<p>I've come into the responsibility of educating an extremely bright junior about the college applications process. At the moment, she knows very little about any of it.</p>
<p>Could you all please recommend introductory books, Websites, etc. that I could share with her?</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your help!</p>
<p>Admission Matters by Sally Springer is great <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787979678/qid=1137548476/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3704451-1215867?n=507846&s=books&v=glance%5B/url%5D">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787979678/qid=1137548476/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3704451-1215867?n=507846&s=books&v=glance</a></p>
<p>Also, Carolyn's website is top notch and has lots of info on good books and websites <a href="http://www.admissionsadvice.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.admissionsadvice.com/</a></p>
<p>The Fiske Guide people put out a companion book - I think it is called "The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College" that is great. One of the best things about this book for the "truly clueless" is that it has a test of preferences, sort of like a "Cosmo test" - do you like large classes? do you want a big city? etc. It is a very all-inclusive list, and if the student actually runs down the list thoughtfully, they will have narrowed their choices considerably. </p>
<p>Another that I liked was Harvard Schmarvard by Jay Mathews - it is quite opinionated, the Fiske Guide is more neutral. Both approaches have some merit early on in the search.</p>
<p>You can find a lot of these in the library.</p>
<p>In addition to Carolyn's great website - look at Colleges that Change Lives website - it is something of an advertisement for these schools, but it also gives ideas for colleges many kids have never heard of.</p>
<p>I would get a couple of books out of the library for the kid to look over, then buy one book as a reference to write in, dogear the pages, shove under her bed, etc. - my DD liked Princeton Review's 351 best COlleges, because of the lists and the funny student comments.</p>
<p>ADad, there are two channels of information: one concerns choosing the right short-list of colleges, the other concerns the actual application.</p>
<p>There are zillions of advice books out there. (Being obsessive I read them all.) My favorite that doesn't fit into either category but really explains how the process works is The Gatekeepers a behind the scene look at admissions at Wesleyan.</p>
<p>For a comprehensive list of colleges with thumbnail descriptions and comments I like The Insiders Guide to the Colleges. Between that and The Fiske Guide your protégé will be able to formulate a good list of 25-30 schools-of-interest. US News and World Reports college issue is also a good starting point for statistical information.</p>
<p>As far as advice on what makes you a good applicant and how to best present yourself, I dont have much of a preference. Theyre quite similar some are more intense than others. Id suggest leaving through a few at a bookstore and seeing what style appeals to you.</p>
<p>CCs own Dave Berry also has a great book that provides a nice summary for super selectives Americas Elite Colleges.</p>
<p>Most colleges have information for applicants on their websites. They will tell you what theyre looking for and how you can best prepare.</p>
<p>And, of course, this website is invaluable for questions about big philosophical and strategic issues and minute logistical points.</p>
<p>Most highschools have a college orientation night for kids and parents about this time. But perhaps her schools college guidance program falls in the not a clue category, in that case, CC is REALLY invaluable.</p>
<p>i'm not sure what website it is on (princeton review?) but i used counselor-o-matic when i was first looking. i found that it helped me to think what i wanted out of a college in terms of size, region, selectivity, etc.</p>