The college advising at my high school was notoriously weak; thus, my parents hired a private counseling consultant to help me during the college admissions process. She introduced me to the Fiske Guide. I IMMEDIATELY LOVED IT! Unlike most other books, which supply the same old information in the same conventional way (admissions:..., campus life:...), this book paints a great picture of what the college is really like. It does not bombard you with a barrage of statistics, but does provide an adequate amount, accompanied by brilliantly written text. Of course, I may not have agreed with everything Fiske said about my school, but I think he made some thoughtful comments about what to expect. So, though I don't wholeheartedly agree with Fiske's reviews, I concede that no book about colleges can top it--not Barron's, not the College Board, not the Princeton Review, NOTHING. Kudos to Fiske for this outstanding guide!