The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

St. John’s makes Princeton Review’s “366 Best Colleges”

Princeton Review recently included St. John’s University in their annual “366 Best Colleges” book, a guide to the top colleges around the nation. Princeton Review, the New York Based SAT and college prep company, based their rankings on surveys from over 120,000 students nationwide. According to Robert Franek, Vice President of Publishing for Princeton Review, the schools on the lists were chosen “primarily for their outstanding academics.”

In its description of St. John’s, Princeton Review commends the school, saying it “moves inexorably forward without forgetting its history or traditions.” It also praises the University
for its Institute for Writing Studies and “Discover the World” program. The book includes a “What St. John’s University Students have to say about Academics” section, in which Princeton Review compiles quotations from anonymous students to give readers an accurate look at the school’s
pros and cons. More specifically, the book claims that St. John’s “maintains ‘a lot of policies and politics opposed by typical college students . . . [such as] the visitor policies in the dorms.'”

The section also quotes more positive students who argue that St. John’s provides a “quality private education,” especially for students who are self-motivated and willing to find challenging professors. The “366 Best Colleges” book includes 62 other rankings based on eight different categories: academics, demographics, parties, school type, politics, quality of life, extracurriculars, and social.

St. John’s, in addition to being named one of the 222 best colleges in the Northeast, ranked fifteenth in the “Diverse Student Population” category – a list the University was not on in last year’s edition.

SJU was also named #19 in the less-than-flattering “Professors make themselves scarce” category. This is the second year in a row that the University was included in this list.

In its 2007 edition, Princeton Review also included St. John’s in its “Least Happy Students” ranking, a list that the University avoided this year. Just like last year, people have found
reason to complain about the rankings. According to Princeton Review, an average of 325 students is surveyed per college campus.

St. John’s overall student population, when all campuses and programs are
taken into consideration, is around 20,000.

“The lists are a little ridiculous,” said junior math major Chris Imparato. “They’re based on a very small part of the overall student population, so I don’t really see the big deal.”

Princeton Review’s “366 Best Colleges” book was released on August 21 and can be read online at www. PrincetonReview.com.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

We love comments and feedback, but we ask that you please be respectful in your responses.
All The Torch Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *