Getting in Without Freaking Out: The Official College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents 
asked by redsink on November 5, 2006 5:42 PM
Is College Planning Driving You Crazy?
Somehow, watching as your children decide which schools to apply to is as stressful for you as it is for them. If you’ve found yourself contemplating essay forgery, scheduling five college tours for a single holiday weekend, and obsessively checking the U.S. News and World Report rankings, you may be on the verge of freaking out. But as a parent, it’s important to (try to) remain calm and help keep everything in perspective.
Written specifically for parents and their college-bound teens, Getting In Without Freaking Out is an insider’s guide to the application process by professional college coach Arlene Matthews. Years of experience have taught her the secrets of playing the admissions game without all the anxiety. Now, Arlene shares what admissions officers won’t tell you—that getting into a great college isn’t as hard as it seems! You’ll learn . . .
• How to get into a top college without ever taking the SATs
• Why a little procrastination never hurt anyone
• Why applying to fewer schools increases the chances of acceptance
• What really matters when your child goes off to college—and beyond
As entertaining as it is practical and realistic, Getting In Without Freaking Out is the only guide of its kind—one that helps you get through the getting-in process with grace, good humor, and knowledge that will enhance your student’s chance of success.
Somehow, watching as your children decide which schools to apply to is as stressful for you as it is for them. If you’ve found yourself contemplating essay forgery, scheduling five college tours for a single holiday weekend, and obsessively checking the U.S. News and World Report rankings, you may be on the verge of freaking out. But as a parent, it’s important to (try to) remain calm and help keep everything in perspective.
Written specifically for parents and their college-bound teens, Getting In Without Freaking Out is an insider’s guide to the application process by professional college coach Arlene Matthews. Years of experience have taught her the secrets of playing the admissions game without all the anxiety. Now, Arlene shares what admissions officers won’t tell you—that getting into a great college isn’t as hard as it seems! You’ll learn . . .
• How to get into a top college without ever taking the SATs
• Why a little procrastination never hurt anyone
• Why applying to fewer schools increases the chances of acceptance
• What really matters when your child goes off to college—and beyond
As entertaining as it is practical and realistic, Getting In Without Freaking Out is the only guide of its kind—one that helps you get through the getting-in process with grace, good humor, and knowledge that will enhance your student’s chance of success.
Reviews
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I am so thankful to Ms. Matthews for writing this book. This should be required reading for all parents who have children applying to colleges. I have read a number of books on appyling to colleges, many with good advice, but this is the one I would choose if I only had time to read just one book on the subject. The book was well-written with excellent advice. There was also a healthy dose of humor and entertainment, and don't we stressed out parents need more of that to lighten up with? It is broken down in such a way that it was easy to pick up and read for as much time as I had, put it down, and pick right back up later. It helped me to prioritize and remember what is truly important and necessary. Thank you, Ms. Matthews. You certainly made this process less stressful, and my relationship with my son is most likely much better than it would have been had I not read your book. My son narrowed his search down to just 3 schools thanks to your advice, the apps are in, and now we are practicing secret #37: breathe! I would recommend this book over any other "getting into college" book out there.
reviewed by davedriver on November 29, 2006 3:07 AM
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I wish I had had this book when I was applying to college way back when! Matthews has done her homework and written by very well-researched book. Love the title!
reviewed by vcedwards on November 29, 2006 5:00 AM
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This book breaks away from the pack by combining practical, hype-free admissions advice with a refreshing dose of reality therapy. In addition to soup-to-nuts application guidance, the book offers parents advice for preventing the college admissions process from straining our relationship with our kids (I strongly suggest reading this book with your college-bound daughter or son). The author wisely cites studies showing that a good parent-child relationship is a far greater predictor of academic and life success than SAT scores or selective college acceptance! Thank you -- I needed that.
reviewed by axelrose on November 29, 2006 2:42 PM
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I am the father of a high school junior. This book was recommended by my son's guidance counselor. She told my wife and I that she wished she had written it, because it had great advice and a way of taking the terrifying edge off the college admissions process. This book makes you -- and your kids -- remember what is really important, and helps them express who they really are in their applications, without the kind of hype that all the admissions officers have been on to for years. It is not only wise but refreshingly funny. a must-have for any family with a college-bound kid.
reviewed by perfect10 on November 29, 2006 6:35 PM
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Of course there are parents and kids that are extremely stressed about the college admissions quest but this book is very basic and I found it insulting. It really bothered me that the author infers all parents do their children's 7th grade science projects and will have a hard time not writing their child's college essay. There were a very few useful paragraphs if I could have given 1 1/2 stars I would have.
A better book on mapping out a strategy to narrow application choices, visiting colleges and all the rest was "Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean" by Joyce Slayton Mitchell.
A better book on mapping out a strategy to narrow application choices, visiting colleges and all the rest was "Winning the Heart of the College Admissions Dean" by Joyce Slayton Mitchell.
reviewed by teacher on November 29, 2006 7:30 PM