissions and financial aid: Feb. 15. Housing: May 1. Meetsdemonstrated need of 100%. Campus, alumni interviews: recommended, informational. SATs or ACTs: optional.SAT IIs: optional. Requires optional writing test for ACT. Accepts the Common Application and electronicapplications. Essay question: personal statement.

If YouApply To ã

Worcester Polytechnic Institute100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609-2280

“The courses are not overlytough, but with seven-weekterms, they are very fast paced.”

Website: www.wpi.eduLocation: City outskirtsTotal Enrollment: 3,817Undergraduates: 2,764Male/Female: 77/23SAT Ranges: V 570–670

M 630–720Financial Aid: 74%Expense: Pr $ $ $Phi Beta Kappa: NoApplicants: 3,708Accepted: 75%Enrolled: 28%Grad in 6 Years: 80%Returning Freshmen: 92%Academics: --- 1⁄2Social: %%%Q of L: HHHH

Admissions: (508) 831-5826Email Address:

admissions@wpi.edu

Strongest Programs:Computer ScienceMechanical, Electrical, and

Computer EngineeringBiology/BiotechnologyBiomedical Engineering

740 WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Fiske Guide to Colleges 2007

reemphasizing WPI’s curriculum as one driven by knowledge and not credit. Whenstudents are not completing projects, they take three courses per term. Some say it’sdifficult to graduate in four years in majors such as chemical engineering.

The intent of WPI’s unique grading system and educational philosophy is to polish social skills, build self-confidence, produce well-rounded students, and nurtureyoung people interested in using their knowledge to improve the world. WPI focusesespecially on developing teamwork abilities. Many students see that as a real strength.“The courses are very rigorous and the atmosphere could be very competitive,” says abiomedical engineering major. “But it is significantly toned down by the nature of ourcurriculum, which has projects as an eminent feature. Most of these are unique andrequire group and team effort.” The curriculum remains remarkably flexible for a high-powered technological university. Standard course distribution requirements vary bymajor but include courses in engineering, math, and science. Every WPI student mustcomplete a humanities and arts sufficiency project. To promote cooperation and cohe-siveness, the only recorded grades are A, B, C, or No Record. Failing grades do notappear on transcripts, and the school does not compute GPAs or class ranks.

Technical writing has grown. The most popular departments are, not surprisingly,mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, computer science,chemical engineering, and biology and biotechnology. “All departments have excel-lent reputations, yet the older ones are a little better established and equipped,” says aphysics major. There are also a number of interdisciplinary programs such as prelawand international studies. A new major in Interactive Media and Game Developmentrequires coursework in computer science and the humanities and arts. Many biomed-ical engineering majors do their projects at UMass Medical and Tufts Veterinary, aswell as at local hospitals. And WPI has a joint PhD Program with UMass medicalschool. WPI also offers a rare fire protection engineering program and a systemdynamics major and minor. An aerospace major has been added, and the electricalengineering department, the biology and biotechnology department, and the depart-

ment of management have updated many oftheir programs. Now math and science types canpick up middle or high school teaching creden-

tials on the way. The theater technology major requires projects in set, lighting, oraudio design, which means school shows often highlight cutting-edge productiontechniques. Well over 300 students participate in 13 musical ensembles, one of thelargest music programs among technological universities.

In light of an increasingly interdependent global economy, WPI offers a uniqueGlobal Perspectives Program that spans five continents. Nearly 70 percent of WPIstudents visit locations including France, Ireland, Spain, Australia, Costa Rica, HongKong, and Namibia. The school’s residential project centers in New York, SiliconValley, Washington, D.C., England, Denmark, Italy, Puerto Rico, or Thailand pro-vide students with the opportunity to tackle current problems for a sponsor andspend their term working independently on a specific sociotechnical assignmentunder the direction of one or more faculty members. The co-op program offersupperclassmen two eight-month work experiences and adds an extra half or fullyear to the degree program.

Eighty-six percent of students ranked in the top quarter of their high school class.African Americans and Hispanics together account for only 5 percent of the students,and Asian Americans represent an additional 6 percent. Foreign students comprise 5percent of the student body. Twenty percent of undergrads receive merit scholarshipswith an average award of more than $18,000, but there are no athletic scholarships.

