Book list for college app?

DS is applying to a school that asks for a list of books he has read for pleasure outside of the classroom this past year. Unfortunately, given his schedule he has absolutely no time for outside reading. He is in AP English and has an extensive list of books he has read for class. Should he just state that he has not time for outside reading and just include his class list of books?

Not one? Not during vacations? Not in the summer? No magazines? Not even perhaps a blog or two?

Sure magazine and blogs he has read, but not actual books. Plus, the questions asks for a list of books.

I think he should just tell the truth, as you suggest, and identify the list of books as for his AP class. Nothing wrong with mentioning magazines and blogs either. You rarely see a young person with a book on the subway these days!

Yeah, don’t lie. That said, I hope he picks up book reading again. It’s pretty important and incredibly rewarding.

There will be students who make time for pleasure reading (sometimes at the expense of their classwork!). Honesty is always the best policy. It could be the school in question is using this request as a way of differentiating an otherwise uniform group of applicants. or it could be a way of seeing outside interests. If his lack of outside reading means he does not get accepted then that school wasn’t the best fit for him. He should not try to be someone he isn’t.

I think you have to answer truthfully. That being said, I think it says something, that a presumably strong student hasn’t read anything by choice in the last year. S had to answer that question back when he applied, and his list, in its quirkiness, gave the school a peek into who he was. I think that can only be an asset to a student.

I’d answer truthfully but disclose what I did with my free time. (As in, my schoolwork requires me to spend 4 hours reading every day, and the first free moment that I have, I put on my running shoes, and I …) He could admit to reading the labels on boxes while whatever was inside revolves in the microwave.

Outside of schoolwork, he spends a lot of time on music and other extracurriculars. He was practicing several hours a day on his instrument until last year when he had to ratchet down the practicing, because it was starting to affect his grades.

So have him list some music books… Reading notes vs. Reading words. That’s pretty cool!

My son had EC’s in high school that led him to read a lot of seemingly random stuff. Nothing was assigned but much was core reading to the debate topic. He also had a major hobby that led him to read a lot about sports, specifically baseball: magazines, books, websites. If your son read ANYTHING that wasn’t specifically assigned, whether it was artistic literature, instruction books, sports magazines, the newspaper, or the Bible, he can probably make up a plausible if short list with an explanation.

Okay, this goes against the above advice…pick a book. any book. have the applicant start to read it and list it as the most recently completed book on the application. Don’t say the applicant hasn’t read ANY books outside of school. But be sure that the book gets read SOON.

Seriously, in my view, to say there are NO books read outside of class (even though we all know this is not unusual, particularly for boys) is just an unnecessary red flag. Why spend so much time and effort on an application of there is something in the application that screams “don’t pick me!” But again…pick a book that the applicant WILL COMMIT to reading and reading SOON. Maybe even PUSH the book reading BEFORE the application is submitted. But list a book.

My son read a specific book for this very reason, to have a well-known book to talk about when asked. Now, he did complete the book BEFORE he actually submitted his applications but he then DID talk about the book at a couple of campus visits. He is not the book-reading type but he surprised himself. He actually LIKED the book. Go figure! There are lots of books that are well-known, not hard to get through, and actually interesting.

I know Columbia had this question on its application when my daughter applied - being an avid reader she had difficulty choosing which books to list.

I also think it would be a red flag to say you hadn’t read anything for pleasure and I think most applicants will stretch the truth and list books they have read that were tied to school. I suggest he pick a couple of his favorite class books and list them - maybe the summer reading he had to do for school (where he could pick from a list of books?)

It’s not as if he doesn’t read at all, since he has read a lot for the AP English. The question is presumptuous, IMHO. Not everyone reads books in their spare time. I have never seen H read a book in the time I’ve known him. I’d leave it blank in protest.

Ya not everyone reads books in their spare time, but kids applying to top colleges should be and top colleges want to see this. He needs to list a book(s) cause there are plenty of kids that do read for fun. This is not a “my kid is better conversation,” but just an example…D is in AP Lit (5 APs total) in a ton of highly demanding ECs, and has 4-6 books delivered every month on top of kindle reads cause I see the boxes and charges on my Amazon account. And at interviews she could easily launch into a discussion on books of many topics. Not saying she is better in any way, but when applying, in a given year, she could easily add 30-40 books to a list if they asked for that many. It is a differentiation, and that is all that is needed to get you in over someone else. But she didn’t do many subject tests, someone else may have those - everything counts. Saying you haven’t read any is not a good idea, ya, I think you can be way too honest for your own good. Have him pick up a book today if the honesty thing plagues you.

If he had more time in his schedule last year (junior year), and read a book or two then, what’s the matter with reaching for those titles?

Well, there would be nothing wrong with listing pleasure reading from junior year, but I gather this kid really has read nothing. I wouldn’t lie, but I might read a book now as profdad21 suggests.

I know there are kids who rarely read, but as the parent of two avid readers it boggles my mind that someone could be stumped. It’s not what you have read in the last three months - it’s a whole year.

I mean, the suggestion that this is unfair because not everyone reads for pleasure is specious. I think the point is that the school is looking for people who do actually read books for pleasure. Mine listed a couple of his favorite novels, some poker theory books, and essays on physics. I think maybe something comic, too. The list didn’t scream “I am a reading snob” but it did reflect his character and quirks. I think that’s what they’re looking for. I’d do the “read a book now” suggestion, throw in something from last year, if possible, and maybe the music and blog reading. They want to learn about him, and that might do it.

I totally disagree. There is nothing inherent in “leisure reading” that would indicate a student’s ability to succeed or fail in college.

I don’t think anyone has suggested that this is unfair, but it is presumptuous to assume that everyone is spending their time on leisure reading and thus has a list of books to provide.

Even my CS kid found college easier because he could read faster than most people who read less. But I have known a handful of people who were very successful at college (i.e summa cum laude in Economics and med school acceptance) who never read for pleasure.

My older son only had one college that asked for a reading list (Harvard) and he a lot of sci fi and fantasy, plus a bunch of computer and math theory books.