Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College

Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College

Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College

Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting into College

Paperback

$18.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

New edition of the go-to reference to college admission

Getting into college has never been more complicated or competitive. Parents and students need expert guidance to navigate the maze of college admissions. This thoroughly updated edition of Admission Matters is the best source, covering the whole process for any applicant. The authors offer great practical advice for selecting the right school, writing effective essays, navigating financial aid, and much more. No matter what type of school a college-bound student may select, Admission Matters will give them the edge they need.

  • Offers an essential resource for understanding the admission process for all students applying to college
  • Addresses the most recent changes to the college application process
  • New sections include information for international students, transfer students, and students with learning disabilities, as well as expanded advice for athletes, artists, and homeschoolers

This is an essential handbook for any family facing the college admission process.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781118450277
Publisher: Wiley
Publication date: 07/01/2013
Series: CourseSmart Series
Pages: 400
Sales rank: 1,151,548
Product dimensions: 6.90(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Sally P. Springer, PhD, Associate Chancellor Emerita at the University of California, Davis is a psychologist with over 35 years’ experience in higher education as a professor and academic administrator. In “rewirement” she helps students on their path tocollege.

Joyce Vining Morgan, PhD, began her long career in education as a college professor and transitioned to teaching high school; becoming a college counselor bridged the two. A retired certified educational planner, she mentors students and new colleagues.

Nancy Griesemer, MA, is a freelance writer and independent educational consultant with decades of experience in education. A long-time advocate for greater transparency in college admissions, she coaches families and colleagues on the process.

Jon Reider, PhD, has a long career in education that includes 15 years as an admissions officer at Stanford University and 18 years as director of college counseling at San Francisco University High School. He currently works as an advisor and speaker.

Read an Excerpt

Click to read or download

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction xiii

Part 1 What You Need to Know Before You Begin 1

1 Why Has College Admissions Become So Competitive? 3

2 What Do Colleges Look for in an Applicant? 19

3 How Do Colleges Make Their Decisions? 45

4 How Colleges (and Students) Differ: Finding What Fits 58

Part 2 Making the Right Choices for You 95

5 Building Your College List 97

6 A New Look at Testing 124

7 Deciding About Early Decision and Other Early Options 145

8 Paying the Bill 159

Part 3 Tackling Your Applications 191

9 Applying Well, Part I: The Application and the Essay 193

10 Applying Well, Part II: Recommendations, Interviews, and Activities 209

11 Making the Most of Your Special Talents 229

12 Students with Special Circumstances 254

13 International Students Applying to Study in the U.S. and U.S. Students Applying to Study Internationally 277

Part 4 Bringing the Process to a Close 305

14 Making Your Decision After the Colleges Make Theirs 307

15 What Matters Most: Advice to Parents and Students 329

College Preparation Timeline 339

Resources 349

Notes 359

About the Authors 367

Index 369

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

All families will see themselves in this book and benefit from reading it. TWICE. This common sense book is the one I'll use when my son embarks on his college search adventure.
Monica Inzer, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Hamilton College

Crystal clear and concise, yet surprisingly comprehensive. The authors cover everything about the college admission process — which too often appears mysterious or secretive — in simple, understandable terms. I wish I had picked this book up before my daughter sent in her applications.
Kirk Brennan, Director of Undergraduate Admission, University of Southern California

If you are serious about a college search, you should get the best book available and that is what you just found with Admission Matters. The years of expertise that the authors possess are mightily evident on every page.
Gary L. Ross, Vice President and Dean of Admission, Colgate University

Admission Matters should be required reading for every high school student about to embark on a college search. It's remarkably thorough and insightful.
Jennifer Delahunty, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Kenyon College

Since its debut, Admission Matters has been the single best resource available to help students and their families avoid the increasing barbarity of the 'admission marketplace.' The new edition continues that noble tradition by providing essential information and tools to make the college admission process sane, humane and perhaps even, for its fortunate readers, a great voyage of personal growth and discovery.
Michael Beseda, Vice President for College Communications and Vice Provost for Enrollment, Saint Mary's College of California

I love this book — it is so easy to read, realistic and spot on with its advice. Besides the great information, the quotes, charts and examples are well placed and help makes sense of the often confusing and overwhelming college admission process. It is a "must read" resource for any student applying to college.
Bob Bardwell, School Counselor & Director of School Counseling, Monson High School, MA

