Full Description
Based on the real-life experiences of students who were admitted to the United States' most prestigious universities, this guide provides proven strategies to get into and pay for any college. Detailing what high school students—from freshmen to seniors—can do to prepare, this updated edition addresses recent changes in admissions and financial aid processes and the increasingly popular early-admissions option. Examples of applications, interviews, and 25 actual college-admission essays complement information on how parents can help without hurting, what it takes to ace the SAT and ACT, and where students can find free cash for tuition. Stories of students' successes and failures reveal how the college-admissions and financial-aid processes really work, while giving a personal face to what is often seen as an impersonal experience. A section for special groups includes admission considerations for athletes, transfer and international students, students with disabilities, and home-schooled students.
Contents
1. What Selective Colleges Really Want from Applicants
2. How to Pick the Perfect College for You
3. Create a Compelling Admission Application
4. How to Guarantee Excellent Evaluations
5. How to Write an Irresistible Essay
6. Recycle Your Essays When Applying to Many Colleges
7. Example Essays: The Good, Bad and Ugly
8. The Secrets to Crushing the Interview
9. Critical Final Steps before Submitting the Application
10. How to Ace the SAT and ACT
11. How to Win Free Cash for College
12. Admissions for Special Groups: Athletes, Transfer Students, International Students, Adult Students, Students With Disabilities and Home-schooled Students
13. Get Started Before Your Senior Year: For Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors
14. Get Your Child Ready for College: A Parents' Guide to Helping Without Hurting
15. Decide Which College to Enter
Appendix A: Resources
Appendix B: College Search Worksheet
Appendix C: Evaluation/Recommendation Worksheet
Appendix D: College Cost of Attendance Worksheet
Appendix E: Financial Aid Worksheet
Index
About the Authors
