Admissions Books

Though a little skeptical based on one person's review that the book was "lean" in terms of graphics, I went ahead and bought it. While I agree that the book is not gorgeously laid out, it has some of the best information I have ever read in a how to book. My learning curve went straight up and not only would I recommend this book to any parent but have also bought copies for friends.

Everything you ever wanted to know about athletic recruiting when your high school coach doesn't do it for you. And here's a hot tip. You can go one better than your high school coach, Mom and Dad. Check out the opportunities at West Point. Almost everyone there is a scholar-athlete, and all on full scholarship plus getting paid [...] a year! And, best of all, if you get hurt, you don't lose your scholarship! To find out what West Point is really all about, read Norman Thomas Remick's book, "West Point". In conclusion, Wayne Mazzoni did a great job. His, "Athletic Recruiting & Scholarship Guide" is the book that tells you everything you need to know. (Unless you become interested in West Point).

This book made it clear what we need to do. I can't wait to get started on helping my daughter get a place to play in college and a scholarship.

While this book does not have the perfect layout of pictures, etc. that many books do, it has the only thing you really need when it comes to recruiting...an insiders perspective on the process. This book can be read in a few hours and your learning curve during this time will be dramatic. I am so much more prepared now then when I started this process.

I thought I did everything for my son that I could...When it came time for college, we just hit a brick wall. Wayne has helped us break through that wall. Step by step. Our family owes a great deal to Wayne. Thank you!

This book is amazing in its ability to both amaze and terrify a potential candidate. It's a must have for any candidate trying to get in. It makes sure to give advice on the mental preparation you must make and the physical riger that is to be endured. As a female candidate this book has helped me answer my questions, end my doubts, and showed me how to prepare. If you're looking into any of the academys get the candidate book!

I just met my Blue and Gold Officer, and I think hes cool. We talked, but my dad was in a hurry so we couldnt really get into a conversation, since we were busy. Anyways, this book told me how to act in front of him. I saw a lot of guys trying to act tough to a guy who could break them in half. A lot of them werent even showing respect. But I knew what to do, even if I am a little younger than most of the guys there. I think I made a good impression on him, and am going to try to get to know him better soon, but so far, I have'nt had time to contact him. Oh well, this is still a very good and valuble book.

I'm entering as a member of the Class of 2007. This book helped me stay on track and know what to expect from the Admissions process. My admissions counselor was extremely helpful. This book gets 2 thumbs up!

This book is amazing!!! It helped me a lot to prepare for USNA, but I didn't get an appointment due to a medical disqualification. However, I followed the advise in this book and it helped me get into THREE other federal service academies. I got into the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. So even if you don't plan on going to the Naval Academy, it sure helps to read the book on how the application process works esspecially with the congressional nominations.

Currently Im a PO3 in the Navy who will be attending the Naval Academy Preparatory School this year with subsequent attendance to the Naval Academy proper. While this book only had a rather small mention of how enlisted applicants gained admission, and an even smaller section on NAPS, its still THE BEST resource out there for an aspiring applicant. After all its not the NAPS or Prior candidate handbook. As an Air Force brat I lived on USAFA for 3 years and I can tell you that the atmosphere that they portrayed in this book is pretty realistic. Just remember that nothing about any academy is going to be perfect. If you aspire to be a Mid or are the parent of the fore mentioned this book is an absolute necessity.
Keep this in mind. If you REALLY REALLY want to get in there is nothing that can stop you. I almost failed out of high school my junior year and then went to a military school (NMMI) for my senior year. Even though I excelled there I still only had a 2.57 GPA. Just goes to prove that if you REALLY REALLY want to get in all you have to do is go all out and focus on that one singular goal. Success is a measure of sacrifice.

I loved this book. It covers everything. It answered every question I had and then some, and gave lots of great advice.
If you are even thinking about going to the Air Force Academy or any academy...get this book. You're going to need it.

This book was a great resource for my child's application to the Academy.
It provided insight and helpful tips on how to maximize your chances of getting that coveted 'letter of assurance'.
AND, it talks to the parents about what things will be like and what you can AND shouldn't do to help.
Definitely a must have for anyone even thinking about a service academy or their parents.

This book is an insightful, solid resource for any student planning to apply to the Air Force Academy. Written in a clear, concise style with chapter titles like "How to Obtain a Nomination," this book offers each applicant a clear path to the AFA.

Additionally, this book presents a realistic picture, making it clear what trials, physical, academic, & emotional, each cadet undergoes. My son asked me to read the chapter for parents. With a plethora of Do's & Don'ts tips, it made a lot of sense & helped me tremendously to not nag my son. I glanced at another chapter, & then couldn't put the book down. Perhaps a bit dated, for it advises applicants to phone, not email ...

As a parent of a junior planning to matriculate in 2008, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I'm a high schooler considering the Academy, and this book had tons of really useful information. Apllication tips, with a whole chapter on nominations, how to prepare mentally (VERY important) and physically, what to expect, and even a section for parents! This is an awesome book, if you have any interest in the Air Force or the Academy, BUY IT!!!

This book is indeed sold at the USAFA gift shop. That alone should tell you how much of a slant it has. This is a rose-tinted view of the Academy (nothing about the abiding hatred that most of us have for our lives, the futility of our training, or the ... shoot that is pilot slot allocation), and its information on cadet life is a bit dated. As for its admissions info- pretty good. I've bought this book for friends who wanted to come here.

Seeing that I am a single parent whose son just graduated from college, I could have used this book four years ago. As I look back at that time, I was stressed out because I had little guidance with my decision making in getting my son in a university. I recommend this book because it gives useful advice to parents in all aspects of the process of college entrance. This is a must read book!

This book is a compilation of great advice, interesting stories and inspiration. The book has great advantages over "traditional" college guides. First, it does not require a teen to read it cover to cover. Who would read a book about applying to college that way? Instead, How to Survive Getting into College, compiles real stories and advice from hundreds of recent college applicants and their parents. A reluctant teen can pick up the book and flip to any page and gain ready advice. Second, the advice is practical and real-world tested. It is not the product of some professor sitting in their office removed from the parent, teen, application trenches. Finally, the book's special editor provides guidance from her background as a college admissions officer. She provides good oversight without being overly dramatic. I would highly recommend this book for teens and their parents.

I was skeptical about getting yet another college reference, but the kids will relate to this one even if you've heard most of it before. As for parents, I recommend "Getting in Without Freaking Out". My wife gave me the latter -- a uniquely humorous and therapeutic guide, as she felt that I was becoming more stressed out over the college application process than my my son was. She was right, as usual. Both these books are worth more than thickly bound lists of college descriptions, which seem to be outdated compared to information that is already online, and free.

I just happened to catch a segment on the Today Show with the editor of this book. I decided to buy it for my son. What a great choice. I gave it to him...and he actually read it. The best part about it was that he was getting good advice from other people (not his father) which reinforced much of what his parents had been telling him, but he refused to hear. I wasn't sure he would read a book on college admissions, but the fact that the book is all short snippets made it a perfect antidote to a teen's attention span...or lack thereof. I heartily recommend How to Survive Getting into College to students and parents.

My dad randomly got this book for me this summer because this year is my junior year. At first I was like "I already know where I want to go, Dad, (which is Duke)" but when I looked at it it was great because there were some things other kids said that I had not taken into consideration. Also I think the kinds of essay questions you get asked on applications can say a lot and now I am thinking more carefully about those things and my answers! Thank you for this great book!

This is an outstanding book. What I appreciate most about it is its thoughtfulness. Where other books present statistics and give only brief attention to very important topics, this book presents a fair, smart, and thorough account of the World of Admissions and encourages you to sit down and think about things, guiding you along each step of the process.

"Admission Matters" attracted me for a number of reasons--the background, experience and knowledge of the authors is compelling, but moreover I chose this book because as the parent of three with two already in college and the third an applicant now, I was hopeful that I would find new details and advice regarding the competitive hurdles that my youngest will be facing. My hopes were more than fulfilled! This book is an engaging and informative resource that blends just the right amount of humor, candor, anectodal details, encouragement and reality for parents and their college bound kids. It is also organized to facilitate quick reads of sections and question areas of greatest interest. This is a refreshing and valuable guide in the high-anxiety sea of college planning.

The best book I read so far. As an admission consultant, I think it covers the basic information that parents and kids should know. I even met her in person this year. There is one little problem about this book - it is two years old. So new things happened within these two years have not yet been covered, such as the SMART grant (new for year 2007).

As a high school senior, I've been having the usual problems with finding a college that I feel is right for me, and then actually going about the process of applying. Not only was this book helpful in answering nearly all of my questions, but it is written in an interesting, friendly manner that I found heartening in the midst of a process that has been incredibley stressful! I recommend this book not only to high school students but their parents as well - my Mother read it and she loved it too!

