High-school students applying for freshman admission have at their disposal dozens of Web-based and print resources to help them sort through the process. Information on the Web is especially impressive. For students attending a community college, however, there is virtually nothing in virtual space to help them identify four-year institutions…

Points out limited value of college guides in college selection and encourages use of supplemental sources of information. Suggests questions to pose when evaluating guidebooks. Recommends prospective student consult with guidance counselor and family during decision-making process. (CM)

Discusses the proliferation of college guides for prospective students and describes and evaluates 11 guides that address the opportunities in higher education for the older student, minorities and women, Christian and Jewish students, and students with special needs. (eight references) (LRW)

Response of colleges and universities to surveys from publishers of college guides and popular newsstand magazines is discussed, and considerations in developing a standard survey response are explored. These include the advantages and limitations of standardized information formats, how much of the information reaches prospective students, how…

Four major publishers of college guidebooks respond to the concerns of colleges and universities about the guides, the information they contain, and the demand for the information. Specific issues addressed include development of a standardized survey response, data integrity and validity, specialized information needs, publisher-institution…

An overview of college guidebooks examines their origins, development, types, impact on both consumers and colleges, and current trends and future prospects. It is argued that publishers will gain credibility by standardizing data collection and reporting formats and by no longer trying to rank colleges on criteria that change annually and fail to…