Rating: 
Summary: Insightful, Heartfelt, Great read for all especially parents
Review: I found this true tale to be touching. I was empathetic to all those involved whether they were those selected from "merit" or "action". I was overjoyed for all the applicants and their growth (and mine) through their experiences. I applauded the thoughtful way applicants were reviewed and considered for admission. There are several views when discussing "merit" versus "action". I believe that in Wesleyan's case, at this snap shot in time, their process although flawed like all other schools does look at the merit of diversity. There action based merit is what eliminates strife with the knowledge we all gain of one another in a diverse environment where all share a common goal. Parents this is a exceptional book, look beyond reading this a purely a guide to admission into your college of choice but devourer these words and walk away with a growth that "will ad" to your life an the world as a whole. You are a "Kevin Bacon" relation to everyone you encounter or never encounter on this planet.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent, not very thorough book on a sorry process
Review: I guess the author did a pretty good job of covering a limited subject - following one admissions officer and colleagues at one liberal, Eastern college. My issue with this is: why not expand the coverage to contrast what happens at Wesleyan with what happens across a range of other colleges. To not try to do that seems lazy and self limiting to me. That's my general complaint with the concept of the book; otherwise, the author did a credible job of writing and closely following a number of student/applicants.I also would have liked to have seen the topic expanded to get an idea of whether or not the process is as pathetic at other colleges. What I saw here was a group of unqualified "social engineers" trying to feel good about themselves by discriminating against qualified candidates in favor of unqualified candidates that fit their idea of who their college needed to embrace to achieve diversity or whatever. It seemed to me that the process was crying out for some adult supervision. The admissions officers had no particular skill set or clear guidance from university policy makers from which to make their decisions. So, you have people right out of college (or who may go from this work to be a flight attendant) making important decisions very, very subjectively. That's great news if you're a popular minority or whatever, but it's maddening to everyone else. If minority representation is a goal of the school, let them come up with an objective point system and boost the scores of those groups, but keep these lightweights from having so much subjective power. Reverse discrimination is still discrimination and I don't know why anyone would appoint this motley group to be in charge of it.
Rating:
Summary: Absoutely Fascinating...
Review: I just finished reading "The Gatekeepers" after it was recommended by other mom in my daughter's senior's class. Since several of the schools my daughter is applying to are mentioned in the book it was definitely a must read for me. However, it is a must read for any parent whose child is applying to a selective college/university. "The Gatekeepers" is written in a wonderfully thoughtful and fascinating manner that it reads like a novel you just can't put down. The insight it provides into the admissions process is invaluable not only in the useful information it provides but also in the "shot in the dark" aspect to applying to a selective school. I think it may help my daughter and myself to relax a bit during this whole thing since so much of it seems random, especially for white middle class kids with great grades and scores. My daughter is off right now on college tours with my husband and I keep calling her with advice I've learned from the book--she may start blocking my calls. But if you want to know what goes on, read this book, you won't be sorry you did.
Rating:
Summary: Absoutely Fascinating...
Review: I just finished reading "The Gatekeepers" after it was recommended by other mom in my daughter's senior's class. Since several of the schools my daughter is applying to are mentioned in the book it was definitely a must read for me. However, it is a must read for any parent whose child is applying to a selective college/university. "The Gatekeepers" is written in a wonderfully thoughtful and fascinating manner that it reads like a novel you just can't put down. The insight it provides into the admissions process is invaluable not only in the useful information it provides but also in the "shot in the dark" aspect to applying to a selective school. I think it may help my daughter and myself to relax a bit during this whole thing since so much of it seems random, especially for white middle class kids with great grades and scores. My daughter is off right now on college tours with my husband and I keep calling her with advice I've learned from the book--she may start blocking my calls. But if you want to know what goes on, read this book, you won't be sorry you did.