Thorough, careful and clear — Admission Matters is a great guide for the experienced parent, the first-time parent and students considering colleges of all types.
Maria Furtado, Director of Admission, Eckerd College, and Past-Chair, Colleges That Change Lives

For students and parents who are desperate for timely, expert information and advice about college admissions, this new edition of Admission Matters is just what the doctor ordered. It is filled with wise, up-to-date facts and insider knowledge that only seasoned professionals such as Sally Springer, Jon Reider and Joyce Vining Morgan know. Students and parents are going to love it.
Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz, author/founder, adMISSION POSSIBLE, www.admissionpossible.com, selected blogger Huffington Post College section

Admission Matters contains an incredible wealth of very useful information for parents, students and school counselors. Although I've been in the admission counseling field for almost 20 years, the book gave me new insights and perspectives that will help me in my daily work with students and their families. The book is a great resource covering the most current topics and trends in the ever-changing field of college admission.
Kathi Moody, School Counselor, Lynnfield High School, MA

In the ever evolving world of college admission, Admission Matters is both comprehensive and cutting edge. If you limit yourself to one how-to guide for college admission, ADMISSION MATTERS fills the bill.
Bruce J. Jones, Associate Director of Admission, Whitman College

Admission Matters is a touchstone book on the topic written by deeply experienced, thoughtful, and respected professionals who realize that applying to college is both a practical and emotional experience for students and parents. Highly recommended.
Philip Ballinger, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Admissions, University of Washington

A bible for every applicant.
Sarah McGinty, author, The College Application Essay (College Board)

For all students and parents who seek to understand and successfully negotiate the complexities of selective college admissions, Admission Matters is the must-have resource.
Paul Marthers, Vice President for Enrollment
and Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Admission Matters represents the gold standard for "how-to" books on the college admission process — and as a former dean of admission, I should know.  It is wise, practical, sane, comprehensive and calming, and will be mandatory reading for the families I assist in the college choice journey.
William Shain, William M. Shain Consulting and former dean of admission at Vanderbilt University, Macalester College and Bowdoin College

In an era of information overload, it is refreshing to have accurate, up-to-the minute information on college admissions from real experts. The third edition of Admission Matters helps students find their best college fit, and offers clear and concise tips on the application process. This is perhaps the most helpful, energetic, accurate and well-written book on college admissions I have seen in nearly four decades of admissions work.
Robert Massa, former Vice President for Enrollment at Dickinson College and Dean of Enrollment at Johns Hopkins University

The all-new third edition of Admissions Matters belongs front and center on every college counselor's shelf and within handy reach of any family with college-bound students. Seasoned professionals as well as families new to college admissions will benefit from the straightforward and up-to-date advice the authors provide on every phase of the admissions process. If you are only going to buy one college guide, make this the one!
Nancy Griesemer, College Explorations and D.C., Examiner.com

A clear, calm, and comprehensive guide.  Whether you know a little or a lot about the college admission process, you will find this book filled with valuable advice from real experts.  Loaded with good information, this will help both students and parents navigate an often daunting and confusing process.
Debra Shaver, Dean of Admission, Smith College

Parents and students will learn how to wisely and successfully navigate the complex college admission process. Comprehensive, there is something for everyone interested in college and university admission in Admission Matters.
George Mills, former Vice President for Enrollment with 42 years of college admission experience, University of Puget Sound

This important book and its respected and experienced authors provides an antidote to the anxiety felt by many families as they navigate the college admissions process. You can get in, you can afford it, and you can have a valuable experience.
Jeff Rickey, Vice President and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, St. Lawrence University

This is probably the most thorough book of its kind. On top of that, it is full of accurate advice that should help all students and parents get a better perspective and relieve at great deal of the stress that revolves around today's college admission hype. It is a great resource, even for college counselors!
William S. Dingledine, Jr.; Certified Educational Planner; Past-President, Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC)

Admissions Matters is a must read for anyone who is seeking to understand the admissions landscape of today — and make no mistake, it's different than it was just a few short years ago. This book offers wonderful guidance and wisdom for all.
Nanette H. Tarbouni, Director of College Counseling, John Burroughs School, MO

Admissions Matters is not only an essential how-to for students and families embarking on the college process , but it is a thoughtful and thorough explanation on the why's and how-we-got-here questions of our day. It's a must read.
Liz Pleshette, Director of College Counseling, Latin School of Chicago

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews