The Secrets of Picking a College (and Getting In!)

Two award-winning professors, a former admissions officer at a major university (now a counselor at a prestigious high school), and a gifted high school senior (now in the throes of the college admissions process himself) team up to offer you over 600 tips, techniques, and strategies to help you get in to the college of your choice. Comprehensive, yet easy-to-read, this book will teach you: How to size up the colleges you're consideringand come up with a coherent list. What are college nights, college fairs, and college rep visitsand how you can use each to your advantage. What are "holistic", "contextualized", and "legacy" admissionsand how each can work for you. How some schools count "demonstrated interest"and how you can take advantage of this little-known fact. What are Early Decision, Early Action, and Single-Choice Early Actionand whether any is right for you. How to figure out the true costs of college, and what is the difference between "need-" and "merit-based" aid. What it means when colleges say they meet "100% of demonstrated financial aid" and what "loan-free" means. When and how to make campus visitsand what to do on each. How to prepare for each section of the ACT or SATand how to increase your scores. What admissions officers are looking for in your applicationand how to give it to them. How to write the all-important Common App essayand present your extra-curricular activities. How to prepare for an alumni interviewand present yourself in the best light. Whom to ask for letters-of-recommendationand how to help them write the best possible letter. How to compare your final offersand, in some cases, substantially improve them. When it's good to wait out the "wait list"and when not. -and much, much more. When you understand the college admissions process, you can maximize your chance of success. Why not put yourself ahead of the pack?