Princeton Review names SUNY Fredonia a best in Northeast

SUNY Fredonia is one of the best colleges and universities in the Northeast according to The Princeton Review. The New York City-based education services company selected the school as one of 212 institutions it recommends in its "Best in the Northeast" section on its PrincetonReview.com feature, “2009 Best Colleges Region by Region.”

It also profiles the school in its book, "The Best Northeastern Colleges: 2009 Edition" (Random House/Princeton Review Books, 2008, $16.95). The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) is a New York-based company known for its test preparation, college admission and other education services. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and it is not a magazine.

Here are some excerpts from the book’s profile of SUNY Fredonia, taken directly from student comments:

--“Music and art are paramount” at this “beautiful, friendly, welcoming, and accepting,” “small, liberal public arts school” in upstate New York.

--In addition to music and art, SUNY—Fredonia also offers “great degree programs” in “education, theatre, and communications.”

--“Most if not all professors are masters of their craft” and “are welcoming and have open-door policies.”

--“A lot of the professors could realistically be teaching at better schools, but they choose to be at Fredonia because the area is wonderful,” says one student.

--“The school’s administration is great,” agree students. “It really means something when you see President Hefner and other campus administrators walking around campus, eating in our dining halls, and attending nearly every campus event showing support.”

--In addition, there are “millions of clubs and organizations, a lot of which do community service,” and also many “campus jobs that are not work study, so
are open to everyone.”

--As its academic reputation suggests, students also have numerous opportunities to take in “shows put on by the music and theater departments.”

--Outdoorsy types appreciate that “there are beautiful parks to go walking around, including the New York State Lake Erie Park.” Some “go fishing and take walks along the creek that runs through town.”

--If you seek big-city excitement “you can easily drive to Erie, PA or to Buffalo.”

--“Politics and diversity are strong topics for students at Fredonia.”

Universities were selected based on institutional data, personal visits, the opinions of guidance counselors, and an 80-question survey given to students about their campus. The Princeton Review survey asked students to rate their own schools on several issues -- from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food -- and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. Actual comments from surveyed students pepper each Princeton Review college profile on its website and in the book.

"The Best Northeastern Colleges -- 2009 Edition" is the fifth edition of the book and part of a line of nearly 200 Princeton Review books published by Random House.