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    Press
Release		  
 

 

For Immediate Release
Colleges of Distinction Website Launched

 
 
New guidebook and website honor colleges with great teaching, engaged students Bethesda, MD. January 15, 2004. Student Horizons, Inc. announced today the launch of its new website, Colleges of Distinction, at www.collegesofdistinction.com. The site profiles some of America’s best bets in higher education, and features quizzes, essays, and advice from college presidents, guidance counselors, and other educational experts.

“This website makes it simple for students, parents, and guidance counselors to learn about the college search process,” says Dr. O’Neal Turner, Director of College Counseling at the Culver Academies in Culver, IN. “It is a real step forward for college seekers.”

The interactive site, designed to complement the forthcoming book, Colleges of Distinction, features information about 170 colleges that counselors rate highly for their record in teaching students and producing successful graduates.

While some of the schools are household names, others are the “hidden gems” of the higher education world, says Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent, chief editor for the forthcoming book. She adds, “We’re helping people learn about some options they might not otherwise know about. These schools in are great choices for anyone who’s interested in a personalized education and a successful future.”

The schools were chosen on the basis of their performance in the “Four Distinctions,” key areas of educational quality. These are described as Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community, and Successful Outcomes. Using recommendations from guidance counselors, educators, and admissions professionals, the Colleges of Distinction editorial board selected colleges that are widely considered to be outstanding in these areas.

“A lot of students have trouble focusing when they start their college search,” explains Eli Clarke, Director of Counseling at Gonzaga Prep High School in Bethesda, MD. “The ‘Four Distinctions’ help them answer the really important questions: Do students at this school think their classes are interesting? Do professors do a good job teaching? What is the quality of campus life? And of course, how well do graduates do after college?”

The colleges and universities listed in the book include schools from every area of the country. Their average faculty-student ratio is 13:1, and most have an average class size of around 20. The schools vary in size from universities of 7,000 to small liberal arts colleges of 1,000 or fewer students.

“It’s fantastic group of schools. There is something for everyone,” says Clarke, noting that the schools include several public universities as well as engineering schools, single-sex colleges, church-related schools, and a wide variety of other options.

For more information, visit www.collegesofdistinction.com.

About Colleges of Distinction
Colleges of Distinction is a new college guide with a unique approach. It encourages college seekers to get beyond rankings and focus on the “Four Distinctions”: Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community, and Successful Outcomes. The Colleges of Distinction website and accompanying guidebook offer consumers an honest look at a wide variety of very different schools, each with a national reputation for excellence. Schools are not ranked, because the guide’s philosophy emphasizes the importance of individual choice. Students have different needs and ambitions; they are encouraged to find the outstanding school that is the best match. The guidebook will be published in the fall of 2003, and the website is currently available at www.collegesofdistinction.com.

About Student Horizons
Founded in 2001 by a group of parents, educators and admissions professionals, Student Horizons, Inc. is a communications and technology company that provides specialty websites, consumer publications, and e-communications services to the college and university community. Headquartered in the Washington, DC area, Student Horizons specializes in finding ways to help good students come together with colleges that specialize in undergraduate teaching. In 2003, several of Student Horizons principles founded the Center for Student Opportunity, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of first generation college students. For more information, contact press@studenthorizons.com.

  		 
     
  Contact:
Rob Haulton
Colleges of Distinction
Media Relations

301-951-7101 VOICE
301-951-7104 FAX
media@studenthorizons.
com