Calling it “an unpretentious school that can appeal to both the left and right side of students’ brains,” former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske included Lawrence University in his 31th edition of the nation’s “best and most interesting” colleges.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 is a selective and systematic look at more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Described by USA Today as “the best college guide you can buy,” Fiske produces his guide annually as a resource for college-bound students and their families on which to base their educational choices.
Institutions selected for inclusion are profiled on a broad range of subjects, including student body, academics, social life, financial aid, campus setting, housing, food and extracurricular activities.
In the book’s profile of Lawrence, Fiske calls the college’s academic climate “intimate and intense.” Among his accolades he cites good relations between Lawrence and the city of Appleton, hails the student body’s wide-spread involvement with volunteerism and credits the college for its “eclectic approach to learning that attracts interested and interesting students from around the world.”
Fiske, who spent 17 years as education editor of the New York Times, also highlights the expertise of Lawrence’s faculty, the breadth of its off-campus study opportunities and Lawrence’s “pristine campus.”
In addition to individual institutional profiles, the Fiske Guide also features:
• Overlap school suggestions based on which colleges share the most common applications
• A list of schools where ACT and SAT scores are optional
• A preprofessional guide that outlines the best schools based on majors or course of study
• A sizing-yourself-up questionnaire designed to help students determine what kind of school is best for them
Fiske launched his guide as a tool to broaden students’ horizons about American higher education and help them select a college that best coincides with their particular needs, goals, interests, talents and personalities.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2015 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries.
