Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean: An Expert's Advice for Getting Into College

After reading about a dozen books on college admissions, I can say without hesitation that this one is the best. It is easy to read and offers great advice. I wish it was a little shorter because I don't know how I am going to convince my HS junior son to read it.

I read about a dozen of these books and most I can't even remember. The ones that were the most helpful were A is for Admission, Acing the College Application, the Gatekeepers and a couple from Princeton Review. The one I found most helpful was this one. It gave specific suggestions and information that were not in any of the others. I tried reading the College Mystique and Getting in Without Freaking Out but were bored by them.

The competition for admission to the elite universities becomes more fierce with each passing year. An industry has grown around helping students get an edge in gaining admission to the college of their (and their parents') dreams. Is it all worth it? Doe all the test preparation, essay practice, extracurricular activity for show, scholarship search for dough, even work? Joyce Slayton Mitchell knows about this process because she has been on the admitting end of this process. She knows what admissions folks look for, what the students do to stand apart, and what it actually takes to get into college. While the whole book is quite worthwhile, the 15 page introduction is worth the price of the whole book. It is really a letter to the student setting out the framework and timetable of how the four years of high school need to be informed by the college selection and admissions process. However, the best three pages are those with what she calls the "Seven Basic Assumptions". They are: "1) You are in charge. 2) Make a friend of your advocates (your HS guidance counselor, the admissions dean from your target college that visits your school, anyone writing you a letter of recommendations, etc.). 3) Choose eight first choices (you really set yourself up for disappointment by putting all your eggs in one highly competitive basket). 4) SATs and ACTs don't get you \in (no matter what the test score improvement center warns you). 5) The college market is a tight market. 6) Personalize the process. 7) Be authentically and specifically you. The rest of the book consists of fourteen chapters and three appendices. The chapters are grouped in three parts. Part I (chapters 1-7) Developing Your College List. Part II (chapters 8-13) Applying to College. Part III (chapter 14) A Word to the Wise Parents (basically to relax, let your kid grow up by doing this pretty much on their won with your support, and don't get all fired up about consultants and test score improvement). The appendices are A) a glossary of college-admissions-speak, B) Books and websites you can use to get better informed, and C) a list of Top 101 American Colleges. There is also a useful index. Considering how much you will spend chasing a few more points on your test scores and the anxiety of wondering about the process induces, this book is terrific and well worth the few dollars it will cost you. Get it, read it, relax, and work the process. Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

After carefully devouring this book in a few hours, I feel so much more focused in my admissions process. Mitchell lays out a step-by-step plan for high-school Juniors and Seniors, especially those interested in attending top tier schools. Between debunking SAT myths, offering organizational tips, and emphasizing the process-oriented viewpoint, this book serves as a fantastic resource for parents, students, and counselors. Mitchell prepares students and parents for all aspects of the college admissions process from researching, to selecting, to applying (early, regular, late, or rolling!), to waiting, and the end-all result of being happy with any other your choices along with everything in-between. Divided up into informative, yet still interesting chapters, Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean is a thought-provoking book that will make anyone's process a little more enjoyable and much more rewarding. Along with the Fiske Guide, The Insider's Guide to Colleges, and Colleges That Change Lives, this book is a MUST-READ for any college-bound high-schooler!

Having read many college admissions tips with admonitions of how I wasn't going to get into college because I didn't do this and I didn't do that... this book was a step in the right direction. "Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean" recommends choosing eight first choice schools. What you know best, you like best, says Joyce Slayton Mitchell. If you aren't obsessed with one school, are looking equally at all eight, then when you get into three or four of them you'll be guaranteed to have a school you enjoy. I liked the strategies in this book, such as the SAT: no SAT score will get you into a college. It may keep you out, but not likely. For any parent of a teenager or junior needing advice on how to pick the perfect school, "Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean" is the way to go.