This book is clearly written and an excellent guide for the high school student and parents.

I would like to thank the author for the wonderful book " MBA Admissions
Strategy " I'm accepted by University of Chicago the last round and
invited by Said Business School of Oxford for an interview. I only
applied 3 schools and all the 3rd round.

I learned the most from the book and formed a strategy and plan. The
book is insightful and well written.

Business coach and Director of the MBA Admissions Studio (www.mbastudio.net) A.V. Gordon presents MBA Admissions Strategy: From Profile Building To Essay Writing, a step-by-step guide to creating a successful MBA application with particular emphasis on essay writing. Chapters cover how to present one's personal profile in an optimum light, what MBA admissions personnel are looking for in applicants, principles of better writing and much more. "Expect your readers to constantly be asking the pointed question, 'So what?' If you give them a fact, a story, an observation or any other piece of information, they will want to know: Why is this relevant? Why am I reading this about you? What understanding about you do I get form it? What am I learning about your growth, transition, development, experience or insight? Why does this advance your candidacy? It is your job to answer these 'so what's' by showing how each piece of your essay connects to you and your argument for an admissions ticket, and framing this, at least in part, in human resources and organizational behaviour terms." Highly recommended.

Avi's book distills the admissions process in a clear and concise fashion. The book got me on track to think about whom I was and what I had to offer. Avi does a great job of helping you connect the dots among your dreams, achievements, and personality.

Book has given me a good framework to piece the puzzle together from the personal front to the school that will fit my needs. It has empowered me to make it happen.

This is not my first try at knocking on the doors of the top MBA programs. Fortunately I found this wonderful book before I started my campaign this year. The book helped me to identify several mistakes that I've made in my previous application, and of course much more things that I can improve, especially in the essay writing part. Amazingly, the insights to the application process that the author shared in this books matches perfectly with the feedback that I got from the schools that I applied before. On top of that, the book also gives out hands-on instructions to address each aspect with a lot of details. Also it teaches so many smart techniques on how to positioning and marketing yourself. To me, it is an extremely practical guide to help me through the process.

MUST HAVE BOOK. By far the best book on the subject.

Even if you have already purchased Richard Montauk book or any other MBA consulting book, I still advise that you buy and read this book.

If you have not purchased any book yet, I strongly recommend you to start with this book.

If you are targeting top 15 MBA programs, reading this book will be the best thing you could do to improve your chances.

Pros -
1) Very structured approach. It begins with helping you profile yourself.
2) No nonsense material. Very brief, succinct and to the point.
3) It leaves the obvious clutter out. Author does not repeat himself. I think this is the biggest plus of this book. There are many top sellers (no names), which are too thick at the expense of being repetitive.
3) Comprehensive.
4) Refined. Polished.

Cons -
1) Addition of some sample essays would be a very useful.
2) Schools specific research and advise will be useful too. I notice that most of the MBA admissions book in the market lack this type of material.
3) Part time program specific advise.

At last, an easy to read guide for students and parents with essential tips and carefully researched timelines. Especially useful for high achievers.

This is book is must read for seniors applying to college. It gives step by step instructions and plenty of details. The chapter on interviews helped me the most. At first I was scared of going to an interview, but after I read this book, and planned for my interview it was not that bad. Definately buy this book!

Finally a comprehensive and consolidated material in one book. I couldn't appreciate the author's effort for a clear pragmatic approach to the college admissions. In fact I had collected nearly six books to approach each topic in one of them and then finally found this that talks about everything with its little secretes. You don't need 10 books but pick just this one.

This book could not be more clear and easy. It really highlights everything that colleges look for in an applicant and what one should do to get into a college - any college, but especially top colleges. Don't rest your odds of getting into school on your school assigned college guidance counselor. Get this book. You will not be sorry.

It has been a challenge to get all the pertinent information to prepare for college education in USA particularly very competitive collegs. Roadmap For College Admissions will address all the issues that every student and parent should be familiar with from 9th grade thru admission process. It includes tips to write essays, intervieww process and campus visits which is not seen in other books, If you want to succeed in this very intense competitive admission process you shcoule read this book

I hate the term `Packaging Yourself' that is on the cover, but besides that I think this is a well written and important book. We are all different; how we discover what makes us unique and how we express that to a college is an important part of the application process.

