<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Acing the College Application: How to Maximize Your Chances
Review: Acing the College Application is one of the most valuable college counseling books I've read to date. It is informative, concise and to the point, with many hints and detailed recommendations. An Independent College Counselor.
Rating:
Summary: Hernandez is Sheer Genius
Review: Acing the College Application is the best book any college-bound Senior could buy. One of the greatest things it provides is a sample activity list. Many students do so many extracurricular activities that it can be hard to package your responses into the tight confines of an application. Hernandez makes this possible, through an activity list, that allows you to elaborate in greate detail without sounding pretentious. My application was greatly enhanced because of this asset. She also offers interview advice and tells you the real deal about extra materials. She answers your every question in this short, easy to read book. I love Michele Hernandez!
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful!!
Review: Faced with the terrifying task of starting my college applications, I decided to pick up a book for help. At first, I did not know what to choose, but I finally settled on Michele Hernandez' book because it's so helpful and easy to read. She's very to the point and includes all the essential information, and I felt most confident with her book that I would obtain the information I needed to gain admission to the selective colleges that I am applying to.Her section on supplementary materials and the interview is especially helpful. I would definitely recommend all high school seniors to purchase this book! It -really- helps.
Rating: 
Summary: A useful tool
Review: I picked up this book not knowing what to expect, with only the willingness to finish some apps. If you have a low GPA, low test scores, low involvement in school, etc. this book will not get you into a good college. What this book will do, however, is tell you how to accentuate your positive attributes, how to show off the intellectual curiosity and passion that the elite universities look for. Including sections on describing extracurriculars, sample essays, tips on filling out the forms themselves, and information on the general admissions process, the book proved quite useful.
PS: As for myself, I got into Columbia, Duke, Williams, and a number of other colleges; I feel books like this played a key role in refining my applications to make me look my very best.
Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Have Done It Withouth This Book!
Review: I'm a high school senior from Alaska and was recently accepted to Dartmouth College under the early decision option. Throughout the time-consuming application process, I refferred to this book like a compass! Dr. Hernandez devotes pages of expertise to EVERY section of the college application. This book includes an excellent section on hints to make your activities and personal quallities truly stand out from the general "pack". It also goes a step beyond other college admissions books because it explains what to do to maximize your acceptance chances if you've been defferred or wait-listed. Michele Hernandez has had four years of experience as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Darmouth and her insider secrets make this book your best option for admission (in addition to your own accomplishments); I couldn't put it down! IF YOU WANT TO GET IN, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: If you are looking for an edge to get into elite private schools, this books really does offer very good insight. This book has so much detail and is so thorough. The hints and tips seemed to address all my concerns that i had about the college application. I highly recommend following this guide to write your college app.
Also, the book is actually fun to read. The reading is easy and smooth and very coherent as well.
Rating:
Summary: The Single Most Helpful Book that I Have Read
Review: It's rare that I will take the time to rave about a book on Amazon, but this book is most certainly worth it. I have read literally dozens of college-advice books, and - without question - Dr. Hernandez' book has been the most helpful. In fact, if I could have only read one college-application book, this would most definitely be my choice (2nd place going to "On Writing the College Application, by Harry Bauld).
This book is remarkable because of the author's attention to detail. Unlike any other author, Hernandez takes you through the college application literally question-by-question. She also addresses minor questions that I've asked myself before: Should I type or print my application? What order do the supplemental-pages go in? How can I include my AP scores on the common application? etc. etc. All of this stuff may seem trivial now, but I promise you, when you get down the deadline and need a quick answer - you'll thank me (or more specifically, you'll thank the author). This book has what you need to know; no other book I've read goes into this kind of detail.
Because Hernandez' walk-through is for the common application, you can literally follow it step-by-step for 90% of the schools you apply to (it's relevant for all colleges though). I found her writing style is easy-to-follow, yet detailed enough to provide real insight. In addition, as a former English teacher, Hernandez knows her stuff and is able to offer practical advice for the dreaded essays.
The example essays that are used are eye-opening, because none of the kids are out-of-this-world extraordinary. For example, one girl writes about her love for band, but is successful because she conveys a passion in her writing. Passion is one of the words that Hernandez hammers in her writing, because passion is what will help you stand out from a crowd of similarly qualified applicants. ACING will teach you how to weave this passion throughout all of the facets of your application.
As a former Ivy-league admissions officer (i.e. someone who actually evaluated applications for a living), it'd be hard to argue with Hernandez' qualifications. She has gone on to start a college consulting firm, www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com, and the near 100%-acceptance rate of her applicants speaks for the success of her methodology. Obviously, what she's doing works and WORKS WELL.
To close, allow me to reiterate that I have read almost every current college-application book out there. This is the ONLY book that I've read multiple times, and is the single most helpful book on the market. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: B+ for Acing the College Application
Review: Michele A. Hernadez the author of "Acing the College Application" is an expert in the field of admissions. With a doctorate in education and her own college consulting business she boasts that she has close to 100% success rate at getting her clients admitted to top colleges. Sadly most of us can't afford a top notch counselor like Dr. Hernadez and often find ourselves floundering in piles of college applications overwhelmed by the daunting task of filling them out. Fortunately, Dr. Hernadez has written "Aciing the College Application" to help you present yourself in the best light possible. Learn how to highlight skills, talents and passions in just a few pages. And the book offers excellent information. It includes an indepth look at the common application. The truth about essays. How to ask guidance counselors and teachers for recommendations.
Which academic subjects, activities and work experience to mention and more. Sadly the more college preparation books I read the more disagreements I have found. For example,
one issue she discusses is if you should type or handwrite the application. She suggests handwriting as it looks more like the student themselves completed it. Another book I read said that you should type it because studies have shown that papers that were typed were given better grades than handwritten papers. Thus good typing could make the difference between being admitted and being rejected. She also suggests using blue ink. I was surprised by this as I have always been told black ink was the most professional. On a whim, I called an admissions office and asked (feeling rather anal) which color ink they would like the application written in. The woman who answered said definately black as it was the most professional. The book also lacks an index. Thus looking for particular information can be time consuming. Overall its a helpful book and a little fine tuning could make it one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: an indispensible guide -- don't apply to college without it
Review: Michelle Hernandez does it again. A is for Admission was our family bible for our first two kids but I have to say that this one is just as useful if not more so if you've actually sat down to complete applications. For the first time, we get a real insider's view of every aspect of the college application and how it's judged by selective admissions officers. The examples from her own students (the cover says she runs her own business as well) are fantastic and would give any student a jumping off point from which to begin. I know our kids had trouble starting their essays, but once you read some examples, it's much easier. This is the only book we have found that covers every essay included in the application, not just the main essay. As usual, the writing is excellent and informative and the author's chatty style makes it a quick read. Our bet is that this book will be an even bigger hit than her first book. Congrats on a job well done.
<< 1 >>
| 
