Rating: 
Summary: One Word? - Disappointing
Review: One word to sum-up The Gatekeepers? Disappointing....Disappointing because: 1) the author's viewpoint is decidedly "East Coast" with a larger than life view of Eastern seaboard schools with scant appreciation for any institutions of higher learning beyond the Allegheny's, other than Stanford. The reputations of the holy trinity, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, are undeniable, but the author's view of American College education seems to be confined to a very few hundred square miles. 2) the author would use the lives of persons of honor vicariously to further his own career. The nobility, kindness, and charity which unfolded in the lives of Figueroa, Goldman, et al., is more a testament to the character of man than the author's ability to tell the admissions story at a "premier college." 3) the story reads like a prospectus for Wesleyan University (notably, in the first half). In the author's school boy-ish tone, he gushes about the achievements of the college well beyond what one would hope for in an unbiased investigation by a New York Times reporter. The tender lives of the student applicants involved in their search for the perfect college will wrench anyone's heart. Give it a try, but don't be surprised if you're disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: One Word? - Disappointing
Review: One word to sum-up The Gatekeepers? Disappointing.... Disappointing because: 1) the author's viewpoint is decidedly "East Coast" with a larger than life view of Eastern seaboard schools with scant appreciation for any institutions of higher learning beyond the Allegheny's, other than Stanford. The reputations of the holy trinity, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton, are undeniable, but the author's view of American College education seems to be confined to a very few hundred square miles. 2) the author would use the lives of persons of honor vicariously to further his own career. The nobility, kindness, and charity which unfolded in the lives of Figueroa, Goldman, et al., is more a testament to the character of man than the author's ability to tell the admissions story at a "premier college." 3) the story reads like a prospectus for Wesleyan University (notably, in the first half). In the author's school boy-ish tone, he gushes about the achievements of the college well beyond what one would hope for in an unbiased investigation by a New York Times reporter. The tender lives of the student applicants involved in their search for the perfect college will wrench anyone's heart. Give it a try, but don't be surprised if you're disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: an absorbing read
Review: Our son, (product of a large urban public school) is part of the Wesleyan class of '04, so I was curious about the process that ended up in his being accepted there.
I found the book absorbing and informative, as well as reassuring. The admissions officers do pay attention to each applicant, not just the GPAs and the test scores. I came away with the feeling that, while no admission system is perfect, the officers at Wesleyan do the very best they can to be fair to each candidate while trying to achieve diversity (broadly defined to embrace different interests, talent, as well as race and ethnicity). I do wish, though, that Becca Jannol had been admitted to Wesleyan.
We met Ralph Figueroa briefly at orientation. Though our son was not part of his "jurisdiction" I was impressed that Ralph remembered him.
The book itself reads like a page turner. It made me care about both the officers and the applicants.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing
Review: The Gatekeepers is a gripping book. The story of the admissions process at Wesleyan University, it really pulls you in. We meet Ralph, an admissions officer, and we follow him as he and his colleagues go through the process of admitting the class of 2004. We see a broad overview of the process and we also see a closer look at the plight of about 7 or 8 specific students. The students come from a variety of backgrounds. For some, Wesleyan is a stretch. For others, it's not a big enough name. I found myself genuinely interested in finding out who got in and where they all chose to go. I was disappointed by a few reviewers who chose to divulge the fate of a particular student - the book is carefully written to hide the information to the end and reading the reviews ahead of time spoiled it for me. Just because it is not a novel doesn't mean it is not suspenseful. The book examines the process which includes affirmative action. It does not take a stand on the issue, but just reports the process matter-of-factly allowing the reader to come to his or her conclusion. And I disageree with the reviewers who say that white students from public schools without significant obstacles to overcome are at a disadvantage. The author picked a few compelling stories - there are hundreds of other students whose stories were not told here. Not that it proves anything, but I went to a middle-of-the-road public school and a classmate of mine went to Wesleyan. She was white and came from an upper middle class family - no particular disadvantages. So don't give up hope! The one thing that kept running through my head during all of this was how it seems like such a life altering decision for the students - which it is - but to me it just doesn't seem that important. Maybe it is because of my situation. I graduated 2 years ago from a very small, private liberal arts school that is not particularly selective. I did well and graduated with honors. The girl I sit next to graduated from MIT. Guess what? We make the same salary. Maybe it is my profession, but to me the school I went to has not been that crucial to my success. And I disagree with the reviewer who said the people leading our country will be graduates of schools like this. There are excellent schools out there without big names. All in all, I highly recommend this book. It's not really a guide for students and their parents trying to get into college, but there is much to be learned here. Fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: a pediatricians view
Review: the gatekeepers is probably the most enjoyable and most absorbing book i have read this year. when i finished the book i felt like i knew most of the kids as if they were my patients and knew ralph like my next door neighbor. thank you mr steinberg for this marvelous behind the scenes look at the process. i am highly reccomending the gatekeepers to every high school aged patient and their parents who visit my office. marshall blondy,m.d, faap, northville, michigan.
