<p>Waiting for good news from a hyper-competitive college? I recommend passing the time by sharing the stories of Harvard aspirants who were in your shoes a year ago. Fat Envelope Frenzy, by Dartmouth alum and former admission official Joie Jager-Hyman, hits store shelves next week. It follows five talented high school seniors as they polish their applications and r</p>
<p>I laughed after clicking on the Amazon link. Apparently buyers of this book are also buying a lot of books about tarot cards. Hmm, wonder who is trying to foretell the thickness of their yet-to-be-received envelopes.</p>
<p>Maybe I'll order the tarot cards first. :)</p>
<p>That's pretty funny. You'll know it's a really good combination when you see Amazon offer to sell you "Fat Envelope Frenzy AND Tarot Cards" for one low price! Maybe a Ouija board, too. :)</p>
<p>I routinely had my husband use his pendulum to go over D's college list. Haha. She was deferred from her ED school but ultimately admitted, and the pendulum refused to ever say she'd be rejected.</p>
<p>Don't worry. Don't really believe in the pendulum. Just felt so helpless waiting that anything was helpful.</p>
<p>How does the pendulum work?? lol</p>
<p>I have an idle curiosity question--does Joie pronounce her name "Joy" or "zhwa"? In other words, is it a fancy English spelling or a normal French spelling? as in "joie de vivre Hyman"? :)</p>
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is it a fancy English spelling or a normal French spelling? as in "joie de vivre Hyman"?
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Joy of the Hyman life? or is that some sort of <<idiomatique>> que ma classe n'a pas fait?</idiomatique></p>
<p>You don't know the phrase "joie de vivre"? It means exactly what you think it means and is a common (I thought) phrase that gives a certain "je ne sais quois" to your speech. Throw in a bit of Francais every now & then, doncha know.</p>
<p>I just wondered about the name as the last name isn't French.</p>
<p>That looks awesome! I loved The Overachievers, and this looks similar.</p>
<p>why oh why oh why does everyone want to go Ivy???</p>
<p>reading The Overachievers made my head hurt. Kind of like those People magazines or Bergdorf Blondes, that after you read it your eyes hurt, your legs are cramped for sitting for so long, and you're thinking why did I just spend an hour reading that when I could have been, say, crocheting or something.
Anyway.</p>
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<p>I do agree. It makes your speech elegant :) As for Hyman... never heard of :p</p>
<p>So does everyone think it'd be worth reading? I guess it'd be interesting to read about other struggling, anxious students. :) Or maybe they're so fabulous I'll feel horrible that I don't have a perfect SAT score?</p>
<p>Nearly two years ago, when Joie (and it's pronounced "Joey"--in honor of her grandfather, Joe) told me that she was writing "Fat Envelope Frenzy," my first thought was, "Does the world really need another book about Ivy admission angst?" But when I read an advance copy this past fall, I found myself quickly engaged in the stories. Joie is a lovely, caring person, and I think this comes across in her writing. She doesn't judge the students she profiles--nor even the process they are enduring. Instead, she simply observes, and we, the readers, can decide for ourselves what we make of all of it. So, yes, I suspect that some readers will be daunted by the talented, successful high school seniors who are the focus of the book. Yet, others, like me, will walk away with equal respect for those who get the fat envelopes and those who don't, with the understanding that there are many ways to achieve, and with the renewed realization that plenty of excellent options are out there for all.</p>
<p>Alpha1: "why oh why oh why does everyone want to go Ivy???"</p>
<p>Seconded.</p>
<p>this looks neat. next time I go to the bookstore (which will surely be after it's out) I'll see if I can find it.
I'm hopeful, because like someone else in this thread, I enjoyed The Overachievers. I bought and read that the week after I got into school. all through it, half of me was saying "haha, I already got in where I wanted to go!" and half was like "ohhh, I was supposed to be stressed out like this? thank goodness no one told me."</p>
<p>The Overachievers was written by an alum from my high school!!</p>
<p>I don't understand how this is front page material. Isn't there a book about college admissions out every other week? I'm not saying anything against the book, I'm sure it's a great book.</p>
<p>The book may not be life-changing, but it IS timely. As admission decisions roll in this month and next, it's so important to keep perspective. Bad news is always disappointing, but it's not the end of the world. If you read "Fat Envelope Frenzy," you'll get an up-close look at some terrific kids who were turned away from a top-choice college. Denial letters may seem less personal when one sees all the superstars who get them, too, and it may help to buoy spirits in a misery-loves-company kind of way.</p>