ABOUT THE BOOK Applying to college is likely the most stressful and important moment in a teenager's academic life. Pressure from friends, family, teachers, and oneself add up to make this an overwhelming process to go through, especially for students applying to the nation's most selective schools. One major reason for this stress is the uncertainty of the application process. Often, the students who apply to top schools are used to feeling in control of their lives and planning their future, but because there are no sure admittances in elite admissions, the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming. There are a number of resources available to students who wish to maximize their chances of admission; however, I, as a former admission officer at a selective university, feel that many are misleading. In some cases, the advice given is very specific to one school which isn't useful for the majority of students or it's too vague. And in some other cases, students try to compare their statistics with the statistics of other seemingly similar students to gauge their chances of admission, perhaps the worst resource of all. MEET THE AUTHOR Erinn Andrews is the former Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Stanford University. She read and evaluated thousands of applications from the US, as well as more than 70 countries around the world, and through that, she has developed a unique perspective on what it takes to get into the nation's elite colleges. She completed an M.A. in Education at Stanford University's School of Education in the Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies Program. She also earned a B.A. in History with Honors at Stanford. She now works with students to help them uncover their intellectual and personal interests and present the best version of themselves in the elite admissions process. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The purpose of the application in selective admissions is to understand the context from which the applicant is coming. In order to decide which students to admit when admit rates are so low ( Once the context has been established, then the admission officer tries to find out if the student has taken advantage of the opportunities available to him and has either: a.) made a lasting impact in his community in some way, or b.) has the potential to make a lasting impact in his future community (college and beyond). Despite popular belief, every application is actually read in its entirety by an admission officer in the selective admissions process.

Elite Admissions Advice From A Former Stanford Admissions Officer Erinn Andrews (former Assistant Director of Stanford Admissions) has been on both sides of the application process. As a successful applicant to Stanford's undergraduate and graduate programs, she knows what it takes to write a compelling application, and during her time as an admissions officer, she helped establish Stanford's current admissions rubric. You've heard the myth that admissions officers pick randomly from a pile of perfect 2400s and 4.0 GPAs. You're terrified of leaving your future up to Lady Fortune, but thankfully, Erinn is here to show you that there is order to the admissions process--there are countless strategies you can start using today to win the officers' approval. Most other admissions guidebooks are vague or outdated, but Erinn has firsthand knowledge of the current standards at Ivy League colleges. Erinn will help you balance well-roundedness with focus in your extracurricular activities, avoid cliches to write moving essays, and decide how many AP courses to take for your best chance of admissions at top colleges! ***************************************** WHAT YOU'LL FIND IN THE BOOK ...A step-by-step guide to improving your admissions chances at Ivy League caliber universities like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton, and University of Pennsylvania ...A line-by-line analysis of the Common App through an admissions officer's eyes: What are the 24 questions every admissions officer asks about your application? ...The real scoop on SAT scores, the gap year, extracurriculars, facebook profiles, admissions quotas, waitlists, and more! ***************************************** MEET THE AUTHOR Erinn Andrews is the former Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Stanford University. She read and evaluated thousands of applications from the US, as well as more than 70 countries around the world, and through that, she has developed a unique perspective on what it takes to get into the nation's elite colleges. She completed an M.A. in Education at Stanford University's School of Education in the Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies Program. She also earned a B.A. in History with Honors at Stanford. She now works with students to help them uncover their intellectual and personal interests and present the best version of themselves in the elite admissions process. ***************************************** CHAPTER OUTLINE CHAPTER 1: SETTING THE SCENE: Understanding What Admissions Officers Are Thinking About ...Context. Context. Context. ...Competitive Versus Compelling ...There Are No Quotas CHAPTER 2: DECONSTRUCTING THE COMMON APPLICATION: The Student Portion ...Orientation: The Common Application ...What You Can Control CHAPTER 3: DECONSTRUCTING THE COMMON APPLICATION: The Non-Student Portion ...What You Can't (Totally) Control CHAPTER 4: OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS ...Interviews ...College Visits ...Financial Aid & Scholarships CHAPTER 5: THE APPLICATION CYCLE ...Early Versus Regular Decision ...Gap Year ...Re-Applying To The Same College ...My admissions guide contains these chapters & more! Visit eliteadmissionsplan.com for more admissions strategies and new updates!

