Great Books/Sources to Jump-start the Search

Parents Forum
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<p>Hi folks - newbie parent of a HS junior here. My son is hard at work with his first semester classes, and he hasn't really begun to engage in the college search. However, it won't be long before the holiday break is upon us, and hopefully we can use the down time to kick off the process. Time to build some enthusiasm with some fun family conversations!</p>

<p>We're a family of readers, and a few great books might go a long way towards showing him what's out there, and how to approach the process. Needless to say, my wife and I could use some solid reference material as well.</p>

<p>What books/sources were most helpful for your families? Practical, whimsical, whatever - the more interesting, the better.</p>

2

<p>Well, you are already in the right place—College Confidential.</p>

3

<p>Fiske Guide to Colleges is indispensible.</p>

4

<p>Gatekeepers - if you like the horror genre.</p>

5

<p>Look for one of the books by Loren Pope. He asks lots of great questions about what you are looking for in college. Many people are hung up on prestige or the name brands. He is a strong supporter of the small liberal arts college for an excellent education.</p>

<p>Colleges that Change Lives recommends 40 specific colleges and why he thinks they are extraordinary. Looking Beyond the Ivy League is more general and discusses many different colleges.</p>

6

<p>CollegeQuest: The Right Place Guide to Colleges & Universities </p>

<p>Here’s the editorial review from Amazon:

</p>

7

<p>Hi MisterK! We’re readers too. I had a selection in my house: </p>

<p>1) Loren Pope’s Colleges that Change Lives & Looking Beyond the Ivy League: to help you and your kids think about what you’re looking for in a college. Your child may still end up at an Ivy or a research university, but his books make you think about your options</p>

<p>2) One of the smaller, yearly magazine type publications: US News & World Report Best Colleges; Kaplan/Newsweek Finding the Right College for You. Just to get an idea of the current landscape & trends</p>

<p>3) One of the “big” college books with info about the majority of colleges: US News & World Report Ultimate College Guide; The Insiders Guide to the Colleges. That way when you have a list of a gazillion schools, you have a handy place to look up important info without navigating through multiple websites. </p>

<p>Best of luck!</p>

8

<p>Princeton Review’s Best 373 Colleges is my favorite! I prefer it to Fiske. If you ONLY buy 1 book, then it MUST be the Princton Review Best or the Fiske Guide to Colleges. These 2 provide info on a large number of schools in an easy to reference format.</p>

<p>I also agree – Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) by Loren Pope is great because it provides a prospective and helps get some out of the box thinking.</p>

<p>Gatekeepers was very interesting to me in regards to the process, but not very helpful as a search or very motivational for a junior to read.</p>

<p>And, if you don’t already have, I’d add some testing books. This forum has convinced me ALL juniors should take the ACT and the SAT as well as SAT subject tests. I’ve read of many kids who don’t decide until senior year where to apply and then may be scrambling to take SAT II or rise the score a bit to make merit cutoffs. Too much testing crammed into autumn of senior year.</p>

9

<p>I agree with Longhaul above. Start developing a list (it will change over time but don’t worry) and use weekends to visit colleges by car. Once the semester ends, the colleges usually don’t have tours. Start with nearby colleges that can be reached in a few hours drive and try to visit more than one per road trip. Be sure to check the college tour schedule on the college website. Don’t visit during the summer when school is typically not in session. remember, its ok not to visit every school on the list, especially reach schools and schools very far away. Should he get into his reach, you can always visit on accepted students weekend. I had a great vicarious experience visiting college with my son.</p>

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<p>Also, when you are checking out various review books like Princeton, please remember that the stats are at least a year old, sometimes two years old. As a general rule, at top schools, the GPA and SAT scores needed to be admitted seems to climb every year. So, take that into account and be realistic about your reach, and easy schools.</p>

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<p>I prefer Fiske to Princeton Review, but both are good solid references. It may not be neccessary to buy them however, you could just read them in store or see if they’re available at your library. Or look for used copies of last year’s editions, they come out with a new one every year, and frankly, most colleges aren’t going to be so different from 2010 to 2011. </p>

