A is for Admission, by Michele A. Hernández
A is for Admission: The Insider's Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges
by Michele A. Hernández
266 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Education/College
If The Gatekeepers was slightly dated, then A is for Admission might be severely dated--it was published over a decade ago, which is an eon in the world of fluctuating education policies. Nevertheless, it is a unique book. Hernández, who graduated with honors from Dartmouth and went on to become an admissions officer, is a "disgruntled adcom" and taking revenge for unknown reasons by spilling secrets. It's not illegal, just immoral according to the unspoken code; but Hernández says herself that she is leaving admissions permanently, so it doesn't matter. Her book discusses all of the usual hot topics with candor. However, the most important section is chapter 6--the Academic Index. Essentially, the Ivy League developed a formula to measure recruited athletes' academic ability, and then decided to use it for all applicants. It's quite fascinating, I think.
As always, YMMV. I could write a lot more about this book, but I'd rather not bore people with irrelevant information. If you are doing college research, even if you aren't considering the Ivies, you should definitely read A is for Admission. Although I do think that the extended subtitle is misleading--this is not so much a guidebook but an exposé.
by Michele A. Hernández
266 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction/Education/College
If The Gatekeepers was slightly dated, then A is for Admission might be severely dated--it was published over a decade ago, which is an eon in the world of fluctuating education policies. Nevertheless, it is a unique book. Hernández, who graduated with honors from Dartmouth and went on to become an admissions officer, is a "disgruntled adcom" and taking revenge for unknown reasons by spilling secrets. It's not illegal, just immoral according to the unspoken code; but Hernández says herself that she is leaving admissions permanently, so it doesn't matter. Her book discusses all of the usual hot topics with candor. However, the most important section is chapter 6--the Academic Index. Essentially, the Ivy League developed a formula to measure recruited athletes' academic ability, and then decided to use it for all applicants. It's quite fascinating, I think.
As always, YMMV. I could write a lot more about this book, but I'd rather not bore people with irrelevant information. If you are doing college research, even if you aren't considering the Ivies, you should definitely read A is for Admission. Although I do think that the extended subtitle is misleading--this is not so much a guidebook but an exposé.