Highest recommendation for Admission Matters by Springer/Franck

Parent Cafe
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<p>Let me jump to the bottom line ... If you have not read Admission Matters by Sally Springer and Marion Franck, go to the next Borders or Barnes $ Noble. No, run to the store! At a list price of below $15.00, the book is easily worth ten times that for the information value. </p>

<p>When I purchased the book, I did not expect much. I started reading the book and did not put it down until I read the last footnotes. At no time did I feel the urge to throw the book at the next window and sigh in despair. I waited a few weeks to write a review and upon my second reading could not find any meaningful error or glaring omissions. How could this be ... after all, I am Xiggi and I NEED to find a reason to be critical, don't I? So, I set the review aside. Well, I finally read it for the third time and cannot find any reason to fault the book. It is well-researched and impeccably edited. Yes, the authors misspelled Morton Schapiro -by omitting the awkward "c"- but I am wondering how many people would notice the missing "c" in a ... footnote. </p>

<p>It dawned on me WHY I liked the book so much. IF I had a fraction of the experience, the knowledge, and the talent of the authors, Admission Matters would have been the book I'd have written. The book does not have the melodrama and violins of the Gatekeepers, does not have the venom of Cruella Toor's book, and does not break novel grounds as Michele Hernandez' A is for Admissions did. What it does have is a wealth of common sense, nicely organized information, and very useful and timely ideas. </p>

<p>I have no hesitation to give my highest recommendation to this book - that is five "xigstars". In time, it may even displace my all time favorite -Bill Mayher's The College Admission Mystique. In so many words, not reading this book would be your loss! </p>

<p>The book is available at Amazon
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787979678/104-9011829-3317565?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787979678/104-9011829-3317565?v=glance&n=283155&v=glance&lt;/a>
I provide the link where you'll find additional review, including Carolyn's opinion:

[quote]
Many books about college admissions - especially those written by high priced admissions consultants - leave readers with the impression that you need to use some sort of secret (and sometimes devious) trick to get into the college of their choice. This book is different. Sally Springer and Marion Franck demystify what goes on behind the doors of college admissions offices every spring. They provide solid, down-to-earth advice about deciding where to apply and preparing an application that will make admissions officers take notice. No devious or secret tricks here: just great information and terrific ideas that will boost your chances of having a mailbox full of "fat envelopes" come April. Highly recommended.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>For more insights, I encourage everyone to check Carolyn's homepage for a full interview of Sally Springer.</p>

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<p>"I am Xiggi" LOL. Did you write a review for Amazon? Anyways, I'll take a look . . .</p>

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<p>I see Carolyn wrote a review on Amazon!</p>

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<p>"Cruella Toor": Love it!</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>Xiggi and Carolyn -- The blurb on Amazon seems to indicate that it only deals with elite admissions (the top 100 or so most competitive schools). Is there enough info about the admissions process in general - particularly at selective/more selective but not "elite" schools to justify the purchase? </p>

<p>Quote from the book's intro:
[quote]
We will define selectivity in terms of admissions rate only, and focus on colleges that admit fewer than half of those who apply. We'll further divide the group into three categories -- super selective colleges . . . highly selective . . . and very selective. . . . The students applying to selective colleges are the ones experiencing the "crisis"

[/quote]
</p>

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<p>Lderochi, this is what follows:</p>

<p>"If you'll be applying to less selective schools, keep reading as well. Most of what we hAve to share in this book will help you too." </p>

<p>The book is not about super selective schools.</p>

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<p>Thanks Xiggi -- that must have been on the next page. The Amazon "preview" function didn't go that far! LOL -- kind of an important point that they missed!</p>

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<p>I recently had the chance to interview Sally Springer.
You can find a link to the interview (second link from the top) at Sally's site: <a href="http://www.admissionmatters.com/news.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.admissionmatters.com/news.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I found Sally to be really on top of admissions, and sensitive to the needs/desires of BOTH parents and kids. She and her co-author have been through several admissions rounds as parents, and Sally is an administrator at UC Davis, so she brings that perspective as well. What's refreshing about the book is that neither Sally nor her co-author are looking to drum up business as college consultants; they're simply trying to pass along what they have learned themselves during the process of helping their own kids. That gives the book a different slant than many of the books out there written by "admissions guru's" that are, in reality, often thinly veiled self-promotional vehicles.</p>

