Getting in Without Freaking Out: The Official College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents [Paperback]

Arlene Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006

Is College Planning Driving You Crazy?

Somehow, watching as your children decide which schools to apply to is as stressful for you as it is for them. If you’ve found yourself contemplating essay forgery, scheduling five college tours for a single holiday weekend, and obsessively checking the U.S. News and World Report rankings, you may be on the verge of freaking out. But as a parent, it’s important to (try to) remain calm and help keep everything in perspective.

Written specifically for parents and their college-bound teens, Getting In Without Freaking Out is an insider’s guide to the application process by professional college coach Arlene Matthews. Years of experience have taught her the secrets of playing the admissions game without all the anxiety. Now, Arlene shares what admissions officers won’t tell you—that getting into a great college isn’t as hard as it seems! You’ll learn . . .

• How to get into a top college without ever taking the SATs

• Why a little procrastination never hurt anyone

• Why applying to fewer schools increases the chances of acceptance

• What really matters when your child goes off to college—and beyond

As entertaining as it is practical and realistic, Getting In Without Freaking Out is the only guide of its kind—one that helps you get through the getting-in process with grace, good humor, and knowledge that will enhance your student’s chance of success.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

College consultant Matthews offers a helpful and humorous look at the process of college admission from the parents' perspective. Her 101 truths cover the gamut from researching colleges, to SAT test preparation, to touring colleges, to sending the freshman off to college. Preceeding from her experience as consultant and former instructor with an SAT prep service, Matthews offers sound advice on writing the personal essay, completing applications, and finding financial aid. She strongly recommends that parents--and their children--maintain realistic expectations throughout the process and develop a long view. Too many parents live vicariously through their children's college lives, wanting admission to prestigious schools for bragging rights. Too many students are too cavalier or too overwrought about the admissions process. Among the truths she espouses: trophy schools are like trophy wives, SAT scores are no predictors of success in college or life, the entire college admission process will be filled with as much tension as the parents and students allow. Parents will appreciate the humor and candor of this helpful resource. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"It is college anxiety season…a new book has come to the rescue. I like [the author’s] sense of humor and low key approach to the torturous admissions rites."—Jay Mathews, Washington Post.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400098416
• ISBN-13: 978-1400098415
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, hype-free "reality therapy" -- a life saver, June 4, 2006

By 

Reader Mom (Westport, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting in Without Freaking Out: The Official College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents (Paperback)

This book breaks away from the pack by combining practical, hype-free admissions advice with a refreshing dose of reality therapy. In addition to soup-to-nuts application guidance, the book offers parents advice for preventing the college admissions process from straining our relationship with our kids (I strongly suggest reading this book with your college-bound daughter or son). The author wisely cites studies showing that a good parent-child relationship is a far greater predictor of academic and life success than SAT scores or selective college acceptance! Thank you -- I needed that.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be required reading for all parents of college-bound kids!, November 2, 2006

By 

K. Jardine "Avid Reader" (North Carolina - USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Getting in Without Freaking Out: The Official College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents (Paperback)

I am so thankful to Ms. Matthews for writing this book. This should be required reading for all parents who have children applying to colleges. I have read a number of books on appyling to colleges, many with good advice, but this is the one I would choose if I only had time to read just one book on the subject. The book was well-written with excellent advice. There was also a healthy dose of humor and entertainment, and don't we stressed out parents need more of that to lighten up with? It is broken down in such a way that it was easy to pick up and read for as much time as I had, put it down, and pick right back up later. It helped me to prioritize and remember what is truly important and necessary. Thank you, Ms. Matthews. You certainly made this process less stressful, and my relationship with my son is most likely much better than it would have been had I not read your book. My son narrowed his search down to just 3 schools thanks to your advice, the apps are in, and now we are practicing secret #37: breathe! I would recommend this book over any other "getting into college" book out there.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It calmed our whole household down., May 27, 2006

By 

Father Knows Best (Summit, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Getting in Without Freaking Out: The Official College Admissions Guide for Overwhelmed Parents (Paperback)

I am the father of a high school junior. This book was recommended by my son's guidance counselor. She told my wife and I that she wished she had written it, because it had great advice and a way of taking the terrifying edge off the college admissions process. This book makes you -- and your kids -- remember what is really important, and helps them express who they really are in their applications, without the kind of hype that all the admissions officers have been on to for years. It is not only wise but refreshingly funny. a must-have for any family with a college-bound kid.