Admissions Books

The advice in this book is invaluable. It helps you to learn what answer choices are never correct on the bar exam, how the bar examiners try to confuse you (by using analogous situations, for example, that sound a lot like exception-situations, but where the exceptions don't actually apply), strategies for eliminating answer choices when you have no idea, and the main topics tested on the Bar Exam.

The book is set up to help you whether you prepare way ahead of time (and helps you concentrate on the more asked subjects) or prepare way late in the game (tells you what subjects to "punt" if you do not have enough time).

I found the questions they ask are a bit more straight forward than actual bar exam questions, but were very useful for explaining the material. The explanations were the most thorough I've found of any bar exam prep, and the wrong answers are all explained up through the logic of that answer choice being included.

What distracted me while using this were the typos. For the brand (Emmanuel), the typos seemed a bit unusual, and were time consuming. Sometimes, when I was going through some questions quickly, I was confused by all answers being listed as "incorrect" in the back. I had to do a double take at the explanation to realize which ones of these were actually the right answer. The typos aren't rampant, but enough for me to notice and be annoyed at.

Overall, I think this is a great tool for organizing your studying, learning what material to concentrate on and for developing question answering strategies. It does not work alone, and I highly recommend exploring outside of this book to learn the substantive law.

This is the one book you really need for MBEs. The introductory guides to each section are very clear and easy to understand, a very helpful factor when you are knee deep in Bar Review. The questions are challenging and the answers are very well explained. Outstanding!

Contrary to what another reviewer said, this book doesn't have two full-length exams, or at least not the edition I have (2005). It has the AM and PM sections of a full-length exam.

Other reviews also mention the tips in this book, but the real value in this book is all the actual MBE questions from past exams as well as the explanation to those questions (including the full-length exam). I have found that the barbri and PMBR questions and answer choices are noticeably different much of the time from these past questions and their answer choices. Both companies make their questions long, and barbri's are unnecessarily long. But most actual questions are short. Barbri's explanations are also long and repetitive, whereas the explanations in this book are more concise. Most importantly, these questions are harder than the ones you're doing from barbri and even PMBR. Even the majority of the questions in the one barbri book that has past MBE questions in it are easier in comparison. If you can understand the questions/explanations in this book, you will be prepared for the bar.

As for the tips, I have found around two or three extremely valuable ones in each section that I've read so far. This is not to say the majority of the tips/writing in the book is helpful or that you can use this book without barbri/subject outlines. But the helpful tips that I got out of this book are ones that barbri doesn't spell out and I wouldn't have figured out on my own. Those tips alone really will raise your score, because you will get at least a few more questions right in every single subject from them.

I agree that this book is pricey, but if you can find a cheaper copy somewhere then that's your best bet because you need this book.

My review is short and to the point. This book is ideal for those wishing to hone their MBE skills. I have been out of law school for several years now and this book will help me prepare to prepare for the bar exam.

I gave it only 4 stars because I believe it is overpriced, but that is common of almost all legal aides.

I bought this book to help me prepare for the MA Bar examination and am so glad that I did. It offers two full length practice exams with questions taken from past MBEs. I thought the questions were a good approximation of the type of questions actually on the exam and I found the strategies section at the front of the book to be very helpful. (I appreciate Kim Alayne's sense of humor too). The answer explanations for each question offered at the end of each test were clear and concise and, in my opinion, far better than those offered by Barbri and PMBR.

I bought this in addition to taking a BarBri course and using a set of PMBR books and found it to be a very valuable supplement. I highly recommend taking as many full-length MBEs as possible and this is a sure-fire way to guarantee that you do at least two.

