This guide, intended to help students and their parents select a college, offers analyses of the quality of instruction, the level of academic standards, the campus political atmosphere, and the college's liberal arts tradition. The book, with an introduction by William J. Bennett, describes 100 schools, which were selected on the basis of academic excellence based on competitive admissions standards, and comprehensiveness. It includes schools ranging from Ivy League schools and their public counterparts, to large state universities, liberal arts colleges, schools with strong ties to religious communities, technical schools, and small, innovative institutions. Each descriptive summary includes an address, telephone number, and web address; and some statistics, including enrollment, Scholastic Assessment Test ranges, percentage of applicants accepted, information on financial aid, and tuition. The balance of the review provides a general description and some history of the school, and includes a section on academic life; one on the political atmosphere; and a section on student life. (CH)