The 2004 movie Spanglish, starring Adam Sandler, Téa Leoni, Cloris Leachman and Paz Vega, starts with a scene in a college admissions office. Admissions officers sit around a table going through applications. Uninspired to continue reading after looking at a sentence or two, one officer puts down the essay in her hands and moves to the next one. She does this a couple of times till she reaches an essay with a unique beginning. The applicant writes about the most influential person in her life -- her mother, a Mexican immigrant who works as a housekeeper. The officer is enticed enough to continue reading. She's hooked.

THE COLLEGE HOOK is a book I wish I had available to me when I prepared for college admissions in my high school days. It's definitely a valuable guide for those applying to college.

In order to increase your chances of admission to the college of your choice, college consultant Pam Proctor designed the book to help you learn how to define your special achievements - your hook - (even if you think you don't have any). After that, she teaches you how to package that information (your college application) and sell yourself (your interview) during the college application process.

Pam Proctor provides all types of tips to help the college applicant - inspiring anecdotes of students' experiences, clear sample essays, letters and selected references and more. THE COLLEGE HOOK is worth its price to learn how to stand out as a college applicant.

Fafa Demasio

Gaining admittance into the college of your choice is no easy task. With THE COLLEGE HOOK, written by Pam Proctor, the president of College Application Consultants, Inc., I have to say that your odds are greatly improved!

The book is broken down into four main parts: Discovering Your Hook, The Top Ten College Hooks, Packaging Your Hook, and Selling Your Hook. Each main category is then broken down into smaller, more-manageable sections, such as Hooks That Worked, The Resume Power Play, and Acing the Interview.

I know you're asking yourself: "What in the world, exactly, is the college hook?" According to Ms. Proctor, it's pretty simple: it's "that one special interest that will cause admissions officials to salivate over an application and significantly increase the odds of getting into a favorite college."

Basically, colleges are looking for that unique "something" that makes you you - that "something" that will make their college a better college, and will make them sorry if they don't accept you! But to find your hook, you have to find the strengths and weaknesses in yourself, and that's not always an easy task. But THE COLLEGE HOOK stresses the importance of doing just that, and The Top Ten College Hooks (including Athletic, International, Music, Political, Technology, Humanitarian, Science, Writing, Drama, and Multicultural) go a long way in helping you figure out your personal hook before you begin the college admissions process.

This is a must-read for teens getting ready to begin sending out those college applications. From writing an interesting, professional resume to acing your admissions interview, everything about the application process is covered.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Finally a college admission aid that succinctly defines it! Easy to use,well organized,and timely. As a father having faced college admission with three kids and facing it with a fourth the information is a god-send.The format and style will even encourage your kid's participation. Jim . Georgia.

This is, without a doubt, a well-crafted book, well-organized, well-written, full of lots of practical and useful tips. There's a couple of aspects of it, however, that detract considerably from its usefulness in my situation.

The first one is major: the anecdotes she relates, which are meant to be inspiring, are in my view actually discouraging to the teens who might read this book. Example? The girl who just couldn't figure out her "hook", then thought back, and it suddenly struck her, oh YEAH, that's right, I was a Broadway star in 9th grade, praised in reviews in the New York Times, featured on the cast album in two solos, etc. I mean, come on. My daughter, who is a top student with great test scores and great extracurriculars, is freaking out that she might not get into Yale because "everyone who gets in is a published novelist or something." The examples in this book perpetuate that myth, and make it seem like only those sorts of people will stand a chance. I bought this book for her, but luckily read it first, and now I'm not going to give it to her to read, because it will just exacerbate her concerns.

Secondly, I'd assumed that the book was focused on the college application process, which it sort of is, but much of the germane advice (good tips all) pertains to the student's whole high school career, and what they can do to position themselves. This is a book for parents of such kids, who can help encourage and enable activities and events that will help once the senior year application process begins.

This book will make you jealous to think that 18 and 19 year olds write this well.

It would be very wise to read this and adopt the level of quality these young men and women used in their essays. Some of the events are extrinsically insignificant or common, but these bright students displayed the intrinsic value of each through excellent writing, grammar, and detail.

I'm leaving the military for college, and the essay once seemed like a massive hurdle for me. Using these essays as a standard, I no longer have that fear.

Good advice. But who's kidding whom ... it's going to take more than a great essay to get into Harvard. You need the GPA and strong test scores. If your grades and credentials aren't up to par, it doesn't matter how much lipstick you put on that pig.

Vernon M
Cambridge, MA

This is a fantastic book. As a first-generation student, I had no clue what to expect from a college essay; I had no idea what made an essay good and what made it bad.
Although this book doesn't directly teach you what a good essay is, the amazing essays in here allow you to 'absorb' the good writing and use it to your advantage.

