This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Admission Matters demystifies the college application process and offers practical advice for choosing the right school, writing an effective essay, navigating financial aid, and much more. This handy resource will help any college-bound student whether they attend well-funded private schools or cash-strapped public schools. Filled with helpful suggestions, ideas and advice, the new edition also includes tips for home-schooled students who are preparing to attend college.

Admission Matters differs from other books on college admissions in three important ways.

1. Admission Matters takes the unique approach of simultaneously and engagingly addressing students and parents as it guides them through the complexities of selective college admissions. We have interviewed many high school students and parents. Students have told us about well-intentioned but overworked high school counselors. They’ve shared their frustrations about parents who seem clueless about the current realities of college admissions or who are pushy sometimes to the point of trying to take over the admissions process themselves. Parents, on the other hand, have told us about children who procrastinate to the brink of disaster or become so tense about the admissions process that the parents fear for their child’s health. At the same time, parents confided that they struggle to find appropriate ways to help their children, but encounter contradictory messages about what is OK for them to do and what is not. Admission Matters addresses all of these concerns, and more, and provides authoritative advice to students and parents about their different yet complementary roles in the admissions process, leading to a happy outcome.

2. Admission Matters emphasizes the “why” as well as the “how” of college admissions. Having a good understanding of the current college admissions “scene” empowers students and parents to take charge of the parts of the application process that are in their hands, and helps them to understand and come to terms with the parts that are not. Admission Matters provides readers with insider insights into colleges and the admissions process, as well as practical, how-to advice. Understanding the college admissions process from the college’s perspective can help students and parents use their energies wisely and to full advantage.

3. Admission Matters features lively quotations from students, parents, academic leaders and admissions experts, liberally sprinkled throughout the book. The voices of those who have “been there” bring Admission Matters to life in an engaging way that emphasizes key points. The quotes vividly complement the text and make it fun to read, even for students who would rather be doing something else.

Although Admission Matters cannot eliminate the uncertainty and unpredictability that plague selective college admissions, it demystifies the process. Admission Matters explains how the system used to work in the parents’ day and why and how it has significantly changed. The book provides extensive practical advice that is action-oriented and reassuring. Students and parents who carefully follow the advice in Admission Matters will find at least one "fat envelope" in the mailbox at the end of the application cycle, and likely several more.

Applying to college is both a practical experience and an emotional one, ending with parents and teens saying “good-bye” to each other in a new way. Although Admission Matters stays well on the nuts and bolts side of this life event, it is written with heart and with the difficult, but not impossible, goal of bringing the family closer together in an experience that need not be the last anguished battle of the teen years.

Admission Matters addresses the entire spectrum of applicants, from those who attend well-funded public and private schools with excellent college guidance programs, to students who attend schools, most often public, that provide very limited help. It gives students who lack ready access to information the leg up they need to be competitive at selective colleges, and offers insight and valuable perspectives to even the most well-prepared families.

Admission Matters explains:

• How rankings motivated by magazine profits contribute to the application frenzy
• How the admissions process at selective colleges really works and what can, and cannot, be controlled
• What students can do to submit strong and competitive applications to colleges that are a good fit for them
• How standardized testing has changed and what those changes mean for students
• When an “early” application makes sense, when it can be a mistake, and how to tell the difference at a time when “early” options are rapidly changing
• What to expect from financial aid and how to increase the chances of receiving more
• What students and parents can do to work together in appropriate and respectful ways at all points in the admissions process to achieve a happy outcome

This list is just a small sampling of the topics covered. Admission Matters also provides readers with a detailed timeline that gives students and parents an at-a-glance summary of what they should be doing and when. A glossary and annotated listing of web-based and print resources that guide readers to additional information as needed are included. A thorough and carefully prepared index completes the volume.

Admission Matters is an expert, appealing, and smart book that skillfully blends up-to-date, practical, hands-on advice with wisdom and insider perspective. It also provides some fascinating historical context and insights into the latest controversies in college admissions. Every family with a college-bound student who aspires to attend a selective college will find this book an invaluable guide and a good read.

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