07/15 - University of Scranton Listed Among the "Most Interesting Colleges" in the Nation

The University of Scranton has been selected as one of the "most interesting colleges" in the nation by a publication that offers students an "unbiased" guide to their college selection.

The University of Scranton is profiled in the 2003 edition of Kaplan Publishing's The Unofficial, Unbiased, Insider's Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges, by Trent Anderson and Seppy Basili.

This is the first year the university has been profiled in the publication that surveys students, recent graduates, guidance counselors and college administrators to compile a comprehensive review of colleges from varied perspectives.

"The University of Scranton's listing in this guide is especially gratifying because the acknowledgment stems from the recommendations of guidance counselors and the students we serve," said University of Scranton President Joseph M. McShane, S.J.

Noted for the "excellent, top-notch programs" offered, the guide mentions the university's outstanding number of Fulbright scholars and its "prestigious" Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Program.

"Its special academic options, such as the Business Leadership Program and the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Program make The University of Scranton stand out from the crowd," wrote the book's author Mr. Anderson.

The colleges profiled are chosen based on the school's selectivity, special programs offered, uniqueness of the student body, guidance counselor recommendations, and other noteworthy factors that make the school stand out as "interesting" to a national audience.

The University of Scranton is one of only 24 colleges in Pennsylvania to be listed in the publication.

Each college profile includes statistics regarding the school's student body, academics, admissions, finances and graduates. The profile also includes information gathered through surveys concerning each school's academic and campus environment.

The Unofficial, Unbiased, Insider's Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges highlights The University of Scranton's strength in biology and other science programs, noting the "impressive percentage of its pre-professional undergrads … accepted into law and medical school."

Students in the pre-medical program at The University of Scranton are continually accepted to medical schools at rates well beyond the national average. For seniors in the graduating class of 2002, the acceptance rate is an unprecedented 100 percent. The University of Scranton's overall acceptance rate for 2002 is already 95.3 percent for all applicants and climbing.

The book also describes the university's student-faculty interaction as "one of Scranton's biggest strengths," mentioning the school's Faculty/Student Research Program that provides undergraduate students from all disciplines the opportunity to participate in faculty research projects.

The guidebook describes the university's 50-acre campus as "attractive" and notes the $25 million the university has invested in new facilities.

The Unofficial, Unbiased, Insider's Guide to the 320 Most Interesting Colleges also includes advice on selecting a college and provides lists of schools recommended by guidance counselors as having specific characteristics, such as colleges offering the best campus housing for freshman.

The University of Scranton has been nationally recognized for quality through consistent top ten rankings by U.S. News & World Report and has been cited for the value-centered nature of its education through inclusion as one of 100 institutions on the Templeton Foundation's Honor Roll of Character-Building Colleges. It enjoys equal recognition for its commitment to incorporating technology into its instructional environment, rising from 43rd to 39th on the 2001 listing of "America's Most Wired Colleges" by Yahoo Internet Life magazine - the highest ranking of any Jesuit institution.