Jake Williams to wakes up one critical morning during Spring Break with in his car, his clothes bloodied, and a gun on the floor. Jake doesn't remember how he got there and wills it out of his mind. But do his college buddies follow suit or do they carry the truth away at graduation? That's the question Jake seeks an answer for as he takes on the mission of finding his school buddy, Alec, who's disappeared with a wealthy businessman's daughter.
In present time, we follow a concise timeline to meet the buddies that Jake ran with in college. He seeks them out one by one to discover if anyone has heard from Alec. Thrasher alternates this present time hunt with a detailed look at the past where Thrasher reveals Jakes fun-seeking senior year, building up chapter by chapter to the fateful bloody morning.
Thrasher uses changes in point of view to differentiate between the time periods. I have to admit the change in POV caught me off guard. I enjoy reading first person and when Thrasher switched to third person, I had to remind myself that Jake was not speaking about himself in the third person, a dorky trait to be sure. But it was worth the effort to lay the changes aside and immerse myself in the plot, which for the most part moves along and definitely reaches a surprising yet satisfying ending.
Mystery aside, Thrasher uses real life, real people to draw the reader in. His characters are appealing and quirky. He shows us that those who think they have everything in their spiritual lives figured out often end up in the same throws of uncertainty as those who toss their faith aside for a time and reclaim it when life throws a curveball; that few of us ever figure it out, ever attain a level of spiritual trust that gives us ultimate peace 365 days per year.
For me the spiritual take away is, live real, live honest, but live for God. If you do, you'll provide a much more compelling witness than if you profess to have it all together. God can use your failures, your mistakes, and ultimately your new life in Christ to bring others close to him.
I highly recommend this book.

I loved it! Thrasher's innovative style is masterful in building suspense and weaving together a captivating story of intrigue. Although I happened upon Admission completely by accident and had never heard of the author, once I began reading his book, I was hooked.

While walking through parallel time periods in the shoes of the protagonist, the reader wrestles with the character's very real confusion, anxiety and doubts as he plucks away the cobwebs of mystery that enshroud his past in order to discover the truth of an event that has plagued him for years. With authentic characters, realistic life situations, and riveting suspense, Admission begs you to delve deeper into life's inexplicable complexities. Travis Thrasher is an author that deserves to be discovered by anyone who enjoys good suspense and a great story.

Travis Thrasher's latest book, Admission is simply amazing. I highly recommend reading this book. Jake Rivers is on a search for a long lost friend and also trying to recover memories from a college Spring Break trip that went terribly wrong. All the while, he meets up with the love of his life once again, but can he reconcile past mishaps and start over again, or will the consequences of trying to uncover the past ruin his chance? Travis Thrashers weaves a suspenseful and thrilling story, one that keeps you on your toes for sure.

Sorry I couldnt help myself with the title of this review. This is the first book of Travis thrashers that I have read and it grabs you from the start and you cant put it down. I read the book in less than a day. It it the story of Jake Rivers who after about 10 years being out of college gets a call to help find a missing girl who was last seen with a friend from college. Jake hasnt really spoke to any of his old college buddys since the graduated. They had a one night camping trip were noone really seems to remember what happened and what they did. The author does a great job of making the characters interesting and easy to relate to. Would seriously recommend checking this book out.

Admission by Travis Thrasher is a well-written psychological thriller. Jake Williams left college 15 years ago and hasn't spoken to any of his friends since. But he's blackmailed into searching for his former best friend by events that he can't remember regarding their last days in school and the death of another friend. Thrasher does a great job of feeding out only a little information at a time to the reader, and because even the narrator doesn't have the answers, it doesn't feel forced. He also does a good job of dealing with Williams' faith in God: the faith of a new believer uncertain how to talk about it and still struggling to stay on the narrow path. The true flaw in the book is the overly quick resolution. The story quickly jumps ahead after the killer is revealed, and I felt shortchanged. Just one more chapter could have smoothed over those rough spots.

I work in a Middle Senior High School and I've purchased several copies of this book for students and friends' children that are headlong into their college search. This book helped my daughter select Duke University as her second choice school of which she's presently starting her third year there.

I am a parent and I really loved this college guide! I have read several guides and this really did a great job of reviewing the colleges from an African-American perspective. My husband went to a historically black university (HBU) and he felt the comparison of the historically black university (HBU) to the predominately white universities was incredibly accurate.

Thsi book exceeded my expectations!

