The Princeton Review has named Seton Hill University (SHU) one of the “Best Northeastern Colleges” in the fifth edition of the Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern Colleges: 2009 Edition.” A profile of SHU can now be found in this book and also online in the “Best Colleges by Region” section of PrincetonReview.com.
The list includes 212 other colleges such as: Brown University, Yale University, and Allegheny College, are featured from eleven states in the region: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and the District of the Columbia.
By Stephanie Issaco
Contributor
The Princeton Review has named Seton Hill University (SHU) one of the “Best Northeastern Colleges” in the fifth edition of the Princeton Review’s “Best Northeastern Colleges: 2009 Edition.” A profile of SHU can now be found in this book and also online in the “Best Colleges by Region” section of PrincetonReview.com.
The list includes 212 other colleges such as: Brown University, Yale University, and Allegheny College, are featured from eleven states in the region: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and the District of the Columbia.
The list was compiled by taking into consideration institutional data, college visits, opinions of high school and independent college advisors, and surveys of university students. Robert Franek, vice president of Princeton Review Publishing, stated that the “annual roster of ‘regional best’ colleges present a range of institutions in each region that varies by size, selectivity, character, and locale.”
Comments from the 80-question student survey can be found online on the Princeton Review college profile of SHU. The survey allows students to voice opinions on topics ranging from the quality of campus food to the difficulty and worth of course work. Some student comments from the profile include, “Thanks to this ‘small campus,’ most students know each other,” and “despite students coming from eclectic backgrounds, there is a great deal of harmony on campus.”
This method of investigation by the Princeton Review allows prospective students to see what the school is really like from a student’s point of view rather than relying on fancy brochures and sometimes misleading campus commercials and tours. For a small, but continually growing school like SHU, being placed on this list could bring a boost credibility as well as the number of applicants.
“Of course we are delighted when someone’s method of rating schools leads to the inclusion of Seton Hill,” said JoAnne Boyle, the university’s president.
SHU has been included on other lists in the recent past including being named a top ten “best value” college in the nation by Money Magazine, a “regional best” by Newsweek, and several times “regional best” by the Princeton Review.
Becca Marrie, a freshman, is just one example of a student who relied on these lists to make her college decision. “Princeton Review was very important because if this college wasn’t in the book, then I wouldn’t have even looked at it,” she said. She initially found SHU by searching for schools with excellent dietetics programs and then further narrowed her choices by consulting Princeton Review.
She is not alone in following this procedure and more students may continue to find that SHU is the right fit for them by utilizing online resources and ranking websites.
“Seton Hill’s profile on the Princeton Review webpage was accurate and gave a truthful depiction of our school including food quality and social life, things that are often unavailable or hidden from prospective students,” said Melissa Kaufold, a sophomore. “I think more student input would strengthen SHU’s profile.”
“We think we have an outstanding faculty who love their disciplines and their work with the students who have chosen Seton Hill,” said Boyle. “We also think we have an outstanding student body who thrive in a place like Seton Hill where their efforts are recognized and where they have opportunities to work closely with faculty and staff. So I am glad for the rating, but prouder of the accomplishments I see daily around me of our students, faculty and entire SHU community.”