Only first-year students are guaranteed spots in the university residence halls;however, the room-assignment process usually allows upperclassmen their first, sec-ond, or third choice. There are 12 co-ed halls, including a spacious 230-bed residence

To promote cooperation

and cohesiveness, the

only recorded grades are

A, B, C, or No Record.

Failing grades do not

appear on transcripts,

and the school does not

compute GPAs or class

ranks.

“There’s always somethingto do on campus.”

There are four terms per

academic year at WPI,

each lasting seven

weeks, which students

say changes the climate.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 741Fiske Guide to Colleges 2007

hall that houses students in suites of four or six, on-campus apartments, and smallerhouses for more homelike living. Half of students move, sometimes to nearby “rea-sonably priced, close to school, off-campus” apartments that are within a mile of thecollege grounds. But still, 48 percent of the students live on campus, and they canchoose from the multiple meal plans of the dining halls.

Twenty-nine percent of the men join fraternities, and 28 percent of the womenenter sororities. Of-age students may have alcohol, provided it is kept in their rooms,but underage students do find a way to imbibe. In addition to Greek parties, there arestudent-organized coffeehouses, concerts, poetry readings, movies, and pub shows.“There’s always something to do on campus,” says a biotechnology major. Nearbycolleges such as Holy Cross, Assumption, and Clark University are linked to WPIthrough shuttle buses, which provide even more social and academic opportunities.Boston and Hartford are both an hour’s drive, as are ski resorts and beaches.

One of WPI’s more notable campus traditions is the Goat’s Head Rivalry, agrudge match between the freshman and sophomore classes that includes the Pen-nant Rush, a rope pull next to Institute Pond, and a WPI trivia competition. Theprize? A 100-year-old bronze goat’s head trophy (the winning class’s year is engravedon it). There is also an annual festival of international culture and QuadFest, com-plete with carnival rides. Students say the new campus center encourages cohesive-ness across the campus and offers a viable alternative to the Greek domination ofthe social scene. One major gripe about WPI is its lopsided gender ratio.

While not particularly scenic, Worcester does offer a large number of clubs andrestaurants and an art museum. A large multipurpose arena, the recently renamedDCU Center, is host to frequent concerts (like Phish and P. Diddy) and occasionalvisits from Boston’s Bruins and Celtics and a minor league hockey team. Men’s crewand men’s basketball, and women’s soccer, cross-country, and track had great sea-sons. The women’s tennis and men’s wrestling are titleholders among the 18 varsitysports. Crew is also popular with both sexes, the women’s team having finished theseason ranked second in the nation in Division III.

One of WPI’s chants is fittingly mathematic: “E to the x, d-y,d-x, e to the x, d-x,cosine, secant, tangent, sine, 3.14159, e-i, radical, Pi, fight ‘em fight ‘em WPI!” Ifyou know what any of that stuff means, you’ll fit right in.

Xavier’s strategic location in New Orleans is its biggest drawing card. XU is biggerthan a small college, but smaller than most universities. Just more than 60 percent ofthe students are Roman Catholic. Competes with other leading historically blackinstitutions such as Spelman, Morehouse, and Howard.

As the nation’s only historically African American Roman Catholic college, XavierUniversity is no stranger to adversity. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this

The Worcester area is

one of the nation’s most

successful high-

technology regions,

which supports WPI’s

project and research

programs.

OverlapsRensselaer

Polytechnic Institute,Carnegie Mellon, MIT,Rochester Institute

of Technology, BostonUniversity,

Georgia Tech

WPI: Early action: Nov. 15, Jan.1. Regular admissions: Feb. 1. Financial aid: Mar. 1. Housing: Jun. 1. Does notguarantee to meet demonstrated need. Campus and alumni interviews: optional, informational. ACTs or SATs:required. SAT IIs: recommended. Accepts the Common Application and electronic applications. Essay questions:personal choice.

If YouApplyTo ã

Xavier University of Louisiana1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA 70125

Website: www.xula.edu