Sept. 29, 1997 Contact Gaye Vandermyn (541) 346-3134 EUGENE--The University of Oregon is one of the best bargains for students in the nation, according to a popular college guide for prospective students that hit the bookstores this month. In its "Best Buys" list of 43 public and private schools in the 1998 edition of The Fiske Guide to Colleges, the UO is only one of three on the West Coast and only one of four schools west of the Mississippi River to make the list. The Fiske Guide includes the editors' selection of public and private schools that "constitute the `Best Buys'--where you can get the best possible education at the most reasonable cost," writes Edward B. Fiske, former New York Times education reporter who started the guide in 1982. Despite rising tuition and decreasing state support, "there are still some bargains to be found in American higher education," he says. "Plenty of colleges have found ways to offer outstanding academics and still keep their price tags under control. We think we've uncovered the best of the lot." The UO, the University of Washington and Evergreen State College are the only three West Coast schools (public or private) to be included in the list of the nation's schools that offer "remarkable educational opportunities at a relatively modest cost." The University of Colorado is the only other school named in the West. The Fiske Guide is in itself selective, providing in-depth essays on only 300 of more than 2,000 institutions surveyed each year. Its editors research a standard set of data from school administrators and a cross section of students who complete open-ended survey questions. In essay questions on the University of Oregon, the surveyed students named architecture, music, molecular biology, business, chemistry, journalism and psychology as the UO's strongest programs. The students gave a four-star rating to the UO's quality of life and three stars each to academics and social life. The academic climate is "as competitive as the student wants it to be," wrote one sophomore psychology major. Students singled out for praise the Freshman Seminars, where veteran teachers apply to teach small groups of freshmen, and Freshman Interest Groups that help "new students acclimate to campus life." "The library system remains the best in the state," the guide asserts. A senior journalism and public relations major reports that the Career Center is "first-rate, very good at utilizing new technology." Other features students considered noteworthy included the Honors College, a noticeable contingent of international students (10 percent of the student body), and the student-run ESCAPE (Every Student Caring About Personalized Education) Program that offers college credit for volunteer and intern work with nonprofit and academic departments on and off campus. Students also like the new telephone registration system and Advanced Placement programs. "Being PC isn't an issue because it's expected that students respect diversity," one student wrote, while several others noted the high level of student activism and claimed the "UO is the most politically active campus in the country." Students described the winter rains as a drawback but enthused over nearby outdoor pursuits an hour away on the coast or in the mountains. Eugene is "where all the hippies went when the `60s were over," wrote one sophomore. "The community has embraced the university with open arms," adds another student. "It's great!" -30- #P-1045/Local,OrDailies,PDX,PDX/spcl