Rating: 
Summary: Don't apply to college before reading this!
Review: This is an excellent expose of the game of college admissions as played mostly by the wealthiest and and most sophisticated prospective students who know about early decision programs. This book is, therefore, a must-read for every high school guidance counselor and parent of a child going to college, especially those who believe elite college admissions are extended only to the best qualified.The only criticism of early admission I have some disagreement with is one emphasized frequently in the book -- that first semester high school seniors who apply early do not have time to sufficiently research potential colleges and know which will be the best fits for them. Information about colleges should be gathered during the student's junior year and, by September or October of his senior year, he/she should have a a good enough idea of what is reasonable to attain and what he/she wants in a college to be able to choose one above all others -- if early decision is something that student wants. The difference in application deadlines is only two months, not enough to make a significant difference for the serious-minded student. If that student wants Princeton more than any other college and, if Princeton fills 60% of its class from early applicants, it would be foolish for that student to wait until January to apply. That may not be the ideal situation but it is the reality.
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