Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has been named as one of the nation’s "Most Interesting Colleges" in the 2012 edition of The Fiske Guide to Colleges, which goes on sale this month. WPI is one of more than 300 schools profiled in the latest edition of the Fiske Guide, which features "the country’s best and most interesting colleges and universities."
Fiske Guide editor Edward Fiske, a former education editor for the New York Times, selected WPI to the list of 13 “Most Interesting Colleges” stating, "Small, innovative, and undergraduate-oriented, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is anything but a stodgy technical institute. The WPI Plan is hands-on and project-based and takes a humanistic view of engineering. Emphasizes teamwork instead of competition."
"The Fiske Guide is notable for the care it takes in helping readers understand what makes each of the colleges it profiles distinctive and worthy of consideration," said Kristin R. Tichenor, senior vice president for enrollment and institutional strategy at WPI. "I am delighted that our approach to education, with its emphasis on learning through real-world project experiences in a global, humanistic context, continues to stand out to the Fiske editors year after year."
In the 2011 edition, the Fiske Guide named WPI as one of 10 colleges and universities that "should be on the radar screens of all students looking at undergraduate engineering programs," noting the university’s renowned "emphasis on projects and team building."
The 2010 edition noted that WPI is "a pioneer in engineering education [that] has built a solid reputation in the sciences. But with its ever-expanding academic curriculum, surprising devotion to music and theater, and dedication to hands-on undergraduate experiences, WPI has expanded the definition of what it means to be a tech-oriented institution. Students must complete several extensive projects, endure seven-week semesters, and engage in real-world experiences. But it's WPI’s humanistic approach to engineering that really sets it apart."
