Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know about Getting Into College

"Admission Matters" attracted me for a number of reasons--the background, experience and knowledge of the authors is compelling, but moreover I chose this book because as the parent of three with two already in college and the third an applicant now, I was hopeful that I would find new details and advice regarding the competitive hurdles that my youngest will be facing. My hopes were more than fulfilled! This book is an engaging and informative resource that blends just the right amount of humor, candor, anectodal details, encouragement and reality for parents and their college bound kids. It is also organized to facilitate quick reads of sections and question areas of greatest interest. This is a refreshing and valuable guide in the high-anxiety sea of college planning.

I'm a huge procrastinator, even when it comes to really important stuff (like applying for college!). Admission Matters had great charts and timelines that have helped me get on track quickly. Although this book isn't exactly pleasure reading material, the quotes and stories made it fun-for a book about college admissions. Overall, the book has been really helpful and informative. Highly recommended!

For three years, my daughter and I read U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking of colleges with growing anxiety, a feeling that she had to apply to "the best" ones. Thank heavens for Admission Matters with its message that my daughter should apply, not to the "best" colleges but to the right colleges, ones which will allow her to blossom. Admission Matters is really three books. The first contains a wealth of information on how to choose "good fit" colleges. The second offers a behind the scenes understanding of what happens in the admissions office, and the third provides a no-gimmick approach to preparing a strong application. The authors were able to write a book that was valuable to my daughter and to me. They could not have done that without a deep understanding of the anxiety applying to college creates within the family. Well done!

Many books about college admissions - especially those written by high priced admissions consultants - leave readers with the impression that you need to use some sort of secret (and sometimes devious) trick to get into the college of their choice. This book is different. Sally Springer and Marion Franck demystify what goes on behind the doors of college admissions offices every spring. They provide solid, down-to-earth advice about deciding where to apply and preparing an application that will make admissions officers take notice. No devious or secret tricks here: just great information and terrific ideas that will boost your chances of having a mailbox full of "fat envelopes" come April. Highly recommended.

Finally, a how-to-apply-to-college book that won't make you, or your kids, break out in a cold sweat. There are no cute tricks here, no half-baked theories, and most thankfully, no anxiety-producing rankings. Just everything you need to know about finding the right college, and getting accepted there--while keeping your sanity. As a mom of two, I've read many, many college admissions books, but none cover the process from beginning to end as thoroughly as Admission Matters. The chapters on fit (yes, it is possible to be unhappy at Stanford!) and applying early are worth the cost of the book alone. The section on athletics as a "hook" was eye-opening. Sure, you'll still need Fiske's Guide or one of the other huge tomes that provide the lists and score ranges--but this is the book you'll want to refer to when you finally sit down with your kids to narrow down the choices and get the applications rolling. It's a winner!