This is a tip to students and parents. If you have a good student who is trying to get into a select school, this is the best help guide I've seen in years. My daughter and friends made top schools using this one

This guidebook has been meticulously researched and gives readers the kind of heads-up needed to get in the best schools and find money to pay for it. Solid info and insider coaching for every phase of the process. Invaluale.

The information provided in the book was informative, however over 1/3 of the letters I mailed out requesting scholarship information were returned due to bad addresses.

"How to Get into Law School" is perfect for anyone in law school, applying to law school, or thinking about maybe applying to law school. I first read this book three years ago, and at that time I was thinking about maybe applying to law school. "How to Get into Law School" not only convinced me that law school was the right decision for me, but it also provided a road map. By carefully following the advice in this book over the course of a few years, I am pleased to report that I will be attending one of the finest law schools in the country as the recipient of a substantial merit scholarship. Overall, I fared better in the application process than friends of mine with better grades, better LSAT scores and better careers. Take it from me, this book is gold.

Whether this book will actually help you get into the law school of your choice is debatable. First of all, the advice is geared towards students who REALLY want to get into a school that seems to be JUST out of reach for them: it instructs you to stalk the dean of admissions, make phone calls and send follow-ups. This might give you an edge to get in somewhere that your numbers may not ordinarily merit, but in my case, these "tips" simply were not pertinent at all.

Part of what kept me reading was the author's informal language and tone. At first, it seemed like frank advice from a no-nonsense woman. By the end, I was completely put off. Susan Estrich comes across as a complete snob who uses lots of words and drops a lot of names without saying anything. There is no compassion or genuine interest in her audience. It seemed to me like this woman just enjoys hearing herself talk about her powerful friends and berating her readers, whom she seems to assume are all mindless dolts.

I found it especially irritating that she included a chapter on how miserable lawyers are; how the suicide rate among lawyers is SO high; and how any lawyer would never want his children to follow in his footsteps. Considering this is a book for men and women who either want to go to law school or are already there, it was an awkward choice for Estrich to make.

There were a few good points. I did enjoy reading the author's take on the current system of law school rankings. She also gave some inspiring tips on what makes a good personal statement. The section specifically for female lawyers was interesting, and the book has a feminist slant to it overall.

I read this book in the course of an afternoon. Consider it an entertaining beach read this summer for all you kids applying to law school in the fall.

How to Get Into Law School, by Prof. Estrich, has been abundantly helpful to me as I make my way through the admissions process. Her advice is frankly honest and substantially more insightful than the resources I have come across to date. It cannot do anything but help any law school applicant in their odyessy through admissions. Check out her specific advice on getting the right recommendations letters, how to write your personal statment and how to choose the right school for you. Reading this gift of insider info, left me feeling like I had just been let in on the biggest secrets of how to gain admission. Prof. Susan Estrich KNOWS and delivers more pertinent info than a multitude of the commerical LSAT and Law Admissions volumes put together. Best of luck to you on your journey! Send your prayers above for mine, I. Tanvishut, New Orleans, LA.

I am a law school admission consultant. When I was acting as director of Admissions at California Western School of Law, I attended a conference of law school admission professionals in Phoenix. Professor Estrich spoke at this convention and she mentions that speech in the book as her "introduction" to law school admission issues. I admire the author considerably and, as a result, read this book. (I previously read "The Case for Hillary Clinton")

There's a common theme in both; Prof. Estrich likes to mention all the fabulously brilliant and famous people who are among her best friends. Most of the book is name-dropping. She quotes other people (the same people that write the book jacket comments in some cases) and while this makes for an entertaining read and provides some "wow" factor, it's not all that informative for the person looking for advice about law school applications.


While I think the author is right on the mark about looking outside the rankings and picking geography over U.S. News, her actual admission experience seems limited to writing a few letters of rec for her friends' children. (A practice that makes me grimmace - for reasons you can read about on my blog at http://lawschoolexpert.blogspot.com)

The first half of this book is about getting into law school and the 2nd half is about what to do once you're there. I didn't read the second half of the book.