Rating:
Summary: The god's do play dice with the universe
Review: I read this book and had a wide range of emotions. I will start by stating my views tend to be fiscally and politically moderate. So, I had to temper my frustration in reading a book on college admissions written by a writer for the New York Times (a decidedly liberal newspaper)and of a quite liberal East Coast University, Wesleyan. The choice of school and admission officer to shadow express a liberal bias that may not entirely reflect the view of all top Universities, but is probably true to the nature of Affirmative Action nation wide. Mr. Figueroa, the Admissions Officer, deserves accolades for the passion he expresses in his responsibilities. That said, my analysis must be dispassionate since my oldest child is currently looking at colleges. So here it is: 1. The Wesleyan pie is first divided this way, 30% African, Latino and Asian students. Many deserve admission, without question, no matter who you measure them against. These are the HP (high priority) minority students. Others are in the generally acceptable population range according to averages, courses taken, class rank, activities, leadership etc.. Some are at risk students, as are some in the other applicant cohorts. True, these students may be cut a little slack but, remember they still must pass courses to matriculate at the university. The U.S. News and World Report is watching and will note the number of non matriculating students. They will also note the number of students who are accepted and decide to go elsewhere. And so the games begin! 2. Foreign students are given 3% of the pie. Diversity by ethnicity and country raised in and state of origin produce robustness. The rules for foreign students are very similar I suppose although the book does not go into great detail. 3. 67% is carved out for those with European ancestry. My only beef here is that there are significant cultural diversity distinctions even amongst Europeans! We are not all rolled out of the same batch of flour or using the same cookie cutter, so to speak. But, alas I digress. Of this group an expectation of SAT = 1340 or so is expected. This is the benchmark. Quality points are given for challenging AP courses as compared to your peers. The harder the competition at your High School and the more people apply to the same university the lower the probability you have to be picked over your classmates. Unless, of course, you are the one to apply early decision and have all the goods. Subjectivity always is a confounding variable. A wonderful essay read by an Admissions Officer at 3am on Saturday may work as well as the car built by the worst crew on the last Friday of the quota month. But chance does favor the prepared mind so make your essay special for you. Activities count, clubs, organizations, etc., but being an officer or say President of the Student body counts more for showing Leadership. Life experiences expressed in a well written essay could tip the scale, as well. Sports are important if you are "the one" who is needed for the team, but usually not without the other components mentioned. A much needed Oboist should get the nod, sometimes even if some deficiencies need to be overlooked. Diversity by domestic geographic origin also is a consideration. Schools want to recruit and report diversity from all 50 states. Obviously, East coast schools will attract more people from the east and therefore you compete with other east coast students for a subset of the seats to a greater degree than you think! So, keep the grades up, take the most challenging curriculum, be a leader in school organizations, express yourself in your essays, note any ethnicity that is accurate and listed (or not listed), take an SAT prep course, grind through old SAT exams, know the TEST and how to take it. Take it twice unless you have exceeded the requirements of the schools to which you have applied or you dialed 800 verbal and 800 math. Check out the requirements for financial aid, this sometimes requires persistence. Make a list of schools prioritize them as, dream schools, desirable schools and safe schools. Visit as many schools as possible to be sure they are a good fit for your academic major, that you like the culture of the school, the feel of the campus and that the location makes it easy to get home to see the family... Roll the dice! Then it all becomes the mathematics of probabilities. Good luck! Remember, the harder you work the luckier you get! And you may find yourself thinking the refrain from an old song which stated in self proclamation, "My future's so bright I gotta wear shades!"
Rating:
Summary: The hypocrisy of the process is the shocking part
Review: It is a crap shoot, truly, and this book makes that eminently clear. My strongest reaction was to the attitude of the admissions officers to the pot brownie incident. Here was a girl who ate one brownie, turned herself in when she in no way had to and gracefully took the one-day suspension meted out by the school. She was roundly punished for doing the right thing by the Wesleyan admissions team. When she came by for a visit later in the process, she was greeted with clouds of marijauna smoke in the dorm. I cheered when she headed for Cornell. The message that decision sent to her schoolmates and everyone who reads this book was to never, NEVER acknowledge a mistake in judgement, if you're so immature at 15 or 16 as to make one.
Rating:
Summary: As good as non-fiction gets
Review: Jacques Steinberg is a very gifted writer who makes a topic one would hardly consider riveting into an absolute page-turner. So what if the admissions process is different from the perspective of an admissions officer? The entire process is subjective and often arbitrary to begin with. Steinberg provides a fascinating perspective on this process that should let prospective applicants and parents alike gain a better understanding of the process and the types of people engaged in it. Bottom line reality comes through loud and clear. And it's a damn good read!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent depiction of a complicated process ...
Review: Many reviewers say this book paints a scary picture of a highly random process. While a lot depends on chance (or factors beyond the applicant's control), I prefer to think of it as saying you might as well be yourself, because it's hard to know whom you should pretend to be in order to gain an advantage. The book is full of detailed stories of real applicants, making it an interesting read even if you aren't looking for a way to get ahead in the process. By the way, if you are looking for a way to improve your chances, try "The Early Admissions Game: Joining the Elite" by Avery, Fairbanks and Zeckhauser. They present strong evidence that (despite what admissions officials say) the best way to increase your chances of "getting in" is to apply early decision/early action.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing account of the admissions process
Review: Mr. Steinberg's account of the admissions process at Wesleyan University left me shaken. While expecting to see admissions officers focusing on students accomplishments and achievements, an overwhelming amount of attention was paid to "diversity" and how the school's profile would look in the next US News and World Report College Ranking Issue. Those who believe that college admissions (at least at Wesleyan) have to do with merit will be quickly disabused of such notions as candidates with weak transcripts and poor SAT's are admitted over qualified applicants, often based on their status as a sought-after minority. The book also focuses on several applicants applying to Wesleyan in addition to other schools and tracks their progress, successes, and failures at various universities. I was reassured in the end as those applicants who were qualified tended to do well wherever they ended up going, while those who were poorly qualified performed...poorly. In a way, Wesleyan is doing poorly qualified students a disservice by admitting them to a highly competeitive school that they might not be prepared for. One poorly qualified candidate, who the admissions officer at the focus of the book practically bends over backwards to accept, predictably runs into serious academic trouble very quickly and ends up leaving Wesleyan due to terrible grades, and does not go on to finish college elsewhere. I thought this story was emblematic of the pitfalls of preference-based decision making in this type situation. What ever happened to admissions based on merit?
Rating:
Summary: Every parent should read this book
Review: My son is a junior and based on this book,I wouldn't advice him to even consider Wesleyan.I was somewhat shocked by the constant bias towards an applicants skin color and not their academic record.It seems to me that they may as well post a sign "White Males Need Not Apply".I drive thru the Wesleyan campus every day,and know some of the people mentioned in the book but was unaware of the social engineering that goes on behind the scenes.I only can hope that my sons college admission decision is based on the content of his character,not the color of his skin.
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