Dad of Divas' Reviews: Book Review - How to Prepare a Standout College Application

Monday, July 22, 2013

Book Review - How to Prepare a Standout College Application

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.




About the Book
Demystifying the process of completing a college application is what How to Prepare a Standout College Application is all about.

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Includes the latest information on the Common Application 4.0 and corrects outdated, holdover advice still stressed in many other books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.

About the Authors
Alison Cooper Chisolm heads the  college admissions consulting practice at Ivey Consulting. She came to private consulting after working in admissions for more than 10 years at three selective universities (Southern Methodist University, University of Chicago, and Dartmouth College).

Anna Ivey is the former Dean of Admissions at the University of Chicago Law School and founded Ivey Consulting to help college, law school, and MBA applicants navigate the admissions process and make smart choices about higher education. You can find more college admissions tips in their book How to Prepare a Standout College Application (Wiley, August 2013), and follow them on Twitter @IveyCollege.

 


My Take on the Book
I have worked in college admissions and higher education for the past 15 years and I am always looking for great books that demystify the process of entering college, as I too wrote my own book on this too. This book takes a little different tact and makes the reader consider the application and what helps to make them stand out from other applicants. As a past College Admissions Officer, I have to say that I know that for many colleges this is important, as colleges are more and more utilizing a holistic approach to admissions. What this means is that there is not just one way in which they are admitting students (GPA or test scores alone), but instead they are looking to have a diverse group of students with a diverse group of experiences that are coming into their academic institution. Thus, it becomes very important to consider these issues as a student as you enter high school and start to make choices that will follow you to your college search and application process.

This book is written in such a way that it makes it easy to set yourself up well to do just that. The book is clear and to-the-point and filled with practical advice that will assist all students with making the right decisions for their future.

The book also is a complete resource and you can tell that it is filled with amazing information that has been collected over time as the authors easily show their ease and expertise in the field itself.

All-in-all this was a great book that shares intimate knowledge of the college admission process and is definitely a book that any high school student or parent should check out today!


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