University Newswire
Contact:
Scott Bigelow | 910.521.6351 | scott.bigelow@uncp.edu
University Communications and Marketing
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
UNCP featured in Princeton Review’s ‘America’s Best Value Colleges’
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is one of the nation’s “best value” undergraduate institutions, according to The Princeton Review.
The New York-based education services company features UNCP in the new 2007
edition of its book, “America’s Best Value Colleges” (Random
House/Princeton Review, $18.95), which went on sale March 28.
The guide profiles 150 colleges with excellent academics, generous financial aid packages and relatively low costs. It includes 103 public and 47 private colleges in 40 states. The Princeton Review chose the colleges for the book based on data the company obtained from administrators at 646 colleges, and its surveys of students attending them.
“UNC Pembroke is proud to be recognized by Princeton Review as one
of ‘America’s Best Value Colleges,’ Chancellor Allen C.
Meadors said. “The University strives to offer the best academic, professional
and social experiences for our students and, based on surveys from our students,
they value our efforts.”
Robert Franek, vice president for publishing at The Princeton Review, explained
the selection process.
“We considered over 30 factors to rate the colleges in four categories: academics, tuition GPA (the sticker price minus average amount students receive in scholarships and grants), financial aid (how well colleges meet students' financial need), and student borrowing,” Franek said. “We recommend the 150 schools in this book as America’s best college education deals for 2006.”
“America’s Best Value Colleges” contains three-page profiles on the colleges, lists of the top 10 best value private colleges and the top 10 best value public colleges and advice about applying for college admission and financial aid.
The three-page college profiles include:
- “About (the college)” – an overview on the school’s distinctive characteristics, location, campus scene, and student body & faculty demographics
- “Getting in” – details about admission requirements, plus The Princeton Review’s inside word on what its admission officers look for
- “Bang for your buck” – information on the school’s financial aid and scholarship awarding programs, policies, and record
- “What do Graduates Do?” – a review of career and employment patterns among the school’s graduates, information about its Career Center, and (when provided) companies that recruit on campus
- “The Bottom Line” – a report on the average out-of-pocket costs students (or their parents) pay for the degree, plus stats on the average debt load of graduating seniors
- “Students Say” – first-hand comments from students The Princeton Review surveyed at the school
- “Fun Facts” – interesting extras: the school’s motto, most popular majors, unique traditions, student events, or on-campus attractions, such as a museum
“America’s Best Value Colleges” also includes general advice on applying to colleges, getting in to them, and finding funding for them. Its first 60 pages discuss: factors to consider when choosing a college; “Paying for College 101” (a crash course on applying for financial aid) and “What Colleges Want” (an insider look at how admission officers evaluate applicants).
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PO Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372-1510 • 910.521.6000