College is a National “Best” in Princeton Review Guide

Washington College is one of the country’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company features the historic college, which was founded under the patronage of George Washington in 1782, in the new 2012 edition of its annual college guide, The Best 376 Colleges. About 15 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges are represented in the book.

The Princeton Review uses both institutional data and student input to create its profiles of selected colleges and universities. Students say Washington College is all about “gaining a distinctive and strong education in the liberal arts through personalized programs and hands-on experience.” A litany of praise for this small, tight-knit community included mention of its “beautiful campus,” “an intimate and personalized educational experience,” and personable, highly educated professors “who love to teach” and who are “willing to bend over backwards to ensure your education.” Students consider the English and creative writing programs among “the best in the country.” The school’s location scored big points, too. “The Eastern Shore is an incredible place to be.”

Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s Senior Vice President for Publishing, commends Washington College for its “outstanding academics,” which is the primary criterion for selecting schools for the book. “Our choices are based on institutional data we collect about schools, our visits to schools over the years, feedback we gather from students attending the schools, and the opinions of our staff and our 28-member National College Counselor Advisory Board,” he explains.
We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.”

Princeton Review also recommends Washington College among its “Best in the Northeast” section of its website feature, “2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region,” that posted August 1, 2011 on PrincetonReview.com.

The Princeton Review asks students to rate their own schools on several issues — from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food — and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. Washington College students were most recently surveyed in 2010-11, since the opening of the new Gibson Center for the Arts and a new dining hall/student center.

All evidence suggests students are happy with their college choice. “Washington College is a “melting pot of individuals from different backgrounds, but the typical student is open-minded, ambitious, and extremely innovative. Athletes and burgeoning writers alike “have strong pride and love for our school.”

College President Mitchell B. Reiss is not surprised at the outpouring of affection for Washington College. “This is a remarkable institution, steeped in tradition, nestled on the beautiful Eastern Shore and committed to the highest public good—preparing young men and women to become responsible citizens willing and able to assume positions of leadership. General Washington would be proud.”