Make sense of college admissions and prepare a successful application Admission Matters offers comprehensive, expert, and practical advice for parents and students to guide them through the college admissions process. From building a college list, to understanding standardized tests, to obtaining financial aid, to crafting personal statements, to making a final decision, this book guides you every step of the way with clear, sensible advice and practical tips. This new fourth edition has been completely updated to reflect the latest changes in college admissions. including new developments in standardized testing, applications, financial aid and more. Questionnaires, interactive forms, checklists, and other tools help you stay focused and organized throughout the process.. With the answers you need and a down-to-earth perspective, this book provides an invaluable resource for stressed-out students and parents everywhere. Applying to college can be competitive and complex. Admission Matters offers real-world expert advice for all students, whether you're aiming an Ivy or the state school close to home. It also includes much needed guidance for students with special circumstances, including students with disabilities, international students, and transfer students. In addition, athletes, artists and performers, and homeschoolers will find valuable guidance as they plan for and apply to college. Understand how the admissions process works and what you can and cannot control Learn how to build a strong list of good-fit colleges Craft a strong application package with a compelling personal statement Get expert advice on early admissions, financial aid, standardized testing, and much more Make a final decision that is the right one for you Whether you think you've got applying to college under control or don't even know where to begin, Admission Matters is your expert guide throughout the college admissions process.

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.

From award-winning higher education journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo comes a revealing look from inside the admissions office—one that identifies surprising strategies that will aid in the college search. Getting into a top-ranked college has never seemed more impossible, with acceptance rates at some elite universities dipping into the single digits. In Who Gets In and Why, journalist and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo dispels entrenched notions of how to compete and win at the admissions game, and reveals that teenagers and parents have much to gain by broadening their notion of what qualifies as a “good college.” Hint: it’s not all about the sticker on the car window. Selingo, who was embedded in three different admissions offices—a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus—closely observed gatekeepers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions. He also followed select students and their parents, and he traveled around the country meeting with high school counselors, marketers, behind-the-scenes consultants, and college rankers. While many have long believed that admissions is merit-based, rewarding the best students, Who Gets In and Why presents a more complicated truth, showing that “who gets in” is frequently more about the college’s agenda than the applicant. In a world where thousands of equally qualified students vie for a fixed number of spots at elite institutions, admissions officers often make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors—like diversity, money, and, ultimately, whether a student will enroll if accepted. One of the most insightful books ever about “getting in” and what higher education has become, Who Gets In and Why not only provides an unusually intimate look at how admissions decisions get made, but guides prospective students on how to honestly assess their strengths and match with the schools that will best serve their interests.

College Admission is the ultimate user's manual and go-to guide for any student or family approaching the college application process. Featuring the wise counsel of more than 50 deans of admission, no other guide has such thorough, expert, compassionate, and professional advice. Let’s be honest: applying to college can be stressful for students and parents. But here’s the good news: you can get in. Robin Mamlet has been dean of admission at three of America's most selective colleges, and journalist and parent Christine VanDeVelde has been through the process first hand. With this book, you will feel like you have both a dean of admission and a parent who has been there at your side. Inside this book, you'll find clear, comprehensive, and expert answers to all your questions along the way to an acceptance letter: • The role of extracurricular activities • What it means to find a college that's the "right fit" • What's more important: high grades or tough courses • What role does testing play • The best candidates for early admission • When help from parents is too much help • Advice for athletes, artists, international students, and those with learning differences • How wait lists work • Applying for financial aid This will be your definitive resource during the sophomore, junior, and senior years of high school.

In the fall of 1999, New York Times education reporter Jacques Steinberg was given an unprecedented opportunity to observe the admissions process at prestigious Wesleyan University. Over the course of nearly a year, Steinberg accompanied admissions officer Ralph Figueroa on a tour to assess and recruit the most promising students in the country. The Gatekeepers follows a diverse group of prospective students as they compete for places in the nation's most elite colleges. The first book to reveal the college admission process in such behind-the-scenes detail, The Gatekeepers will be required reading for every parent of a high school-age child and for every student facing the arduous and anxious task of applying to college. "[The Gatekeepers] provides the deep insight that is missing from the myriad how-to books on admissions that try to identify the formula for getting into the best colleges...I really didn't want the book to end." —The New York Times

In real life, Stevens is a professor at Stanford University. But for a year and a half, he worked in the admissions office of a bucolic New England college known for its high academic standards, beautiful campus, and social conscience. Ambitious high schoolers and savvy guidance counselors know that admission here is highly competitive. But creating classes, Stevens finds, is a lot more complicated than most people imagine.

Do Less, Live More, Get Accepted What if getting into your reach schools didn’t require four years of excessive A.P. classes, overwhelming activity schedules, and constant stress? In How to Be a High School Superstar, Cal Newport explores the world of relaxed superstars—students who scored spots at the nation’s top colleges by leading uncluttered, low stress, and authentic lives. Drawing from extensive interviews and cutting-edge science, Newport explains the surprising truths behind these superstars’ mixture of happiness and admissions success, including: · Why doing less is the foundation for becoming more impressive. · Why demonstrating passion is meaningless, but being interesting is crucial. · Why accomplishments that are hard to explain are better than accomplishments that are hard to do. These insights are accompanied by step-by-step instructions to help any student adopt the relaxed superstar lifestyle—proving that getting into college doesn’t have to be a chore to survive, but instead can be the reward for living a genuinely interesting life.