The Secrets of Picking a College (and Getting In!)
About this ebook
Comprehensive, yet easy-to-read, this book will teach you:
- How to size up the colleges you're considering—and come up with a coherent list.
- What are college nights, college fairs, and college rep visits—and how you can use each to your advantage.
- What are "holistic", "contextualized", and "legacy" admissions—and 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 Action—and 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 visits—and what to do on each.
- How to prepare for each section of the ACT or SAT—and how to increase your scores.
- What admissions officers are looking for in your application—and how to give it to them.
- How to write the all-important Common App essay—and present your extra-curricular activities.
- How to prepare for an alumni interview—and present yourself in the best light.
- Whom to ask for letters-of-recommendation—and how to help them write the best possible letter.
- How to compare your final offers—and, 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?
About the author
Lynn F. Jacobs is a professor of Art History at the University of Arkansas, having previously taught at Vanderbilt University, California State University Northridge, the University of Redlands, and NYU. Jeremy S. Hyman is founder and chief architect of Professors' Guide content products, (www.professorsguide.com) and lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Arkansas. He has also taught at UCLA, MIT, and Princeton University. Together, they are authors of The Secrets of College Success: Over 800 Tips, Techniques, and Strategies Revealed. Jeffrey Durso-Finley has been director of college counseling at the Lawrenceville School, in Lawrenceville, NJ, for the last ten years. Before that, he served for eight years as assistant director of admissions at Brown University. Jonah T. Hyman is a senior at Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville, Arkansas and is currently in the throes of the college picking and, hopefully, getting in process.
