Customer Reviews

Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As parents who have seen many of our friends completely lose perspective as their kids apply to college, my wife and decided that we would not go down that road when our time came. Forget all the books that imply they will get your child into a "brand name" school. It's about discovering together a place where they can grow, and strenghtening your relationship as you launch them toward their future. In the name of sanity, I recommend this book (and also a great one our own pediatrician recommended, "Getting In Without Freaking Out.") Stop hovering -- start helping your kids by not imposing your agenda.

As a pediatrician and the mother of a senior, I see the unhealthy stress that my patients and some classmates of my son go through during high school, particularly during their senior year. This essential book for every high school parent will give them new models for guiding their child to healthy success. Rather than defining success for your high school student as getting into a college ranked high by a magazine, parents will learn how to help their child define and reach their own goals. For those who choose college, they need a parent's help to find the right match --- a school that allows them to grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially. For an interview with Dr. Ginsburg,

ENJOY THE BOOK. I did!

Ms. Jones's advice on how the parents of high school juniors and seniors can reduce stress in the college admissions process is spot on.

I was lucky enough to receive Ms. Jones's advice when she spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at our Boston area high school. For those not so lucky, you can obtain the advice in her book, coauthored with pediatrician Kenneth R. Ginsburg.

Parents - and their children - will benefit from Jones's advice for two reasons: 1. Jones explains WHY current parents are so hyper about the admissions process (partly due to the fact that we parents are from the generation which mistakenly believes we can accomplish anything!) 2. And Jones gives practical advice on HOW each parent can reduce their child's stress in the admission process, including actions that can be easily implement right away.

Every parent of a high school junior or senior should buy her book today.

Finally, a well thought out book for parents thinking about the college process! My favorite story is early in the book setting the tone for a great and helpful read. Early on, the author is clear that the process is out of control for many parents. As the Admissions Director for MIT, she makes it clear not to worry about college until it is time, rather than picking your preschool with intent to head to the IVYies....This book really tells us there is much more to learn on this road and truly this book is all about that journey in a healthier way!

I found this book to be useful. The author had several suggestions that we had not thought of and facts we were not aware of. The whole college admissions process is way harder than when I went through it, and I would say, there is a lot of negative as far as I can see. Her book is encouraging that the process can be a positive one, if you can step out of the frenzy that most other kids and parents seem to be embroiled in. The only reason I gave it 4/5 stars instead of 5 is because I felt there was some conflicting information between our school's college counselors and her and that's confusing.

Really grounded for both parents and teens. A must to read before any other books on college, including the guides to colleges. This gets you centered on what is important and aligns your values; then you can focus on the facts about colleges. A great duo.....a college admissions dean and a pediatrician....both care deeply about kids and speak to what they need.

A Dec 7, 2009 NYT article titled "Former Dean Resurfaces, Leaving Scandal Behind" says "Two and a half years ago, Marilee Jones, the highly regarded dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, vanished from public sight when it came to light that nearly three decades earlier, when she was first hired there, she had lied about her academic credentials." ... "According to M.I.T., Ms. Jones, 58, had on various occasions represented herself as having degrees from three upstate New York institutions: Albany Medical College, Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In fact, she had no degrees from any of those places -- only a 1973 bachelor's degree, in biology, from the College of St. Rose, an independent college in Albany, where she grew up. "

Well, that's one way to reduce the stress of getting into a good college - lie!

Buyer beware!