Andrew Belasco

First of all, I do not believe this book is written so much for the college applicant as it is written for the *parents* of college applicants. Yes, it will be helpful to both, but it seems directed more to the parents.

It begins by discussing the thinking that should be behind choosing a college. Back when I was in school there was a lot of emphasis on prestigious schools, and it only got worse through the 90s. Nowadays with the super high debt loads many are incurring, opinions seem to be turning in the opposite direction. The authors take a more realistic middle approach - acknowledging that prestigious school certainly have benefits, but pointing out that those benefits might be outweighed by other factors. Overall, I found it to be a very logical and though-provoking discussion, and certainly worth considering as you help your college-bound child in the process.

Other helpful advice concerns the kind of achievements and traits schools will look for in applicants and how to approach standardized tests and application essays. Again, it all seems to be very good advice. It's written in an easy and understandable voice that at times almost felt a little too informal (to me, at least). I was surprised by a somewhat lengthy discussion of how to deal with the stupid things a kid might have done (and been disciplined for) and the examples used were from sitcoms from the 90s - fictional characters, in other words, who did some really dumb things and still got into great schools. Yes, I guess it made the point, but it still seemed an odd choice to use fictional people and situations to illustrate it. Still, probably a very good and easy to read book for those worried parents. (I rec'd an advance copy through the GoodReads FirstReads program.)… (more)