Again this year, Catawba College's Theatre Arts Department is nationally ranked. It is rated tenth in the nation for best college theatre, according to the 2009 edition of The Princeton Review's "Best 368 Colleges" guide which hit bookstands July 29.
Ranking lists report the top 20 colleges in this and over 60 other categories in the 2009 edition of The Princeton Review's annual college guide, "The Best 368 Colleges." Annually published since 1992, the book is one of 200 Princeton Review titles published by Random House. No school has ever paid a fee to be in it.
Catawba College students, whose comments were cited in the publication, said the Theatre Arts Department "puts a lot of effort into productions and regularly wins awards." Other Catawba College
academic majors which received positive student comments in "Best 368 Colleges" guide include Environmental Science, Music and History.
Students said that Catawba is the sort of place where students meet "people who make a big difference in your life, whether it be your caring admissions counselor, easily accessible professor, friendly department head, or large group of friends." At Catawba, "it's the people who define the school."
Responding students noted recent renovations and construction projects on Catawba's campus, saying the college is "constantly improving and growing."
Students cited the popularity of the Catawba Indians (the College's 18 NCAA Division II athletic teams). Sports, they said, "are a very big thing."
Students said, " Life at school is dependent upon how many activities you are involved with. The more activities that you participate in, the more fun you will have on campus." They noted, "You would be hard-pressed to find anyone on campus who isn't involved in something else other than just going to class. This involvement in school really makes Catawba as great as it is."
Although institutional officials submit annual data concerning enrollment, tuition, financial assistance, and SAT averages, it is survey information provided by the students who attend a particular institution which provides an insider's view of a college or university.
The 62 ranking lists are based on surveys of 120,000 students (average 325 per campus) at the 368 schools in the book during the 2007-08 and/or previous two school years. Ninety-five percent were completed online at https://catawba.edusurvey.review.com. Five percent were paper surveys completed on campuses. The 80-question survey asks students about their school's academics, administration, campus life, student body, and themselves. The schools are not ranked 1 to 368 in any category.
"In our opinion, each school in this book is first-rate academically," said Robert Franek, the author at The Princeton Review. "But their campus cultures and offerings differ greatly. Instead of ranking schools academically, 1 to 368, we tally ranking lists in 62 categories based on what students at the schools (their customers) report to us about them."
The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for its test-prep courses, education services, and books. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and not a magazine.
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Majors and Fields of Study
