U.S. News Ultimate College Guide 2009, 6E (Us News Ultimate College Guide)

Featuring complete data on more than 1,400 colleges and universities, U.S. News Ultimate College Guide 2009 is the best source for the information students and parents need most. Equally important, it also includes the essential step-by-step guide to the often stressful process of choosing a college, getting in, and finding the money, plus exclusive lists and indices to help compare the schools. These lists and customized indices give students and parents what they need to make the best decisions, including: The hardest and easiest schools to get into Schools that award the most need-based aid The best values: great deals at great schools Step-by-step advice from the nation's leading education writers includes: How to choose the right school for you What colleges look for in students How to find the money to pay for college Sourcebooks, Inc. Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Table of Contents 6 Introduction 8 Chapter One: How to Choose the Right School for You 12 Questions to ask yourself 13 The right way to handle the research 23 Chapter Two: What Colleges Will Look for in You 34 First, consider what you’re up against 35 Grades don’t matter the way you think 37 On the other hand, your grades might make you a hot prospect 38 Any old AP courses won’t do 38 You need to love learning—not just getting As 39 It’s bad to be a joiner but good to do what you love 39 Leaders tend to have an edge 40 Beach time doesn’t count for much 40 The sharper your “hook,” the better 40 Chapter Three: How to Ace the Big Exam 44 But don’t panic 45 The SAT versus the ACT 45 How your SAT essay will be graded—and used 51 Calculating how much prep you need 53 Chapter Four: Putting Together a Killer Application 58 Get great guidance 59 Look into hired help 60 Pull the pieces together 61 Deal wisely with admissions 66 Consider early decision—but be careful 69 Once you’re in, don’t blow it 72 Chapter Five: How to Find the Money to Pay for College 74 How colleges figure out what you “need” 75 Everything you need to know about the contents of your aid package 79 How to negotiate for more aid—and win 82 Your other borrowing options 83 Weighing how much debt you can handle 84 How to find and win an outside scholarship or two 85 Picking schools with aid in mind 87 Glossary 88 College Planner 100 Campus Visits: Questions to Ask 101 Application Organizer 102 My Personal Profile 103 The U.S. News Insider's Index: How Do Your Schools Compare? 104 How to Use the Insider’s Index 105 Schools that are the hardest and easiest to get into 106 Where applying early may help you most—or not 114 Schools whose freshmen are least (and most) likely to return 120 Schools whose students are most (and least) likely to graduate 129 Schools with the most diverse student bodies 138 Priciest private schools 147 Cheapest public schools 155 Best values: Great deals at great schools 164 Schools whose graduates have the most and least debt 168 Where the money is: Schools that award the most need-based aid 175 Getting a late start? All is not lost 193 Index to Major Fields of Study 201 U.S. News & World Report: Ultimate College Directory 336 How to Use the Directory 337 Alabama 341 Alaska 366 Arizona 370 Arkansas 376 California 393 Colorado 473 Connecticut 490 Delaware 510 District of Columbia 515 Florida 523 Georgia 558 Hawaii 596 Idaho 601 Illinois 607 Indiana 661 Iowa 705 Kansas 732 Kentucky 755 Louisiana 779 Maine 798 Maryland 813 Massachusetts 836 Michigan 899 Minnesota 939 Mississippi 971 Missouri 985 Montana 1019 Nebraska 1028 Nevada 1044 New Hampshire 1048 New Jersey 1060 New Mexico 1087 New York 1094 North Carolina 1205 North Dakota 1251 Ohio 1260 Oklahoma 1317 Oregon 1339 Pennsylvania 1358 Rhode Island 1454 South Carolina 1464 South Dakota 1492 Tennessee 1501 Texas 1538 Utah 1599 Vermont 1608 Virginia 1621 Washington 1662 West Virginia 1681 Wisconsin 1700 Wyoming 1732 Index of Schools 1735 About the Authors and Editors 1748 Acknowledgments 1748 Back Cover 1778 ISBN-13:,9781402210815 Provides an up-to-date guide to more than 1,400 colleges, with helpful information and lists for finding the right school, comparing programs and aid, getting a good deal at a great school, and finding the money to pay for it. Original.