About Rob Franek.
Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review ®, is a nationally sourced expert on colleges and higher education issues. Over his 29-year career, he has been a test-prep tutor/teacher, college admissions administrator, editor, publisher, author, lecturer, and media contributor. He has visited more than 1,200 high schools and more than 1,000 colleges and grad schools. He has directed more than 95 of The Princeton Review’s education surveys. He says his interactions with students, parents, and educators—on campuses as well as online and on Zoom—are his most inspiring professional experiences.
As Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, Rob is the publishing director of a line of more than 150 books published by Penguin Random House. The line includes test-prep, college, and grad school admission guides, as well as study aids. Rob also oversees The Princeton Review's surveys of administrators and students for its annual school profiles and rankings plus its surveys of college applicants and parents for its annual College Hopes & Worries Survey, now in its 20th year.
Rob is author of five books: The Best 387 Colleges (2021), The Best Value Colleges (2020), College Admission 101 , College Admissions During COVID (2020) and Colleges That Create Futures (2017). He is also co-author of If the U Fits: Expert Advice on Finding the Right College and Getting Admitted (2014). He penned the foreword to The College Wellness Guide (2021) and is directing the publication of the newest college guide from The Princeton Review: The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs, due out in July. All are Penguin Random House publications.
A frequent lecturer and speaker, Rob has chaired panels at the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conferences and delivered keynote addresses at several of its regional ACAC conferences. He gives more than 100 talks a year on college admission/application considerations for high school students, their parents, and counselor/advisors, and he has delivered three university commencement addresses.
Rob is host of 125 videos on The Princeton Review’s YouTube channel. In three series—COVID-19 News and Updates, Key Concepts for AP Exams, and the College Admission 101 Learning Playlist—his videos provide timely advice for students and parents on current education topics. Collectively, they have received nearly 1,000,000 views.
Rob’s media contributions are many. He has contributed to The Huffington Post, been sourced in The New York Times (as well as in scores of other prominent newspapers and magazines) and been seen or heard on hundreds of broadcasts. He has appeared on NBC TODAY 28 times and on programs or newscasts on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NPR, PBS, and NHK WORLD-Japan. Northeast Public Radio longtime host Bob Barrett recently dubbed Rob “our go-to guy for all things college entrance."
Rob earned his B.A. in Political Science and History at Drew University (NJ), at which he is honored to serve on its Board of Trustees. Prior to being recruited by The Princeton Review in 1999, Rob was a college admissions administrator at Wagner College (NY) for six years. A resident of Manhattan, he is an avid runner and a New York history buff. In his spare time, he conducts historical walking tours of New York City. Follow his tweets at @RobFranek .
