Campus Confidential: The Complete Guide to the College Experience by Students for Students

This is a great book for parents who need to "talk" to their teens about what is required from the college application process. Although our teen is a sophomore, the book highlighted what was important for him to think about going forward (teacher recommendations, forging a relationship with his guidance counselor, SAT's, THE essay, extracurricular activities, etc.). It is no longer "our word v. his word." The book sets out a clear path and a concise checklist so that the family can achieve the teen's college goal together. Even though the book is written for the teen, the parent truly benefits!!

Campus Confidential is a "must have" for college-bound students and their parents. This book is an informative workbook that guides a student through the college experience from choosing a school to making the most of this experience. It addresses academics, social life, and personal interests. Rob Miller, along with several other college graduates, share advice and lessons learned while they were in school. The voice throughout is perfect for high school students beginning this period of their lives. The author does not preach; instead he provides information to help students and parents make their own decisions. There are questionnaires and checklists to narrow choices, encourage conversations between parent and student, and guide the student. It is more than just how to select and prepare for a career. College is quite an investment, both financially and personally, and it's nice to find a good book that helps with all the decisions and choices that need to be made.

I received Campus Confidential from a friend of mine that has kids; he wanted to get my opinion of it since I am a writer and just finished grad school (and am not so far removed from undergrad life). I have to say that this is a (if not "the") definitive book on everything college. It hits so many points that I wished I had known when I was going through this process, especially the sections concerning freshman life. So many of us make mistakes when we first get to school that, looking back, seem so silly. If the person reading the book heeds the advice, it will likely set them up for collegiate success. I gave the book five stars because I would certainly recommend this book to anyone attending or preparing college as well as their parents/guardians. However, I have five quibbles with the book that, if addressed in future editions, would truly make the book great. 1. The book appears geared toward the Ivy League crowd. Only one mentor appears to go to a school that could be considered "elite." While this book is certainly meant for high-flyers, I think that it is even more important for the 3.0 students going to State U. or maybe a school that isn't quite as stellar as an Ivy. It comes off a tad pretentious, though the advice the mentors give is solid. 2. I think that sidebars would have been a good idea for the book. Certain chapters like "Coming Out on Campus," while important, do not really affect the majority of readers. However, as a sidebar, Rob Miller could have made those important points and still have space for other information. In addition, I think some of the opinions of the mentors could have been flushed out more, and sidebars could have done that. 3. There are sections in the book that require a great deal of planning, which I feel is good. However, it requires intricate charts that are rarely provided in the book. For example, there is a chapter called "Using the Relevant Calculus to Choose Your School." This requires numerous charts that I can see being confusing. Miller should provide a Web site or CD-ROM where the reader can download versions of these charts. I think it would increase participation from readers. 4. I saw little in the book about internships, which I found to be very important in my college days. I think a chapter on how to find and develop a meaningful internship would have been a benefit to the readers, especially as they apply for graduate school or get a post-college job. 5. This one is a tiny quibble, but when I was in school, I thought about becoming an RA. I found nothing about this option in the freshman/sophomore section of the book. Many of the most active people on my campus were RAs, and it seemed to develop a sense of responsibility. Despite those points, I thought the book was an excellent read that flowed well and should be a given to every high school sophomore by their guidance counselors.

The best thing about the book Campus Confidental is that it pulls no punches. The book does not just describe the practical side of deciding the if,where and how questions related to going to college (although much of its space is devoted to this). It also discusses how to take advantage of the college years once there and even gets into the "what next" questions (which includes the possibility of becoming self-supporting!). In addition, it addresses the personal and psychological issues that arise along the way. Although it is quite specific on the "how-tos" that give students so much angst, it is also,in many ways, a comforting book, because it is a book by students for students and doesn't have a parental or guidance counselor overtone. This is a great book for students of the eleventh and twelfth grades+ to have. It is also a great book for parents of these students to read, because it provides some very helpful insights. These are insights not only into the college admissions process, but into what might be going on in their son's or daughter's head.