College made easy

If you're a young queer student sorting through college choices, don't you want most to hear from the LGBT youths who already attend your future alma mater? Hundreds of students speak out about their campuses in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, now in bookstores' college sections nationwide. This intensely researched and fact-packed book, written by queer college expert Shane Windmeyer (and endorsed by this magazine), selects the 100 best schools for LGBT students, shares advice from youths who attend them, and even picks a surprising top 20 list including colleges in North Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana.

"I didn't want to simply highlight the schools in progressive states," Windmeyer says. "We highlight colleges that are progressive in their area of the country. If you're in Nebraska, you don't have to go to California to find a school that takes responsibility for its LGBT students."

A wealth of information is included for each of the 100 schools--resources, social-scene tips, factoids--plus a definitive checklist of 20 LGBT services, curricula, groups, and policies each school does (or does not) have. "We talk a lot about corporations leading the way [in equality]," says the author, "but it's at colleges where young people learn to lead. The hope for the future is amazing."

Best of the Best: Top 20 Campuses from The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students (in alphabetical order)

American University Duke University Indiana University New York University Oberlin College Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Stanford University Tufts University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Santa Cruz University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Puget Sound University of Southern California