<p>While much of what's in her book may not be news to the more experienced parents here on CC, it is an excellent, commonsense book if you're looking for an overall understanding of the process of choosing and applying to colleges. Unlike so many of the other "advice books" on the market, this book is definitely NOT geared just to elite college admissions, and Sally and her co-author avoid the "you must know these top secret tricks to get into Harvard" syndrome that haunts other books as well. I plan to make it required reading for all students/parents that I work with in the future. </p>

<p>Sally is also a very nice lady, and I think she'd fit right in here with the rest of us parents. (In fact, she mentions CC in her book).</p>

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<p><<(In fact, she mentions CC in her book)>></p>

<p>Hmm. Endorsed by Xiggi and Carolyn, AND she mentions CC? Good enough for me!</p>

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<p>By the way, I did want to mention one thing that Sally said during the interview that has truly helped me keep things in perspective as my daughter has been applying to colleges this fall:</p>

<p>"First and foremost, I think it’s important for parents to remember that the college admissions process is a critical step in their child’s transition to young adulthood. Parents should be there to support the process, but not take it over or direct it. "</p>

<p>You'd be hard-pressed to find someone like Michele Hernandez or Rachel Toor say that. :)</p>

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<p>Carolyn, one of the reasons I like Bill Mayher's book so much is his handling of the emotional issues of applying to colleges. He talks at length about the potential losses of self-esteem. In the defense of Michele Hernandez, I believe that the book she co-authored with Mimi Doe addresses similar issues. </p>

<p>I guess I had to say something in answer to seeing Michele Hernandez mentioned in the same sentence as Rachel Toor. IMHO, replacing MH with Katherine Cohen, the Father of the Bride's Franck Eggelhoffer version of College Admissions would have been right on the mark. :)</p>

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<p>Carolyn,</p>

<p>I just read the interview and liked this quote the best:
"And finally, I would tell them that success in life, no matter how you choose to define it, has virtually nothing to do with name of college they attend as an undergraduate. It has to do with their intelligence, their capacity for hard work, and their ability to form lasting and meaningful relationships with their fellow human beings. It is that simple, or that difficult, depending on how you look at it."</p>

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<p>Is this book geared more toward parents or would it be a useful book to motivate a high school junior who might need a little kick in the pants to start thinking about what he or she might want in a college?</p>

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<p>Xiggi - Thanks for the tip. I'll check this one out.</p>

<p>I'm a very big Mayher fan (just got my copy back from a friend). Not a big Michelle Hernandez fan for a couple of reasons but her "Acing the College Application" is still my #2</p>

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<p>Over30, The book is written for both kids and parents. I am not sure, however, if it would jumpstart a child who isn't ready to get going. ;)</p>

<p>Xiggi, I agree -- the Mayher book is another good one.</p>

<p>I also have another recommendation, a book called "Almost Grown, Launching your child from high school to college" by Patricia Pasick. I'm in the process of reading it right now and it is WONDERFUL. Written by a psychologist (and parent) for parents, it discusses the emotional aspects of watching our children go through the admissions process and the separation process as they go off to college. I have been finding myself saying "Yes! Yes!" while reading it. I highly recommend it, especially if you find yourself having a mixed roller coaster of emotions about your child's journey to college.</p>

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<p>Just clicked the "Purchase Now" button at Amazon. Look forward to adding it to my growing library. Of course, S will simply roll his eyes at me, but I figure that sooner or later he'll become more engaged in this -- and I'll be ready!</p>

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<p>Carolyn, don't you think we should suggest to the authors to write a sequel, </p>

<p>"Almost Grown Up, helping your parents survive the launch from high school to college" </p>

<p>For starters, the authors would find enough material on CC regular forums. To cover the 'deep end" chapters, the Parents' forum would be an extraodinary resource. The crowning jewel would, of course, be the sinners' alley, which I very occasionally read. :)</p>

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<p>Xiggi, LOL! My daughter could probably write the forward to that one.</p>

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<p>thanks xiggi.......bought the book last night (couldn't wait for Amazon) & started reading it.......its everything you & others have said it to be.</p>