If the ancient eight are the deities on the shrine of US News and World Report and Princeton Review, you might call Loren Pope an atheist. Pope, profiled , in the New York Times this week has been working as an independent college counselor since 1965. She wrote two books you probably won’t find on the dark wooded coffee tables in Penn’s admissions office: Looking Beyond the Ivy League and Colleges That Change Lives,.

Described in the article as a man whose “been bucking convention nearly all his life,” Pope sings the praises of collegiate underdogs like Hiram College, Rhodes College, Clark University, among others. Meanwhile he decries Ivy League schools and other generally well-respected universities:

“Asked if a student could get a good education at Harvard or Yale, he said, “I think you’d have to work harder for it” because the professors are more focused on their research and it is harder to get to know them.

He is skeptical about why students and parents pursue admission to brand-name colleges. “I think all they are thinking about is status,” he said.”

While the idea behind Pope’s philosophy and life’s work is admirable I still feel compelled to argue on behalf of Dear Old Penn. I agree that students, parents and universities are preoccupied with rankings, status and elitism. But Pope paints his picture of the college landscape with an incredibly broad brush. Penn’s professors, still offer amazing resources and opportunities for students even while busy with original research. And Penn’s career services office is among the best in the country in helping students find internships and post-grad employment, the ultimate goal (and value) of a Penn degree one might argue.

Northeast Ohio: “A great place to live and work.” (www.homeschoolfriendlycolleges.com)

Just as Penn isn’t for everyone, neither are Pope’s favorites. For one, many of them are in rural settings, and while West Philly has its problems I’ll take it any day over Hiram’s Northeast Ohio. Choosing Pope’s underrated, intimate college settings ultimately come at a cost whether its sporting events, a diverse student body (According to Princeton Review’s web site Rhodes College is known by many simply as “the country club”) and world-famous faculty. The college students of tomorrow shouldn’t dismiss the schools Pope champions, but they also shouldn’t write off Penn and the other colleges that Pope does so eagerly.

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