Total Page : 304
Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date : 2009 09 22
>> A Good Place to Start
I checked online through several college sites to find a book that gives a concise informative review of the admissions process This is the title that kept coming up A is for Admission has the details that flesh out the generalized articles in annual editions of U S News World Report s America s Best Colleges Now the system actually makes sense to me and the book is an easy read My son just signed up for 9th grade and I wondered if I was starting too early but after reading the book I believe middle school is the best time to start The way I see it our kids tell us their goals and we give them the support they need to reach those goals This book helped me as a parent to better understand how to support my son I would love to see a book of this quality that described the admission procedures at California s top universities and colleges
>> Reality Check for Ivy League Wanna Be s
As an independent college consultant I meet many first time clients whose Dream School is among the Ivies or other elite institutions Based on experience I have a pretty good sense right off the bat whether the student has a shot at these most competitive schools Dr Hernandez s book spells out specifics that can help such a student know what it will take to get into an Ivy and can also help families gauge whether or not their aspirations for the student are at all realistic
The author s sober straightforward explanation of the AI Academic Index a formula Ivies and other elite schools use for quantifying applicants qualifications facilitates taking an objective look at one s credentials rather than running on hope adrenalin ego or parental adulation I also appreciated the author s frank discussion of tipping points such as athletics special talents legacy development or minority status
Much of Dr Hernandez s advice is applicable beyond the Ivies to many highly selective colleges Even schools who do not use a formula like the A1 use some kind of admissions criteria that incorporates similar elements test scores GPA or class rank However I think the tonality of the book may be intimidating to families whose college bound children are most likely not geared to the most competitive colleges Other gentler common sense how to books may be more appropriate and easier to swallow for the majority of families of college bound teens
>> Informative but Very OUTDATED
I ve purchased few college admission related books in preparation for my daughter Junior This book will be decently informative if you are not so updated on the latest college admission process requirement I am sure this book was a sensational hit back in 10 12 years ago
BUT this is 2009
Book cover said Updated and Revised but I can t tell when it was updated and what was updated Many details are from 1995 and the latest data is from 2000
It doesn t even cover SAT 1 s Writing part Acceptable SAT score used is way too low and an acceptance rates are too higher for 2009 2010 since data was from before 2000 There has been many new changes since 1995 2000 that this book will not help much book will give you some general idea