I'd rather law school applicants take advice from Prof. Estrich than from the commercial books out there by big companies and people without a lot of credibility. But this isn't a fantastic book if you're looking for advice about applying. (Anna Ivey's book is better - just don't read the sample personal statements she includes). Prof. Estrich's book might be worth reading if you're trying to decide where to attend law school because her points in this regard are noteworthy.

I always caution applicants against "one size fits all" law school application advice. As the proprietor of www.lawschoolexpert.com, I have helped more than 500 law school applicants reach their dreams in the last 3 years and my full time job is helping people apply to law school. I do recommend this book on my blog, mostly for the rankings analysis.

Overall, its pretty good compared to several I've read. Estrich has some downsides...she assumes you are applying to a "top" law school. For the thousands of us each year desiring to attend law school who aren't in the elite in terms of LSAT, gpa, etc., or perhaps just dont want to attend Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, etc., this may not be the best choice of book to fit your needs. The advice is really universal, just slanted toward the ivy league as if its the only way to go.

Also, paralegals beware: Estrich will offend you. I believe she writes "why be a lesser version of what you really want to be." Did she say "lesser"? Yes, she did. Ouch. As a paralegal of 10 years, I didn't at all care for her biased attitude. She basically portrays paralegals as people who run a xerox all day and have no place in law school.

This is a thoughtful book that every potential law school applicant should read. As a law student, I was stunned by how few (and I mean FEW) people had put any thought at all into their decision to attend. I left my law practice to retain my sanity. For what it's worth, I urge anyone thinking of going to law school to read this book very carefully. There are very good reasons for becoming a lawyer, though making a lot of money is not one of them. Law school isn't that hard (try medical school . . .), but being a lawyer is very demanding indeed. It takes the right kind of person, and the right kind of motivation, to make it worthwhile. This book is an excellent start to deciding if you're one of those people.

I'm 41 and seriously considering law school. This book was very useful in figuring out what qualities make a good law student and lawyer, the types of work available in lawyering, and practical tips for admissions. I read this in one sitting, had borrowed it from the library, and am considering purchasing. Highly recommend to someone wondering whether to pursue that law degree. Reading it was as painless as a conversation with a friend.

This book is a fantastic resource to those of us who are interested in a career in law. It explains the many facets of law that you can delve into and removes many misconceptions and illusions that most people have about law school. Much of it appears to be geared towards scaring you out of law school, but the advice is sound and does a good job at making sure that this is a decision you truly want to make. I would recommend this to anyone who is even remotely interested in law school.

Before reading Ron Coleman's pre-law companion, I was keen on going to law school right after completing my undergraduate degree.

However, through the exercise of reading Coleman's pre-law companion, the reader is forced to question why (s)he wants to go to law school, if indeed (s)he would be happy being a lawyer, and if there aren't any alternatives/paths (s)he would like to pursue before going to law school since realistically, there would be no time for such pursuits afterwards. Well, this last point really hit home for me. I often debated whether I should pursue graduate school in computer science, and Coleman's pre-law companion motivated me to explore this avenue further.

Well, Coleman's advice could not have been better (as well as more timely). Now I won't ever think back and ask myself, why didn't I seriously pursue graduate school in computer science. And if I do end up at law school, I know I'll be better prepared and more certain about being a lawyer.

I thought Ron Coleman's pre-law companion was so appropriate and helpful that I left it with the pre-law advisor at my undergraduate institution. I sincerely hope that others will benefit from it as much as I did. By the way, if in fact you are extremely keen on going to law school, Coleman also offers excellent advice on how to strengthen your application as well as what to realistically expect while going through the entire application process.

This is my second review of Coleman's book: the first one reflects my mindset prior to making my decision to put off law school and this one reflects my mindset afterwards.

I have read a number of "pre-law" primers and this one really stands out. It's strength is it's unique approach: the author paints the "reality" picture and attempts to dissuade potential law students from taking the leap unless they are extraordinarily committed. This reality-check approach makes this book stand out from nearly all books of the genre.

On the negative side, the book is a bit short -- it limits its scope to the "why apply" up through the actual application process, but doesn't discuss financial aid, how to prepare briefs and outlines, etc. Additionally, the author's humor is often funny, but the schmaltzy Yiddish clichés are a bit overwrought.