Rating:
Summary: Very informative
Review: This book gives a valuable insight into the workings of at least one of the admissions offices of a selective university, Wesleyan. Mr Steinberg has done a great job of introducing us to a variety of candidates ranging from "shoe-in" to "marginal" and giving us enough of their life stories so that we can understand the intangibles that the admissions committees grapple with. To me, the most valuable part of the book was understanding how the committee dealt with candidates that were on the margins.
For those on the margins, the book makes clear that the factors that cause one candidate to be selected over another can depend largely on fate, and the particular background and prejudices of the admissions officers. For example, the new Dean of Admissions was a sport lover and had a desire to improve Wesleyan's competitiveness. So, for several years, students with athletic skills had an advantage. At another point, one admissions officer noted that a feeder high school was resentful that the previous year few candidates from the school had been accepted to Wesleyan. In order to make sure that students from this prestigious high school didn't give up on Wesleyan, more students were selected the next year. In another case, a student who impressed a recruiter with his in-depth knowledge of movie directors and who had a life story that appealed to the recruiter's agenda got special consideration. There were several instances of students with an exceptional talent but marginal or even poor SAT's being accepted, especially if the talent was one needed by the university.
I was not naive enough to think that merit was the only factor in selection to a top level university, but I was a little stunned to discover just how much of a role fate and the backgrounds, agendas and prejudices of admissions officers played in the final outcome.
I commend Wesleyan for allowing Mr Steinberg access to the selection process, and I commend Mr. Steinberg for writing such a useful and interesting book.
Rating:
Summary: Captures the Essence of an Admissions Office
Review: This book kept me awake all night reading, which doesn't happen very often! It reveals the very-human process of admissions, and reveals both the politics and human issues involved in offices of admissions across the U.S. Having worked briefly in a top college's office of admissions, I can attest to the reality and trueness of this book. As a student who once endured the crazy process known as college applications, I found myself relating to the students noted in this book. Now a graduate student, I also found myself pitying today's college applicants, as the number of applications to colleges keeps growing and growing each year. This book is not only for parents of upcoming college applicants, but for former college applicants and college applicants themselves. It details the heart and emotion that is put into the process, not only by the applicants, but by the Admissions Officers who must decide their fates. Admitting a student is not simply a formulated process for private colleges, but a heart-felt and painstaking decision. Definitely pick this up! 5 stars by far!
Rating:
Summary: Reverse Discrimination at its Finest
Review: This book was very, very upsetting to me, as a midwesterner and the product of a public high school and a state university. It seemed to me that Wesleyan was openly practicing reverse discrimination with regards to it's admissions process. Qualified caucasions are passed over in favor of underqualified minorities who are ill-prepared for the rigors of wesleyan, and the admissions officers pat themselves on the back for being so "forward thinking" and liberal. It seems that unless you attended a fabulously rich prep school or are a minority that you have little chance of being accepted to Wesleyan. Also, the power that a select number of private high-school guidance counselors wield over these admissions officers was shameful-what about the great students at public high schools that are not so well connected? They appear to be left out in the cold. Also, the admissions officers seemed to have no formal qualifications for the job other than a willingness to tow the politically correct party line. There was nary a voice of dissent or introspection from anyone at Wesleyan when Ralph, the main admissions officer in the book, wins admission for a dreadfully underprepared native american student that he literally bends over backwards to accept, and who ultimately fails out of wesleyan. Reverse discrimination is still discrimination, even if it is politically correct.
Rating:
Summary: A true suspense story
Review: This extraordinarily well-written book reads like a top-notch mystery. Who gets in? Who doesn't? Who walks away from the opportunity? Although I'm 40 years past the college application process, I now, for the first time, have a sense of why I wound up where I did, and why I was rejected from the schools that did. (No real regrets, as I wound up changing my career twice after graduating, and my alma mater made less than zero difference.) I would stop just short of saying this is a guide to high school students (and, more specifically, their parents), although the insights are fascinating. Mr. Steinberg also accomplishes the near-impossible -- not just informing and telling a compelling story, but also making you care about a lot of people who would not normally be on your radar screen. This is the story of the Class of 2004; Mr. Steinberg, if you're reading this, I would be interested in a follow-up essay about what happened to all the students and counselors we met after Graduation Day, next year.
Rating:
Summary: A Passionate Look at the Admissions Game
Review: This is one great read. The anguished, honest rationalizations of choices made lie at the heart of this book. Whether its an admissions officer or a student making the choices, one is right there with that individual in Steinberg's compelling narrative. It's not a how-to book. Rather, it's a complex narrative that adeptly weaves the stories of passionate people from various backgrounds, all trying to better themselves and the world they inhabit. Never maudlin, the book is inspirational for it gets at the struggles and complexities of race and class in America -- and how those eternal American obsessions affect (and reflect) the high stakes admissions game. A side note: 'The Gatekeepers' reminded me the Scorsese film 'Casino'. Both are highly informative about the backroom machinations of institutions that wield great influence and power while telling intimate stories of individual lives directly associated with those institutions. Obviously quite different in their cultural and social effects, an institution of higher education and a casino have divergent missions -- still, the stakes and randomness of each are not unalike, as Steinberg's masterful reportage dramatizes and informs.
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