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St. Olaf featured in Princeton Review's college guide

By David Gonnerman '90
August 22, 2005

St. Olaf College has been rated one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The New York-based education services company features the college in The Best 361 Colleges (Random House/Princeton Review), the new 2006 edition of its annual "best colleges" guide (which includes 15 percent of four-year U.S. colleges and two Canadian ones). The book includes two-page profiles on the schools and student survey-based ranking lists of the top 20 colleges in various categories.

Biking
One St. Olaf student surveyed for the current "best colleges" guide cited the connection that students feel with the beautiful 300-acre campus.
The book's profile on St. Olaf commends the school as "a bastion of excellence" and a top institution for fine arts, mathematics and sciences. The book also states that the "thorough slate of offerings attracts top students of all talents."

"The main factor in our selection of schools in the book was our high regard for their academic programs," says Robert Franek, vice president of publishing for The Princeton Review. "We evaluated them based on institutional data we collect about the schools, feedback from their students and visits to schools over the years. We also considered the opinions of independent college counselors, students and parents we talk to and survey."

The ranking lists in The Best 361 Colleges are based on The Princeton Review's survey of 110,000 students attending the colleges in the book. Students rated their schools on several topics and reported on their campus experiences. Ranking list categories range from best professors, administration and campus food to lists based on student body political leanings, interests in sports and other aspects of campus life.

The rankings list St. Olaf as having the best community relations, the third-best food, the fourth-best quality of life and the ninth-best college library. "These rankings -- especially when paired with our academics -- affirm the tireless efforts that our faculty and staff put toward making the St. Olaf experience so enriching for our students," says Michael Kyle, vice president and dean for enrollment at St. Olaf. (View more ranking lists here.)

The college profiles in The Best 361 Colleges also include candid comments from students surveyed at the schools. The student comments in the St. Olaf profile include mention of the "great volunteer network" in the local community and worldwide" and that St. Olaf students "feel a special connection with the campus, whether it's from... the autumn colors... or the oh-so-tasty chocolate-chip-cookie-smell that wafts over from Malt-O-Meal...."

The Best 361 Colleges is the 14th edition of The Princeton Review's annual "best colleges" guide. It is one of more than 200 Princeton Review books published by Random House. The Princeton Review, known for its education, admission and test-prep services, is not affiliated with Princeton University or ETS.

(See how U.S. News and World Report ranked St. Olaf here.)

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.