<p>Fiske and PR are both mostly useful though only if you have some idea of what you’re looking for already in terms of large v. small, rural v. urban, etc. Especially if it’s geographic, because that is how Fiske at least is categorized, by state. But they give a broad overview and allow you to make notes about what you like and don’t.</p>

12

<p>Lasma and Glido hit my top two choices right away: Fiske and Gatekeepers. Fiske gives you the real scoop on lots of colleges in a very useful (and entertaining) format. Gatekeepers gives you insight into what is going on in the admissions office.</p>

<p>And honestly, there is no better resource beyond that than here… College Confidential. If you can imaging a question, it has been asked out here!</p>

13

<p>“Gatekeepers was very interesting to me in regards to the process, but not very helpful as a search or very motivational for a junior to read.” - BINGO!</p>

<p>“And, if you don’t already have, I’d add some testing books. This forum has convinced me ALL juniors should take the ACT and the SAT as well as SAT subject tests. I’ve read of many kids who don’t decide until senior year where to apply and then may be scrambling to take SAT II or rise the score a bit to make merit cutoffs. TOO MUCH TESTING CRAMMED INTO AUTUMN OF SENIOR YEAR.” – great advice.</p>

<p>MrK: Listen to LONGHAUL!</p>

14

<p>

I think reading one book like this though helps students understand what holistic admissions really means. So often on these boards they think it’s all about scores and grades. That’s what gets you in the door, but that’s not how the final decisions are made - at least not at the top colleges. So I’d recommend reading this or some of the similar articles on the web that take you behind the scene at the admissions office.</p>

<p>Harry Bauld’s *On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice * really helped my younger son.</p>

15

<p>I also like “The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges” by the Yale Daily News. It only covers about 200 colleges, but those are covered well and include comments and analysis by students attending those colleges. Of the schools that I know something about, the comments seemed to be right on the money.</p>

16

<p>Here is our list of information sources (books and websites) that we’ve gathered over the past three years. Some have already been mentioned…</p>

<p>**The Basics:
**
The two reference books to have are these (they are encyclopedic, but whenever you think or hear of a college, you can look them up in these books): </p>

<p>Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011
Edward Fiske (Author)
[Amazon.com:</a> Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011, 27E (9781402209611): Edward Fiske: Books: Reviews, Prices & more](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Fiske-Guide-Colleges-2011-27E/dp/1402209614/ref=pd_sim_b_4]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Fiske-Guide-Colleges-2011-27E/dp/1402209614/ref=pd_sim_b_4)</p>

<p>**The Princeton Review
The Best 371 Colleges, 2010 Edition (College Admissions Guides)
**Princeton Review (Author)
[Amazon.com:</a> The Best 371 Colleges, 2010 Edition (College Admissions Guides) (9780375429385): Princeton Review: Gateway](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Best-Colleges-College-Admissions-Guides/dp/0375429387/ref=sr_1_5?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867953&sr=8-5]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Best-Colleges-College-Admissions-Guides/dp/0375429387/ref=sr_1_5?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867953&sr=8-5)
What’s great about this book is that it has lists upfront like: Top Party Schools or Best Dorms and Top Smokers Colleges. Fun reading.</p>

<p>**Students’ Guide to Colleges: The Definitive Guide to America’s Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts–the Students Who Attend Them
**Jordan Goldman (Author)
[Amazon.com:</a> Students’ Guide to Colleges: The Definitive Guide to America’s Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts–the Students Who Attend Them (9780143035589): Jordan Goldman, Colleen Buyers: Gateway](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Students-Guide-Colleges-Definitive-Experts--/dp/0143035584/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867546&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Students-Guide-Colleges-Definitive-Experts--/dp/0143035584/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867546&sr=8-1)
This one is starting to get a little out-dated, but still, it is fun to read for a student’s perspective of colleges.</p>

<p>**Choosing the Right College 2010-11: The Whole Truth about America’s Top Schools
**John Zmirak (Editor)
[Amazon.com:</a> Choosing the Right College 2010-11: The Whole Truth about America’s Top Schools (9781935191605): John Zmirak: Gateway: Reviews, Prices & more](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Right-College-2010-11-Americas/dp/1935191608/ref=sr_1_2?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284860664&sr=8-2]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Right-College-2010-11-Americas/dp/1935191608/ref=sr_1_2?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284860664&sr=8-2)
The guy is one of the more conservative reviewers colleges. He also gives a suggested core selection of courses for accepted students. So, for instance, while he thinks Vassar is filled with arty hipsters, he still suggests what courses make for a solid education there. </p>

