Is Marlboro College any good?

Question

I am a high-school student in Bangladesh but my family is immigrating to the USA soon. I look forward to enrolling in college in the US in 2008. I have already been searching for suitable colleges. One that caught my eye is Marlboro College in Vermont. PrincetonReview gives Marlboro the highest possible academic rating of 99, putting it in the same league as Harvard, MIT, Amherst College etc. On the other hand, Marlboro seems to be an unknown college elsewhere, and does not even make the list of US News & World Report Top Liberal Arts colleges. I cannot make up my mind about the quality of education there. Can anyone, preferably a Marlboro graduate, give me an accurate assessment and make my decision of choosing a suitable college easier?

Answer 1

Princeton Review ratings are garbage. Do NOT trust them.

To be blunt, Marlboro is not in the same league as HYPSM. They only have ~40 faculty, and the offerings are very limited. On the other hand, Marlboro emphasizes an interdisciplinary education, and students mostly design their own curriculum. If this appeals to you, Marlboro may be a good match. I would suggest Sarah Lawrence, Bard, and Hampshire, all of which have excellent reputations. If you like Marlboro's location, Bowdoin, Bates, Colby, and Middlebury are also worth consideration.

I suggest that you get a copy of Loren Pope's "Colleges That Change Lives." It's an excellent book describing 40 or so lesser known liberal arts colleges that provide great educations. The Fiske Guide is also a good place to read about colleges.

Answer 2

If you are a smoker...