Colleges That Change Lives


Colleges That Change Lives is a college educational guide originally put together by longtime student advocate and former New York Times education editor Loren Pope. It was first published in 1996, with a second edition in 2000, a third edition in 2006 and a fourth edition in 2013. It addresses college admissions in the United States.
The third edition profiles 40 choices for liberal arts colleges that, according to Pope, offer as much, if not more, than Ivy League schools: "The phrase 'Ivy League education' is an when compared to the benefactions to mind and soul the colleges in this book bestow. Not only are they better, but they want you, and you will love them for making a new and better you. Your satisfaction will be lifelong."

Colleges That Change Lives, Inc.

Following Loren Pope's message, Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. was founded in 2006 as a non-profit, 501 organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. The organization supports the goal of each student finding a college that develops a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college. According to the CTCL website:
The organization's work is inspired by Loren Pope, who died in 2008. However, Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. operates independently from both the Pope estate and Penguin Books and receives no financial remuneration from either source.
CTCL hosts programs during four annual tours in 26 cities in the United States and abroad. Each programs offers a 30-minute presentation about how to choose a college for fit, not rank, and then provides attendees the opportunity to speak with representatives from the 40 colleges featured in the book. The programs are free of charge and open to the public. In addition, Franklin & Marshall College and Grinnell College were formerly institutions rated by Loren Pope as Colleges That Change Lives, but were removed in later editions because the institutions became too selective. St. Andrews University was included in the revised edition, but removed in later editions.

Schools

Northeast
South
Midwest
Southwest
Northwest