Bottom line: If you are considering applying to law school, I encourage you to read this book FIRST. If you still want to go to law school, then I would recommend reading additional primers to learn the entire scope of preparing for law school.

I can't Review this Book
Because I never received it a full month later
no word, no up date nothing

so no review just venting ...

I bought this book in preparation for NCLEX-RN and find it very helpful. Its concise, brief, and staightforward format definitely keeps me interested in using it! This book is a great tool to learn the effective test-taking '"strategies" However, I do not recommend this book for comprehensive studying. I just started my review and I'd like to know what other books would be great as references for comprehensive reviews. Will Saunder's Comprehesive NCLEX-RN (ed. 2001) be better and easier to read than Mosby's Comprehensive NCLEX-RN review(ed. 98). Thanks for suggestions! Thanks Kaplan!

I have taken and failed the boards. I now have inside information on what is on the test. I have used many of the review books and NONE of them compare. This easy to read book is the best one and CLOSEST to the actual questions on that exam.
Good luck, TammyJ RN

This books provide comprehensive strategies that are easy to undestand and apply in NCLEX. I just started preparing for NCLEX and have been more motivated to study because of this book.

Thanks and happy reviewing!

The Kaplan review book was a great book to review for my Boards. The approach is easy to understand and facilitates the concept of critical thinking skills necessary to pass the NCLEX. There is only one way to skin a CAT and Kaplan does it with skill and knowledge. I highly recommend this book for review. At this point in your nursing education you have the knowledge to pass the NCLEX Kaplan just shows you how!!

I invested a lot of time learning Sarah's rules and techniques to successful application writing and let me tell you there are a few tricks to the trade that aren't as intuitive as one may think. The most valuable part of her `program', for lack of a better word, is helping come up with a cohesive application profile. It helps you choose essay topics that reflect this profile and ensure that you are presenting yourself fairly and adequately to the admission committee. Her book clearly identifies the traps that unsuccessful applicants fall into and helps you steer clear of the canned essays so many are unsuccessful with. I have recently been accepted to one of the top 3 business programs worldwide by following Sarah's methods. I highly Sarah's essay writing program.

Many of my students have found this book to be an excellent resource that helps them develop essays in their own voice that showcase why they should be in the next COLLEGE CHOICE HERE freshmen class. I highly recommend it!

I can say that it is a singular waste of time and money. Do yourself a favor and buy a book of successful essays instead

This book was all over the August U S News and World Report issue on American colleges and universities. It's a definite keeper.

Sarah McGinty really knows her stuff. What I've learned not only helped me when I was applying to colleges, but was invaluable during my studies and after. The instruction is clear and understandable. This is not just a book about writing a college essay, but a book about proper communication. Buy this book and you won't regret it!!

After 3 months of waiting, we found out it was not available. Disappointing.

the book came very quickly and was packaged so that it could not be damaged

Unlike any 'Pre-Med' textbook, this is indeed the 'Bible' of those seeking a medical education.

This isn't a how-to-get-in book, but is just the facts. Who applied, how many (residents and non), how many interviews were there, what was the average MCAT compared to National Averages, what are the costs, what are all of a particular college's entry requirements, what specialties do they offer, how can I pay for it, what are the MCAT scores by ethnicity, what are the MCAT scores by gender, what is the average enrollment of each specialty once med school is completed, etc....

ALL of these questions and more are answered for EVERY Medical college in the U.S. and Canada!!!

The most complete and informative textbook on the market, for those wanting to enter a professional medical school...(I can't beleive its only around 25 dollars... they could've easily asked twice as much!

This is a must have, and compliments many of the 'how to get in' books here on amazon.

This, coupled with study guides such as Kaplans, will benefit most "pre-meds".

Enjoy.

This book is rather an index of most medical schools in the United States. Although most universities post this information online, this book serves as a great resource. Many people have also recommended the secretroute.com book. I found that book extremely good for strategy and visualizing the bigger picture. Good luck ya'all!

