<p>Hmmmm.</p>
<p>I'll have to check that out.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Sam, who worries his years of overachieving will be wasted if he doesn’t attend a name-brand college
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow that's exactly how I am. I need to read this!</p>
<p>I liked reading about the competitive pre-schools. It was interesting to say the least how obsessive parents can be.</p>
<p>This may be REALLY OFF topic, but I had to ask since it was still book-related....</p>
<p>has anybody read "mountains beyond mountains" or "lincoln's sword" the latter is my summer assignment. The first book, I was just interested in.</p>
<p>I haven't sorry.</p>
<p>:(</p>
<p>never read it but Walt Whitman High School is about a little less than 20 minutes from my house</p>
<p>ponying this, ignore post</p>
<p>I wonder if Walt Whitman is really as competitive as it's made to be. I'm positive it's way more competitive in comparison to me wchool.</p>
<p>i liked this book a lot...i definitely recommend reading it :) </p>
<p>i think that CCers can relate to a lot of the kids in the book.</p>
<p>Well i havetn read the book but i doubt its really as competitive as its portrayed. This is of course if the Walt Whitman im talking about and the one in the book are the same. BTW the one im talking about is in Huntington which is on Long Island. Walt Whitman is the public school for that town and i know a few kids who go and it seems like a normal school. I mean it is a good school but im sure the book is making it seem much more competitive than what it is. Another thing these are teenagers that their following so im sure that they probably exaggerate their situation a bit and make big deals out of most things</p>
<p>Sounds stupid. I consider myself "driven", but I had no idea I was under all this pressure, or that I had a secret life. While some of these issues do pop up, they're blown out of proportion by journalists who make a living scaring the heck out of anxious parents.</p>
<p>Every generation complains about schools, but they aren't nearly as bad as we think. The main reason the college admissions is so competitive, besides population growth, is because more people are able to go to college. This is good, not bad.</p>
<p>I thought that both The Overachievers and Fat Envelope Frenzy were really good books. One of them even mentioned that some of the people went on CC. A lot of people on here could probably relate to what the kids in these books went through and I would recommend reading it.</p>
<p>To the OP, I have to agree that some of the claims were a bit over the top, but a lot of them are quite accurate. I enjoyed the story of the kids a lot though, so it was worth reading for me.</p>
<p>I started reading The overachievers today, and I feel bad for these kids. They are too obessesed with getting into the topic colleges, it's ridiculous.</p>
<p>that's basically my life...in book form.</p>
<p>Has anyone else read "Acceptance"? Sounds similar to the books you're discussing here. It was a good read, and I should probably re-read it now that I'm actually going through that process.</p>
<p>From Amazon: This book follows a handful of high school students throughout the year leading up to their graduation. It is a harrowing and hilarious story told from the points of view of the teens and their families as they navigate the maze leading to the holy grail of acceptance by a major university. Coll celebrates and skewers the people and the politics waged on both sides of the application process as the students pick their dream colleges and these institutions either pick them back or toss them onto the scrap heap of second- and third-tier safety schools. The characters evolve through their trials and learn about themselves and one another and accept the loss of one dream while embracing another. They include Harry, a scarily normal overachiever; Maya, the talented but seemingly least gifted of a wealthy Indian family; and Taylor, a girl teetering on the verge of self-abuse or self-discovery. These are teens who come from fairly affluent families and schools. They are treated with respect and love by the author, and readers will return the favor. YAs interested in the college selection process will find this book illuminating as they see in it their own fears acted out and resolved. It reads a bit like a Stephen King novel minus the horrific ending.</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm in love with Barns and Noble.
And Borders."</p>
<p>Tubachick- Me too! Whoever came up with the combination of books and coffee was a genius. </p>
<p>On topic: No, but it sounds like the type of book I'd read.</p>
<p>Butternut- I don't even drink coffee and I love the combination. :)</p>
<p>On Topic: I think now I'm going to have to re-read Overachivers, and then read Envelope Frenzy and Admissions. The latter two sound good.</p>
<p>It sounds interesting. I will look it up next time I go to Borders.</p>
<p>This book was written by Alexandra Robbins. Didn't she write that book on sororities? She went to MY college, infiltrated our sororities, and gave them a bad name! Now, I remember why I didn't read that overachiever book.</p>
<p>I really liked this book too. Some of the things did seem a little dramatic, but I really liked how the author included statistics. I thought she worked them into the storyline well. Then it made me freak out a bit because I didn't overreact as much as they did in some situations, which made me think that I wasn't on the same level. Anyway, I still liked it. </p>
<p>Quitejaded, is that book on the sororities any good?</p>