Many of us use the internet for all of our information gathering when it comes to any kind of large ticket purchases. Whether we are looking for a new car, a new home, or vacation options, there is no shortage of information you can find on the internet. The same applies to colleges (a $80-300K investment), but there are so many more variables to consider. We also hear over and over again that the amount of information on the internet is overwhelming, and with so much biased information from marketers, it is often difficult to parse out what advice is worth heeding, and conversely what should be ignored.
For those starting out, freshmen/sophomore/junior parents, as well as middle school parents looking to get a glimpse of what is ahead, there are several great books that will provide families with the lay of the land. These books will give you big-picture perspectives about colleges, the college admissions process overall, and what you can do to help students prepare for the road ahead.
Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions
By: Jeffrey Selingo
In Who Gets In and Why, journalist and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo dispels entrenched notions of how to compete and win at the admissions game, and reveals that teenagers and parents have much to gain by broadening their notion of what qualifies as a “good college.” Selingo, who was embedded in three different admissions offices—a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus—closely observed gatekeepers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions. He also followed select students and their parents, as he traveled around the country meeting with high school counselors, marketers, behind-the-scenes consultants, and college rankers.
While many have long believed that admissions is merit-based, rewarding the best students, Who Gets In and Why presents a more complicated truth, showing that “who gets in” is frequently more about the college’s agenda than the applicant. In a world where thousands of equally qualified students vie for a fixed number of spots at elite institutions, admissions officers often make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors—like diversity, money, and, ultimately, whether a student will enroll if accepted. One of the most insightful books written about “getting in” and what higher education has become, Who Gets In and Why not only provides an unusually intimate look at how admissions decisions get made, but guides prospective students on how to honestly assess their strengths and match with the schools that will best serve their interests.
Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions
Also check out our takeaway:
Who Gets In And Why - Book Highlights
Fiske Guide to Colleges
By: Edward Fiske
The Fiske Guide to Colleges, written by the former New York Times education editor Edward Fiske, is a bestseller and the perfect primer for students and parents who are just getting started with the college admissions process. The guide goes beyond what you can find on college websites, giving an insider perspective into what a student’s life might look like at different schools across the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Ireland. Fiske even includes quotes from students at these institutions to provide an accurate account of what experiences you can expect.
The guide is updated every year, and alongside stories from students, it includes; a self quiz, informative lists on majors and programs, price and debt rates, acceptance rates, social life ratings, and a host of other data to arm families with the information needed to compile a college list. The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College starts with an in-depth assessment of student priorities, then takes you step-by-step through the process of applying to the schools you actually want to get into. This guide will show students how to:
- Choose the right kind of school for you
- Filter out the hype
- Navigate the financial aid process
- Earn the test scores colleges want you to see
- Write authentic essays (even if you're not a great writer)
- Submit an application that shows off your best features
- Ask the right questions during campus visits
- Know how admissions officers rank candidates
- Get off the waiting list and get accepted
- Attract and even negotiate the best financial aid package
How to Raise an Adult
Author: Julie Lythcott-Haims
In How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and fears that lead to overparenting, Lythcott-Haims offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success. Relevant to parents of toddlers as well as of twentysomethings--and of special value to parents of teens--this book is a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure that the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.
The Truth about College Admission
Authors: Brennan Barnard & Rick Clark
The Truth about College Admission is an easy-to-follow, comprehensive, go-to guide for families. The authors (Brennan Barnard, Director of College Counseling at The Derryfield School and US Performance Academy, and Rick Clark, Georgia Tech’s Director of Admissions) ―with perspectives from both high school and university―provide critical advice, thoughtful strategies, and invaluable reassurance to those on the long and often bewildering college admission journey. From searching for colleges and creating a list, to crafting an application, learning what schools are looking for academically and outside the classroom, and getting insight into how colleges decide who to accept, this book covers every step. Helpful sections such as "Try This," "Talk about This," and "Check In" guide your family on how to have open and balanced conversations to keep everyone on the same page, feeling less stressed, and enjoying the adventure together.
The Truth about College Admission
Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be
Author: Frank Bruni
Written by the award-winning journalist and columnist for the New York Times, Frank Bruni, this is an inspiring manifesto about everything wrong with today's frenzied college admissions process and how to make the most of your college years. Bruni shows that the Ivy League has no monopoly on corner offices, governors' mansions, or the most prestigious academic and scientific grants. Through statistics, surveys, and the stories of hugely successful people, he demonstrates that many kinds of colleges serve as ideal springboards. What matters in the end are students' efforts in and out of the classroom, not the name on their diploma.
Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be
The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to Higher Education
By Eric J. Furda and Jacques Steinberg
Written by the Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, Eric J. Furda, and New York Times education reporter, Jacques Steinberg, this book offers parents the tools to communicate and engage with their children about the college admissions process. The book covers five main sections: discovery, search, application, decision and transition to college. The book aims to make the entire college application journey as stress free as possible, both for students and parents.
Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life
By Michael B. Horn and Bob Moesta
As indicated by the title, this useful guide helps students understand themselves, their decisions, and motivations better, to make the right choices about their future. The college application process is a complicated one. Instead of tackling data and statistics, this book first asks the reader to look inwards and evaluate themselves as students. Beyond traditional 4-year programs, the book helps students approach community colleges and vocational training, amongst other options. It is a holistic guide to approaching the years after high school, whatever form that may be in.
Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life (2019)
For additional insights, check out our blogs:
Who Gets In And Why - Book Highlights
Top 7 Books on College Admissions for Seniors and Juniors building college lists
Most Prestigious Summer Programs
Are Pre-College Summer Programs Worth It?
Do High School Students Need a Focus?
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