<p>i was just wondering if college admission books are worth buying.</p>
<p>specifically:</p>
<p>a is for admission and acing the college application - michelle hernandez
writing the college application essay - harry bauld</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>I really liked the Harry Bauld book--it is funny, well-written, and, most importantly, got me thinking about my essays. It also isn't formulaic, which I like. It is a little outdated, but a lot of what he says is still true--just keep in mind it was written in the late '80s.</p>
<p>I haven't really read any other admissions books though.</p>
<p>I found them useful but borrowed them from the local library.</p>
<p>thanks!!</p>
<p>saralig, do u recommend any other book for the essay?</p>
<p>nancyzl, i wud do that too but i live in another country and in my city theres probably at the most one or two libraries that dont even have books in english - most ppl just buy whatever they want to read at bookstores</p>
<p>did u like any other book more than the ones i mentioned above?</p>
<p>I read both and i think you should too. The info is displayed very well. and in harry bauld; i think it is the best book that shows you how to write perfect essays. They are very short; i finished them in 3 days or so.</p>
<p>Good Luck</p>
<p>The "A is for Admissions" book is dated. Somehow there is a lot of info in the book about AI's (Academic Index) that the ivies use to make sure that they are not unfairly accepting athletes without sufficient academic credentials. (After all, the Ivy League is a sports league.) A person's AI is determined entirely from a person's gpa, rank, SAT, and SAT II scores. Hernandez has the attitude that everyone who deserves to go to an ivy will definitely get in because the adcoms do their jobs so well. If you don't get in, then you just didn't measure up. She also makes derogatory comments about the adcom members who did not attend an ivy and how they are unable to instantly recognize worthy applicants the way that she can. In one additional note, she warns ivy-bound high schoolers that these non-ivy adcoms are not as smart as she and they are. Therefore, applicants have to not expect them to instantly recognize the subtle things in the app indicating their superior natures.</p>
<p>On the other hand, "Acing the College Application" is an excellent book that gives the essentials of the application process and relates everything to the application itself. It is short enough to be useful in the clutch and has some great advice on how to present your EC's using an activity spreadsheet instead of a resume.</p>
<p>There are several good behind-the-scenes books on the application process that are interesting but won't directly help your application. These are "The Gatekeepers" by Steinberg, "Admissions Confidential" by Toors, and "Harvard Schmarvard" by Mathews.</p>