This is a great reference for those interested in medical schools. My situation is somewhat unique, as I am interested in attending a school in Canada. This provided good, concise information about the medical schools in both the U.S. and Canada. It also has a very good timeline in the front, detailing the things a pre-med student ought to be taking and when. It's a good way to narrow down potential med schools, but also to get started in undergrad pre-med. I recommend this type of reference.

This certainly ranks up there. My other choices for 2007, hands down:

1) How To Ace Your Way Through College & Still Have a Life
2) The MLA Handbook
3) Fiske Guide to Colleges

Dr. Vernon M
Cambridge, MA

Get out the highlighter and post its if you have a college bound child is high school. This is the best book I've read on the grueling process of college admission. It is specific in it's suggestions for every type of student.

Great book. We learned a number of admissions tips and strategies that helped our son get into college.

We will certainly hold on to the book and reference it when our sophomore starts filling out her applications.

This book is right up the alley for all those helicopter parental micromanagers out there in cyberspace. If you are one then great, this is the book for you. If you are a student, pass on it as it speaks to only the parent. There are much better student guides out there than this. The book speaks to what active role(s) the parent should take to help get their child into the right college. I bought it thinking it would be a great guide for students and parents alike. It is not. It is a guide for omnipresent, low hovering, fueled up Moms and Dads. Good luck kids! May you find out who you truly are at the campus of your dreams - hopefully far away from your "life coaches".

The best thing about this book is that it tells you what colleges NOT to apply to. It shows you how to match your GPA/SAT scores with colleges that are looking for students in that range. If your GPA is 3.2 and you want to go to Stanford, you are not going to get accepted so don't waste your time, emotions and money applying there. Look for colleges who take 3.2 GPA students. It also cautions you against applying to schools whose GPA range is way lower than yours. The authors suggest that you will be bored in such a school.

I purchased this book, which was recommended by a home schooling mom, as a resource to refer other home schoolers to. I have not read it as yet myself. I am a consultant to our mission board's MK parents.

I was asked to review Jeanne Dennis's book by the publisher because of my interest in helping home schoolers. I've seen the range of questions and concerns home schoolers have shared with each other through email lists and web sites. I feel the book provides many practical ways to systematically prepare for admission to college. As a veteran college admissions officer, I'm glad this book is available for the rapidly growing number of home schoolers forging their paths to college with great independence.

This book has a lot of Helpful information in it. By reading this book, I have saved myself a lot of time at researching the topics that I found in this book.

This book must have good things to offer as far as homeschooling through high school in concerned, but if you're not Christian you may have a hard time wading through the lectures (and scripture passages) about how important Christianity is before you find it.

In Chapter Two "Blueprint for Success" I was surprised to learn that "all homeschoolers should do a thorough study of the evidence for both creation and evolution." I was also surprised to learn that "intellectual honesty demands that you consider all reasonable evidence" in regard to creationism. Why would a non-Christian need to do that? Does the author also ask the reader to consider the scientific evidence for the Buddhist idea of creation? How about any of the myriad of Pagan ideas of creation? Hindu? Islamic? Taoist? Shinto? Sikh? Greek? Mende? Nope. Just Christianity.

Even while you are reading the nitty gritty how-to's later on in the book Christianity keeps peeking in with phrases like "God-given powers of intellect", "moral virtues", "where God wants them to be".

Finally in the General Curriculum Appendix B you will be flooded with Christian curriculum, with very little else.

It would have been nice to be told somewhere up front that this book had a Christian slant before I got it. The title, back cover and chapter headings do not allude to this fact at all.

I ordered several books on homeschooling through high school and preparing for college. My oldest is in 8th grade and I knew nothing about how to keep records and preparing for college transcripts. Of all the books I ordered, I think this is the best. Jeanne Gowen Dennis walks you through every phase of preparation. There are blank pages of record keeping and examples of how to fill them out. This is what I needed. I have already started to fill in the pages with her courses/descriptions. I would recommend this book to everyone homeschooling who is getting ready for high school and looking ahead to college.