Vernon (poster before me) is correct here; you still need the grades, the scores, the extracurriculars.. or else the book does not help much.
However, if you KNOW you have a strong profile but do not know what to expect from a college essay (like me), then this book is right for you!

I can't thank this book enough. I learned good writing only paying $14 instead of something astronomical for those editing services.

Ironically, with the help of this book, I got accepted into Harvard's rival school :)

[Handsome Dan] out.

These essays were very good, some of them were very moving. I found that this book explained the college essay process and was an easy read.

This is a fantastic collection of application essays. If you or your child is in need of examples of well-written essays, these 50 essays are just the thing for you. Not only are the essays themselves printed, the book also provides an analysis for each, by the Staff of "The Harvard Crimson". Within each analysis, you learn what topics to choose, what to avoid and how to keep the reader from discarding your essay. If they worked for Harvard students, they'll definitely help you with your school.

I want to thank Cafi for the wealth of information contained in 'And What About College?' We used it for all aspects of the process- from early planning when Shauna was 13 to the final stamping of the five college applications... We are happy to report that Shauna is accepted at Brown University under early action, and awaits word from the other four. Cafi's guidance, humor, clarity and ideas were invaluable... and the sample cover letters were a helpful prompt for this homeschool principal! I look forward to her new book and wish her the best!

I'm a new home schooling dad in CA who read this book just after making the decision to start home schooling. The book's terrific. It's well written, concise, and delivers what it promises. In our case, it erased all lingering doubts about college for home schooled children. I appreciate all those who contributed to its completion.

With a college-bound son who just turned 15, I find myself returning to this book again and again for advice, solace, detailed information, guidance. Cafi Cohen has been through it all. Her son attended the Air Force Academy and is now a test pilot. Her daughter attended an excellent college. AND she did a non-traditional, loose hs program with her kids. I wrote up a transcript for my son this week, using her book, and was truly heartened to see how beautifully it all came together. This is one of the best homeschool advice books I have ever read. A real gem.

Authors Cafi Cohen and Patrick Farenga have addressed the "getting into college" questions raised by parents schooling their older children at home, like, "How do we work up a set of transcripts?" "How do we get them into college without a recognized degree?" and "What choices in education do we have?"

The sub-title of the book might be misleading. Although a portion of the book talks about getting a child into the "best" universities and colleges, this book will be helpful to homeschoolers concerned about getting their children into any (or not necessarily the best) college.

We purchased the book several years ago and have followed its procedure. We had no trouble getting our daughter enrolled in college. The book provides clearcut and specific direction that alleviates the fears many of us home-schooling parents experience as we begin the high school years. It is helpful even if your children are not the frequent "home schooled genius types."

Since working up a transcript is best done on a year by year basis, the best time for parents to read this book is probably just before they homeschool their (first) child in the 9th grade.
The information on transcripts is worth the purchase price of the book itself.

I especially appreciated the authors' description of getting into local colleges through the "side door" approach by home-schooled teens taking a college course or two during the high school years.

Mentioned but not detailed in the book, there are colleges that are especially predisposed to homeschooled students. Many evangelical Christian colleges would be included in that number.

The book will not only create confidence in parents, it will also provide answers to all those nagging questions that friends or family might ask, as demonstrated by the title, "And What About College."

Dear Ms Cohen,

I am emailing to thank you for the wonderful book you wrote, And What About College? With the help of your book and The Dummies Book on Financial Aid, my homeschooled daughter has been accepted into the Honor's Program at a small university in Austin, Texas and has been awarded a full scholarship for four years. We couldn't be happier! And I could never have presented her so fully without your advice, your experience, and the wonderful model letters, transcripts, and resumes presented in your book. I learned so much in the process; hundreds of hours went into all this. And we were successful!

We live in India and are volunteers in a unique school that was developed in Kerala. We are not missionaries, yet without the generous scholarships we would not have been able to afford college. Not only did I need to get her into the college of her choice, but I needed to present her as a student they couldn't live without.

Of course she is a good student, worthy of the awards she has received. However, you gave me the format, the language, and the confidence to present her in the best possible light so that the college could recognize her unique experiences and qualities.

We both have attended orientation, classes have started, and my daughter is happy. SEU and the college experience it is offering her has been a wonderful choice. I thank you for your book; you are one of the people who is responsible for my daughter's success.

With deepest gratitude, Homeschooling Overseas