What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You to Know): 272 Secrets for Getting Your Kid into the Top Schools

I know this book is written for the parents, but, as a student, I found this book to be EXTREMELY helpful. I'll tell you the difference right off the bat: as a high school senior, I applied to renowned universities like Johns Hopkins, Tufts, and Boston College, and was not admitted to any of them. I was forced to go to the one public school I applied to and was very bitter about it. The first year at my public college, I tried to transfer to Johns Hopkins, hoping that my previous wait-listed status meant I would make a terrific transfer student. I was rejected once again... Then I bought this book the following year, and I was able to get into every college I applied to after that, including Cornell. I went from being turned down by second-tier schools to getting accepted into the Ivy League.. all from taking advice from this book. Other reviewers complain about the cut-throat and perhaps manipulative approach this book wants parents to take, but I didn't read this book as a parent. The tips I focused on instead were the ones about the application process itself. I do believe that parents should encourage their kids to take part in extracurriculars in which the child both enjoys and stand outs, but someone that deserves to go a good school should be able to handle their own homework deadlines and applications. The book instead should be taken as guidance for things like writing a non-blasé application essay, getting good recommendations, what to do on college interviews, and how to show an admissions committee that a student's qualities and passions are essential for their university.

This book was released as my daughter was entering 12th grade...I wish Eliabeth Wissner-Gross had written it sooner! In "secret" #14, she discusses some academic competitions and programs which are highly regarded by colleges and are less well-known than Intel and Westinghouse. We had never heard about them, even though we're in a highly academic school district and this is my second child to pass through it! Her unique perspective on how to approach and prepare for standardized testing is detailed, extremely informative and may actually improve your relationship with your college-bound kid! Every section of this book provided valuable information that made us feel like we had a personal college advisor!

The most insightful, thorough resource available on college admissions! In an extremely competitive college admissions market, the author helps you to gain realistic perspective on your (or your child's) application credentials. She then gives you the tools to craft an honest, effective application which presents those credentials in the most positive light! Wissner-Gross provides keen insight on interviewing, teacher recommendations, essay writing and so much more!

Many of the reviewers that downplay the quality of this book miss the point. It is not about getting your kids into the Ivies at all costs. If your child is an intellectual who would thrive in an environment with other similarly intellectual kids, you have to go above and beyond great grades and SAT's to make yourself known. Parents push kids into numerous time wasting extracurricular activities which is far worse than encouraging them to do the one thing which they have a passion for. I read parts of this book multiple times-truly excellent recommendations.

Another reviewer here has clearly misread the book by suggesting that the author's advice will hurt parent-child relationships. Quite to the contrary! The author encourages "team effort" so that parents and their children work together through the thorny and often difficult world of high school projects, competitions and college applications. Over the years, I have read many "insider" guidebooks about gaining admission to the nation's most competitive colleges and universities. I have even used some of their techniques. NONE were as helpful or insightful as "What Colleges Don't Tell You." Whether you or your child are just setting out to plan for college or have entered the admissions game late, there is substantive counsel here that will specifically address your needs. In her lucid text, the author demystifies the college admission process and offers the reader the wealth of her experience as a sought-after educational strategist, the kind that only the privileged few are able to afford. She has distilled for the reader decades of hard-acquired skill into bite-sized secrets that will help you to package your child for college admission. Unlike other well-known books on the subject, the author's advice is brilliantly practical, very compelling and not one bit risky. What especially distinguishes this book from others is the sense of empowerment that the reader gains after browsing even a few pages. Written with the parent in mind, the book hands to mothers and fathers all the tools of the tony strategist without the high price tag. This is a book that is not to be missed. It should be required reading of all parents, the sooner the better!