The Alumni Factor

Book excerpt: This book began with a simple premise—that there is a better way to assess and rank colleges and universities in America than those currently being offered. The primary outcomes of most of today’s rankings are: 1. To provide readers a view of what life is like as an undergraduate, and 2. To give insight into who comes into the college. The Alumni Factor, on the other hand, is more interested in who comes out. The aim of this guide is to describe how well a college or university actually develops and shapes its students and what becomes of them after they graduate. The Alumni Factor is interested in the actual outcomes experienced by college graduates and the role their college played in creating those outcomes. The Alumni Factor believes this information regarding graduate outcomes is truly essential to understanding and assessing our colleges and universities today. In line with these goals, The Alumni Factor provides a detailed, in-depth profile of graduates from 225 of our nations top colleges. The profiles were constructed almost entirely with data and insights from the actual college alumni themselves. Readers will find The Alumni Factor to be a fascinating look at the incredibly diverse academic, social and cultural choices available to capable students today.