Also, what makes your favorite book your favorite book? I’m sure this question has been asked a zillion times on this board, but I didn’t read those other threads.
<p>Getting In, by James Finney Boylan, is the best book I've ever read on college admissions. It's fiction, but so much of it seems real (after having gone through this process with one child now), that I suspect much of it is taken from 'real life.' But it's hilarious. I recommend it for anyone driving up and down the country to see colleges, and especially for anyone that takes all this way too seriously. Cleverly written, great dialogue and characters, and just so funny. On the more serious side...I also read the one by the former Duke admissions person (though I can't think of the title now). I thought that was somewhat informative, though it seemed the author had an ax to grind. (Rachel Toor is the author, I think. Admissions Confidential). But I think you have to take a lot of what she says with a grain of salt. Also, she wrote this some years ago, so not sure how current the info is.</p>
<p>For practical advice on how to get in, "The Truth about Getting In" by Katherine Cohen is pretty good. A great inside story was "The Gatekeeper" forget who wrote it. Author was/is a reporter who followed the life of a admissions rep at a highly selective LAC in the NE. Good inside the ropes type of read.</p>
<p>It's real hard for me to pick just one book, but I continue to like, "The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College"; it gives a great snapshot of about 125 schools and then has excellent chapters on most of the important areas of each application.</p>
<p>As far as a narrative type of book, I continue to reread "Admissions Confidential, the Gatekeepers, and "Getting In" by Bill Paul. I love Toor's candor, but don't respect her lack of loyalty to a school that gave her an awesome opportunity. Even that "A is for Admissions" is also quite informative, I find Hernandez elitism to be a turn off.</p>
<p>Any other thoughts on the books out there?</p>
<p>I forget to mention, Marty Nemko's, "Your Gonna Love this college guide" students have told me that of all the books out there, this one is really written to students, the way they think and talk.</p>
<p>Cohen's book has a lot of good info, but I don't agree with her suggestion of using the bragsheet in resume style; that has outside consultant written all over it and schools don't tend to like outside college consultants. Schools will discount the essays and other portions of the application when they smell outside consultant and they have a pretty good sense of when an outside consultant has been used. Outside consultants also get an applicant sterotyped as, "priviledged" which can lead to higher expectations for them.</p>
<p>Cohen does have a good section about, how to identify which subject your essay should be on, as well as other helpful areas; it's worth reading. It's hard for me to not be a little biased against Hernandez and Cohen because of the ubiquitious disdain toward them in the college counseling profession for their $30,000 they charge their clients for their most comprehensive services. Is it jealousy? Perhaps, but educators don't think like investment bankers: they feel that these charges are exploitive in ways that are insulting to the high calling of their profession.</p>