<p>**Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges
**Loren Popehttp://<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143037366/ref=pd_sim_b_3”>www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143037366/ref=pd_sim_b_3</a><br>
[Amazon.com:</a> Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges (9780143037361): Loren Pope: Books: Reviews, Prices & more](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143037366/ref=pd_sim_b_3]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143037366/ref=pd_sim_b_3)
This is a FANTASTIC book to find out-of-the-box ideas for schools. </p>

<p>**US News and World Report College/University Rankings
**[Best</a> Colleges - Education - US News](<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges]Best”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges)
A convenient and very simple online reference tool to look up colleges and universities (two very different lists!) and their basic information. If you join, they let you compare colleges in convenient little spreadsheets by cost, academics, selectivity, greek life, etc.</p>

<p>**The Essay:
**
There are LOTS of essay books, but we liked this one the best:</p>

<p>**On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice
**[Amazon.com:</a> On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance and the College of your Choice (9780064637220): Harry Bauld: Books: Reviews, Prices & more](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Writing-College-Application-Essay-Acceptance/dp/0064637220/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284866819&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Writing-College-Application-Essay-Acceptance/dp/0064637220/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284866819&sr=1-1)</p>

<p>**Let Me Introduce Myself First lines from the application essays of Stanford’s newest class.
**[STANFORD</a> Magazine: September/October 2008 > Features > Admissions Essays Opening Lines](<a href=“Page Not Found”>Page Not Found)
This website also had some clever introductory sentences that help kids get out of their “I love chemistry and my grandma, and here’s why” box.</p>

<p>**The Application:
**
**Acing the College Application: How to Maximize Your Chances for Admission to the College of Your Choice
**Michele Hernandez (Author)
[Amazon.com:</a> Acing the College Application: How to Maximize Your Chances for Admission to the College of Your Choice (9780345498922): Michele Hernandez: Gateway](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Acing-College-Application-Maximize-Admission/dp/0345498925/ref=sr_1_2?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867187&sr=8-2]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Acing-College-Application-Maximize-Admission/dp/0345498925/ref=sr_1_2?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867187&sr=8-2)
Great overall look at what college admissions officers look for in an application. This is how we learned about the dreaded Academic Index Calculator (see below).</p>

<p>**A Is for Admission: The Insider’s Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges
**[url=&lt;a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Admission-Insiders-Getting-League-Colleges/dp/0446540676/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867187&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Admission-Insiders-Getting-League-Colleges/dp/0446540676/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284867187&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:</a> A Is for Admission: The Insider’s Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges (9780446540674): Michele A. Hern</p>

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<p>Here’s ome more helpful essay book.<br>
[Amazon.com:</a> Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays (9780974386706): Robert N Cronk: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Concise-Advice-Jump-Starting-College-Admissions/dp/0974386707/]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Concise-Advice-Jump-Starting-College-Admissions/dp/0974386707/)</p>

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<p>My favorites were/are the Lauren Pope books (I liked because I went to a CTCL school), the Bauld essay writing book (kids liked), Insider’s Guide by Yale News (kids liked) and Harvard Schmarvard by Jay Matthews.</p>

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<p>For anyone even remotely considering the Ivy’s, we really enjoyed “The Price of Admission” by Daniel Golden. He is a pulitzer prize winning author, who wrote some interesting things about what it REALLY takes to get into an Ivy school.</p>

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<p>Hey, thanks to all for the great replies. It looks like a few suggestions are very popular. Maybe I can get out to a bookstore this weekend and browse with a goal!</p>

<p>On the test-taking suggestions: My son will definitely take the SAT this spring, but what’s the SAT II? Is that another name for the SAT subject tests? He’ll be taking some of those this year, along with any APs that he likes. We hadn’t planned on taking the ACT. Are there schools that require it? Son is interested in Math/Comp Sci, if that matters.</p>