Total Page : 160
Publisher : Sourcebooks Inc
Publication Date : 2008 08 01
>> Excellent Resource Great Advice and Entertaining
The book cover is colorful and has illustrations inside and it is not very imposing in terms of size thus making it more likely that high school students will read it From the start the author gives proof that he is not a super student as his GPA is below average and his SAT is little above average rounding out to an approximate average student he also mentions later that he got accepted to Northwestern and the University of Chicago This is the exact type of student that would be most likely to read this book
The first section Understanding Admission is short funny and interesting In fact it quickly lays out how the admissions process works in terms of how do you decide if you have a good chance of getting into a University Another interesting point that he makes clear is that colleges are looking to create a diverse body of students not only those who can perform academically He then points out that students should make decisions not only based on the rating of a university but based on the university s fit for them Unfortunately he does not go into depth to delineate the different types of Universities and what may best fit different types of students
The second section Understanding the gatekeeper is not interesting or as humorous as the previous section as it seems disengaged from the Mike Moyers life and story in which the previous section was connected But this section does shed much light on how others can help students gain admittance into college He also gives an insiders view of the price and cost of each scholarship that colleges extend to students I feel that the most important part of this section is the realization of the role of the dean of admissions and how important that position is in striking an equilibrium between the various possible groups of students he could have on campus Other interesting points were the fact that parents should ensure they are not nagging the dean of admissions and that students should take advantage of the high school counselors but not fully depend on them
The Third section The best section that is available the core of the book lies in this chapter A teenager that read only the third section would have an excellent chance of succeeding in getting into the college of his or her choice He explains the difference between teenager and non teenager activities and distinguished this difference by using a story He also makes recommendations as the sort of activities that would qualify as NTA s to give students an example of activities that they should start to engage in
The Fourth and the Fifth section The fourth section is the most original section in the book and is indeed a smart way of increasing one odds of getting into a college This strategy works by applying outside of your zone or geographic areas thus making you more unique since less students similar to you would be found in that area This is a way of competing without having to break a sweat but he does not give the very important warning that although it may be a successful strategy it can have important ramifications For example a student may find him/herself so out of his/her zone that you may not know how to cope in such an environment where there is a drastic weather changes or an entirely different culture
The fifth section focuses on finding the nerve of the institution that you are applying for This is an interesting concept as he encourages the student to do more research to find at the core what the institution is about and focuses on hitting that point It s not a new concept but he provides great questions to help students to dig deep to find out the heart of the institution that they are trying to get in
Sections 6 7 8 Make interesting points that some students would not think about on their own such as coaching their reference how to respond when they are called upon Although this is a good suggestion many high school teens will not take this advice very seriously His stuffing the ballot box idea is also very interesting and helps to distinguish the students from others since impartial parties are calling on that students behalf He counsel that students should never give up is well taken as he points out that students have nothing to lose in breaking the rules re applying again if have already been rejected He further instructs students to analyze their grade patterns and have an adequate story to explain any negative fluctuations
Section 9 and MY Conclusion Chapter 9 wraps things up and summarizes that good students can get rejected and getting accepted does not mean that you have to attend Although these chapters add interesting dimensions to this book I feel that it was too late in the book to adequately develop the themes since the book is about getting into college not necessarily how to choose the best college out of many I feel that a good conclusion to the book was missing as there was no summation of the main points discussed But overall I feel that the book is great 8/10 and would recommend it to any student interested in making colleges want them
>> Whether you are a freshman or a senior in high school this book is an eye opener for you
Whether you are a freshman or a senior in high school this book is an eye opener for you Mike Moyer tells you the way to dramatically increase your chances of getting into the college of your choice In How to Make Colleges Want You he provides fresh approaches to getting your college application out of the maybe or no stacks to the yes we want you stack The book also contains references to Mike s website http //www collegepeas com where additional information and additions to the chapters are contained
Mike tells you what he did to get accepted to the college of his choice by describing his unusual activity of raising homing pigeons while in high school He took a homing pigeon to his first interview with the admissions counselor and sent a message to himself from the counselor This NTA non teenage activity got him recognized as special
Getting into a competitive college requires a lot more than grades or regular school activities it is a question of planning Moyer makes suggestions to accomplish the goal of getting into a prestigious college with his inside secrets A few are attending a community college for a year or two to obtain better grades transfer in to fill one of the vacancies left by someone who has moved on and start in mid year instead of competing with the freshman entry class
Consider there are 43 000 high schools and an equal number of valedictorians who apply to highly competitive colleges Their applications are your competition for admission to these colleges and even with good grades you still are not in their strata The techniques in this book are designed to raise your chances for admission by 10 to 20 per cent When you apply Mike s ideas during your high school years the odds are even better
Mike Moyer is unique as he not only provides this fairly inexpensive blue print for success he lectures at high schools giving students a great heads up on obtaining admission to choice schools He has a highly informative lecture on CD
Clark Isaacs
Reviewer
>> Its not too late
I m gald I read this book My daughter is in junior college hoping to move on to a 4 year university I gave her the book and we are on a plan to increase her chances thanks to Mike s tactics
I just wish I read this before my son s went on to college
Thanks Mike for a can do approach to college admissions
