We’ll be adding to this list on a regular basis. Here are some of the resources that we find helpful. Feel free to add comments or make suggestions.
Websites
www.profileonline.collegeboard.com
Books
I can admit it, I’ve become a college admissions literature junky. Refer to my previous post, So Long Vampires.
Even my children, ages five and seven want to know why I’m constantly reading about college. Maybe they’re nervous that I’m getting ready to send them off to school. I’ve temporarily put on hold my fascination with teen fantasy romance (think Twilight) in favor of delving into the subject of admissions lit. As would be expected there are some fantastic books in this genre and some that are downright anxiety provoking, even for me, a seasoned admissions professional.
Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven Kids Find the Right Colleges– and Find Themselves
At the moment this incredible book is at the top of my list of college admissions related literature. The story of esteemed guidance counselor Gwyeth Smith and his students is inspiring, motivating and refreshing. I highly recommend this book to parents and students.
The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College
If you’ve always wanted the nitty gritty details of how admissions decisions are made, this is the book for you. Steinberg takes the reader into the Wesleyan University admissions office in this compelling look at a year in the life of college admissions.
What Colleges Don’t Tell You (and Other Parents Don’t Want You to Know): 272 Secrets For Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools
This book is chock full of tips for parents. I found many of Wissner-Gross’s secrets to be helpful. However the tone of the book caused my heart to race, my palms to sweat and my stomach to ache– in other words, it completely stressed me out! This book will resonate with some readers but if you tend toward anxiety I recommend that you read this with a critical eye.
The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir
While this book is not college admissions lit per se, it is still a wonderful read that incorporates Kenison reframing her role at middle age along with her son’s journey through the college admissions process. Kenison provides wonderful quotations (her own and others) that could inspire essay writing.
Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College
Likely to be enjoyed more by parents, than students, Ferguson recounts the admissions process from the perspective of a well meaning father. While this book largely focuses on Ferguson’s experience with his son, his research into the history of certain aspects of the contemporary college admissions madness is riveting.
Admissions Confidential: An Insider’s Account of the Elite College Selection Process
by Rachel Toor
The title says it all, Rachel Toor’s book gives you a no holds barred, full account of her time working as a Duke University admission counselor. As a former admission counselor I read this book skeptically, often frustrated by the way she presented her experience as the gospel of college admissions. Toor is an excellent writer and this book will certainly raise interesting discussion.
Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students, and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize
By Joie Jager-Hyman
Joie Jager-Hyman’s impressive book delves into the lives of five bright, motivated, captivating high school students who are all applying to Harvard. This is a real page turner. Readers will grow attached to the students and want to see what happens to them as they make their way through the admissions process. I highly recommend this book.
I’m Going to College– NOT YOU!
Edited by Jennifer Delahunty
This is a wonderful collection of essays written by college admissions professionals and laypeople, all who happen to be parents of college bound children. Each short essay is quick to read, entertaining, and thought provoking. An enjoyable read for parents of high school and college students.
Getting In! The Zinch Guide to College Admissions and Financial Aid in the Digital Age
By Steve Cohen, Anne Dwane, Paulo de Oliveira, Michael Muska
This is the newest and most compelling comprehensive guide to college admissions. I recommend adding this to your resource library. Page after page of great tips and suggestions in a highly readable format.
The Price of Admission: How America’s Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges–and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates
By Daniel Golden
Daniel Golden, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for The Wall Street Journal, provides this eye-opening look at legacy and other priority status admissions processes. For those interested in understanding a darker side of the admissions world.
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