Inspiring reads
College Fiction
Glamorous Disasters, by Eliot Schrefer. Vivid details take you into the world and mind of Noah, a young Princeton graduate, who tutors Manhattan's elite for the SATs. The neat thing about this book is that it entertains readers with moving characters and a great plot while informing them about the ins and outs of the SATs. Ultimately, it is a cautionary tale about academic competition.
The Secret History, by Donna Tartt. The intriguing story of a junior who is accepted into an esoteric group of Classics students. In his quest to fit into the sophisticated group, he finds himself participating in a plan to murder one of the circle's members. It is a powerful study into the psychology of someone driven to find acceptance. This suspenseful and intensely written story of human nature is a classic that has been translated into twenty-eight languages.
The Rule of Four, by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. This intellectual suspense novel will make you feel like you're on the Princeton campus. It involves an ancient manuscript said to contain clues that identify the location of a buried Roman treasure. But the students searching to unravel the mystery find themselves locked in a deadly game of academic deceit and murder.
I am Charlotte Simmons, by Tom Wolfe. A brilliant but unsophisticated country girl receives a scholarship to a private college and struggles to adapt to college life. Her experience intersects with a basketball star who suddenly develops a thirst for academics, a gorgeous fraternity boy who wants only one thing from the girl, and a young man searching for the intellectual life while trying to make a name for himself by exposing a campus scandal.
Books to usher you through the gates
You're Gonna Love this College Guide, by Marty Nemko. A good place to start. Explains the college admissions process in plain language. If you feel overwhelmed by the college search, this book will quickly orient and calm you.
A is for Admission, by Michele A. Hernandez. Geared to Ivy League and top-tier college admission, this book explains what college admissions officials look for and takes you through the entire college search process. Includes a timetable, terminology, and explains which high school classes to take. Provides financial aid information as well as information for athletes and special talent students. (Incidentally, if you have younger children, I highly recommend The Middle School Years, by the same author, which provides a wealth of practical steps to set your fifth to eighth grader on track to academic success.)
Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean, by Joyce Slayton Mitchell. Written by a college advisor, this book provides a strategy for college application. Provides a self-evaluation for students to determine the kind of college experience they want as well as an honest appraisal of their academic profile and ambitions. Explains the impact of various campus cultures. Includes specific guidance on writing the college essay.
The College Admissions Mystique, by Bill Mayher. This book explains what has led us to the high competition for college admission. Covers the emotional issues associated with the move to college for both students and parents. Mayher explains how to make use of your high school college counselor and how to use your personal criteria (grades, test scores, other achievements) to narrow the search for colleges.
Colleges that Change Lives, by Loren Pope. For the student willing to look beyond a name-brand college, this book describes forty colleges that, as the subtitle says, "you should know about even if you're not a straight-A student."
Guides to help you decide where you belong
Best 357 Colleges 2005, Princeton Review. Alphabetically lists the nation's colleges rated the highest by students for academics, professors, dormitories, campus life, and more. The format is extremely easy to follow and the information is comprehensive. A helpful resource if you already have several colleges in mind and you want to compare them.
College Handbook 2005: More Than 3,600 4-year and 2-year colleges, College Board Staff. This hefty directory lists colleges by state and provides brief and basic information, including academic requirements and deadlines, tuition, and acceptance rates.
Four-Year Colleges 2005, Peterson's. Profiles US, Canadian and international colleges. US colleges are organized alphabetically by state. Provides basic information, including academic requirements and deadlines, tuition, and acceptance rates. Contains advice on the admissions process.
America's Best Value Colleges, 2006 Edition, by Eric Owens and Tom Meltzer. Describes schools that provide high academic value and that offer generous financial aid.
Web sites to make you more savvy
http://www.finaid.org offers information on financial aid. Lists federal grant and loan programs, scholarships and military aid. Includes a glossary and allows you to submit questions for advice.
http://www.petersons.com provides a college search engine based upon your criteria. Provides information about colleges, including location, size, and tuition.
http://www.campustours.com provides basic information on colleges at a glance, including all majors offered.
http://www.princetonreview.com rates colleges by category, contains information on financial aid and includes practice SAT questions.
| 