New College of Florida is one of the country’s top 50 colleges for offering students the outside-the-classroom experiences and connections that lead to great jobs or post-graduate study, according to a new book by The Princeton Review.
The ranking comes in the just-released 2017 edition of The Princeton Review’s book, “Colleges That Create Futures: 50 Schools That Launch Careers by Going Beyond the Classroom.”
New College was named to the Review’s unranked list of 50 colleges, chosen from more than 3,000 nationwide. It is New College’s first appearance in the book, which was first published in 2016. It was one of just two Florida colleges to appear on the list.
In January, New College was also listed in the Princeton Review’s exclusive ranked list of the “Top 50 Colleges That Pay You Back” for its combination of a superb education, affordable tuition and high salaries for graduates. New College also was listed in the latest edition of the Princeton Review’s “The Best 381 Colleges.”
In “Colleges That Create Futures,” the Princeton Review editors praise New College for its dedication to undergraduate research:
“At New College every student is exposed to the process of independent research, and, as a result, New College students who start grad school applications or walk into job interviews are able to explain how they have tackled difficult problems, developed strategic plans, and contributed to a project through collective and independent work.”
Among the comments from students:
“Professors treat undergrads as they would graduate students, letting them in on research and frequently offering advanced theory and methods courses rarely offered to undergrads.”
“My personal favorite part of New College is the opportunity to conduct original research and study abroad. New College nurtures students who have the dedication to go above and beyond the already challenging graduation requirements. Grant funding is available to research abroad and present at international conferences, which are great ways to network with scholars in your field of study and plan a future after graduation.”
The Princeton Review authors say those opportunities translate to top career and graduate study options.
“New College and the other colleges showcased in this book offer superb academics,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher at The Princeton Review, and a co-author of the book.
“But what makes them stand out are the programs and services they offer outside the classroom, which offer their students real-world experience, collaborative opportunities with faculty and networking opportunities with alumni, allowing them to graduate with outstanding job opportunities or acceptance to post-graduate studies at first-rate institutions.”
The Princeton Review chose the schools for the “Create Futures” book based on surveys of administrators and students between 2015 and 2017. The Review’s editors considered information about the colleges’ career center services, internships, cooperative learning and collaborative research opportunities, and student participation in community service and study abroad programs.
The “Colleges That Create Futures” area at princetonreview.com has articles with advice for students interested in experiential learning programs, and a quiz for students that returns a list of colleges in the book that might be ideal for them based on their interests and talents.
“Colleges That Create Futures” is one of 150 Princeton Review books published by Penguin Random House and is available today. The Princeton Review is a tutoring, test prep and college admission services company.