People’s Book of the Week “Perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep.” —Booklist ​Top 6 Books You Need to Read —BuzzFeed ​Best Books to Give Every Book Lover on Your List —Town & Country In this witty, hilarious, and entertaining novel that’s “The Devil Wears Prada meets Primates of Park Avenue” (The New York Times), a young woman is unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions, from award-winning author Amy Poeppel. Despite her innate ambition and summa cum laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being unceremoniously dumped by her handsome “almost fiancé,” she abandons her plans and instead spends her days lolling on the couch, watching reruns of Sex and the City. Her friends don’t know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback, while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews. Miraculously, Kate manages to land a job in the admissions department at the revered Hudson Day School. In her new position Kate learns there’s no time for self-pity or nonsense during the thick of the admissions season, or what her colleagues refer to as “the dark time.” As the process revs up, Kate meets smart kids who are unlikable, likeable kids who aren’t very smart, and Park Avenue parents who refuse to take no for an answer. Through a comical and crazy run of wildly unpredictable interviews, subtle bribes, outright threats, final judgments, and page-turning twists, the highly competitive and occasionally absurd world of private school admissions is brought to light in all of its outrageous glory that is reminiscent of Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep.

From the New York Times bestselling author of You Should Have Known (adapted as The Undoing on HBO), comes a page-turner about a college admissions officer with a secret—now a major motion picture starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a Princeton University admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own ultimate admission. Admission is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the complex college admissions process and an emotional examination of what happens when the secrets of the past shake a woman's life to its core.

Welcome to a no-nonsense, unconventional approach to college admissions! Hey AdmissionsMom: Real Talk from Reddit from the voices of r/ApplyingToCollege, with Carolyn Allison Caplan, aka u/admissionsmom FRONT DOOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS HELP Discover what over 100,000 engaged r/ApplyingToCollege subscribers are learning about as they discuss a fresh approach to college admissions. With Hey AdmissionsMom, Carolyn and the kids from r/ApplyingToCollege give you a place to stop trying to figure out what your top schools want in you and instead ask yourself, What do I want out of life when I leave high school? What do I see for myself? You're a talented, interesting student, and when you really know who you are, you're going to make the best decisions for yourself As a sophomore or junior entering the college admissions process, maybe you're overwhelmed by the paperwork, school descriptions, test score requirements, extracurricular activity options, and the daunting task of figuring it all out without losing yourself. Others of you already started the college admissions process and feel okay about your applications, but you're struggling with the personal statement or essays. Or, you want permission not to be a carbon copy of the ideal student and want out-of-the-box ways to be yourself, both in life and in the admissions process. And you're not just managing your expectations, but also your parents. College admissions can be especially intimidating if your high school sucks, you're first in your family to go to college, or you haven't always been a model student. You might also be a concerned parent or mentor looking for a guide designed not to stress you and your kid out and might even help with that as you learn the ropes of college admissions. For all the times you or your high school student thought, "There has to be a better way," when you hear advice about high-performance, achievement, and crazy amounts of EC's (extracurriculars)... You were right. You just found it. Hey AdmissionsMom: Real Talk from Reddit In this refreshingly honest, irreverent digest of college admissions questions and answers from u/admissionsmom and the subreddit, r/ApplyingToCollege, you'll find 37 bite-sized chapters of practical information, inspiring personal stories, insider tips, and yes, we have to be honest about this here - the occasional swear word, too. The time is NOW for you to: Focus on who you are, what you want from life, and how college fits into your goals, not the reverse Write essays and personal statements that actually sound like you, the real you Stop being one of 50,000 students applying to the same 20 colleges Stay positive even if you're not valedictorian or you didn't cure cancer (nobody else has either -- yet) Find questions asked by students just like you, so you don't feel alone or like you're the only one who doesn't already have it all figured out Take a deep breath as you learn about mindfulness By the end of Hey AdmissionsMom: Real Talk from Reddit, you will have peeled back the layers of your authentic self and be able to appreciate your personality traits, interests, and talents as you breathe and apply to college with a smile.

"A novel about modern family life with all of its discord and harmony"--

FORBES TOP 10 HIGHER EDUCATION BOOKS OF 2020 The riveting true story behind the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, a cautionary tale of parenting gone wrong, the system that enabled families to veer so far off course, and the mastermind who made it all happen. When federal prosecutors dropped the bombshell of Operation Varsity Blues, it broke open the crimes of exclusive universities and wealthy families all over the country, shattering the myth of American meritocracy. In Unacceptable, veteran Wall Street Journal reporters Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz dig deep into how otherwise smart, loving parents became caught up in scandal, led through the side door by one man: college whisperer Rick Singer. Unacceptable traces how, over decades, the charismatic Singer easily reeled in parents hoping to guarantee top educations for their children, and exploited a system rigged against regular people. Exploring the status obsession that seduced entitled parents in search of an edge, Korn and Levitz unfurl a scheme that entangled more than fifty conspirators, from wealthy CEOs to famous actresses, leading to imprisonments, ruined careers, and terminated enrollments. An eye-opening account of corruption in America’s most exclusive institutions, Unacceptable tells the story of helicopter parenting, coddled teens, and the man who thought he couldn’t be caught. Detailing Singer’s steady rise and dramatic fall, Korn and Levitz expose the ugly underbelly of elite college admissions, and the devastating consequences of buying success.

Demystifying the process of completing a college application Written by two former admissions officers at top universities and current admissions coaches, this book is a must-have for preparing a winning college application. The authors reveal the mystery behind what college admissions officers are looking for and show applicants how to leverage their credentials, stand out in the over-crowded applicants' pool, and make a genuine, memorable impression. This is the book that will help the college-bound get off the "like many others" pile and onto the acceptance list. Includes instructions and examples for every component of the college application, from writing the essay to answering questions like "Why do you want to go to College X?" Shows how to avoid underestimating the importance of critical features on any application Includes the latest information on the Common Application 4.0 and corrects outdated, holdover advice still stressed in many other books This book is filled with step-by-step advice that students and parents can use immediately and will refer to again and again.

"Kate is a young woman who is unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions as she attempts to understand city life, human nature, and falling in love"--