New Princeton Review Book Profiles Colleges With Most Outstanding Community Service Programs

81 Schools in Colleges with a Conscience Chosen by The Princeton Review and Campus Compact from 900 Institutions Considered for the Book
NEW YORK, NY June 20, 2005 -- The Princeton Review, known for its services helping students choose and get into colleges, has teamed up with Campus Compact, an organization committed to the public purposes of higher education, to develop a unique guide to colleges with the most exemplary public service programs, on campus and off. On sale tomorrow, COLLEGES WITH A CONSCIENCE: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement (Random House / Princeton Review, $16.95) has detailed profiles on the schools, advice for students interested in attending colleges that foster civic engagement, and tips on getting financial support for service. Presidents from Thomas Jefferson to George Walker Bush have encouraged colleges and college students to serve others. But at some institutions, the track records and commitment to social service and the citizenship and service-learning opportunities for students are truly exceptional. Such is the case at the schools in this book. "A college with a conscience," says Robert Franek, Princeton Review VP-Publishing, "has both an administration committed to social responsibility and a student body actively engaged in serving society. Education at these schools isn't only about private gain: it's about the public good." The Princeton Review and Campus Compact selected the 81 schools in the book from a pool of over 900 institutions they considered for it. The book's editors also invited organizations with expertise in campus community service to nominate colleges for inclusion based on criteria covering three major areas: 1/ the college's admissions practices and scholarships rewarding community service, 2/ the level of social engagement of the school's student body, and 3/ the college's support for service-learning programs, student activism, and student voice in school governance. At 96 schools considered for the final cut for the book, The Princeton Review collected extensive data about their service programs and policies through surveys of their students and faculty/staff. A list of the 81 colleges profiled in the book is posted at www.princetonreview.com. Together, they represent a diverse range of four-year institutions across the country. From large state universities to small religiously-affiliated schools, they vary by type (public/private), campus size, setting (urban/rural) and geographic region. Some of the colleges in the book are:
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Antioch College (Yellow Springs, OH) The school has over 150 community partners with which students work on projects involving literacy, the environment, arts, homelessness, hunger, and other programs. All students do at least one fourmonth cooperative education project with a non-profit organization. Portland State University (Portland, OR) At this university whose school motto is "Let Knowledge Serve the City," most students take a six-credit course applying what they are learning in their majors to real community issues and needs. University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN) Eighty-five percent of students participate in service or service-learning programs, locally during the school year or outside the community during breaks, and the university offers approximately 90 service-learning courses each year.

"This book highlights the exceptional work of our member campuses and the wonderful opportunities that exist for students to improve community life and demonstrate social responsibility," said Campus Compact executive director Elizabeth Hollander. "These schools epitomize higher education in service to the public good." The book has an appendix with a complete list of Campus Contact member campuses. Colleges with a Conscience also has profiles of 15 students who share perceptions and feedback about their civic engagement activities, experiences, and advice. The book is one of nearly 200 titles developed by The Princeton Review in a line published by Random House. The line includes guides to colleges, graduate schools, standardized tests, careers and learning resource books. The Princeton Review (www.princetonreview.com) is an education services company known for its test-prep courses, books, college and graduate school admission and K-12 services. Headquartered in New York City with offices across the U.S.A and abroad, it is not affiliated with Princeton University or ETS. Campus Compact (www.compact.org) is a national coalition of more than 950 college and university presidents committed to supporting the public purposes of higher education. Its national office is in Providence, RI, and it has local offices in 30 states.

Media Contacts: Princeton Review Public Relations: Harriet Brand, 212-874-8282, ext 1091, harrietb@review.com Random House / Princeton Review Books: Jeanne Krier, 212-539-1350 Campus Compact: Devon Bates, 401-867-3950, dbates@compact.org