Rock Hard Apps: How to Write a Killer College Application (Paperback)

~ (Author) "There are three students whose selective college applications will form the backbone of my analysis and commentary in Rock Hard Apps..." (more)
Key Phrases: upward grade trend, anonymous admissions officer, first brag sheet, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Ronald Siegal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Teens looking forward to college need all the information they can get. Cohen's book, though directed to top students, comes first in the scheme of college planning. The founder of her own counseling service (which she often refers to in her text), Cohen deconstructs, then reconstructs the applications of three real Ivy-League-college-bound kids, working in enough about their backgrounds to give context to the advice she provides on recommendations, the "brag" sheet, essays, etc. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description

The inside scoop on how to crack the code of college acceptance by a leading college admissions counselor.

In Rock Hard Apps, Katherine Cohen, founder of Ivywise, a private college admissions practice, follows three students through the college application process and uses dozens of other real applications to illustrate what's effective in a college application, and what's not. Here is the inside scoop on courses and grades, SATs, brag sheets, personal essays, and extra credit. Rock Hard Apps also includes sidebars of do's and don't's, as well as one complete before and after winning application to an Ivy League school.

Dr. Katherine Cohen -- who once worked in the admissions office of Yale University -- has cracked the code of college acceptance. Now she wants to teach students to view their applications through the eyes of those who will judge it. Rock Hard Apps is the ultimate guide to writing the perfect college application.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (August 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786868627
• ISBN-13: 978-0786868629
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,857 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #51 in	Books > Reference > Test Prep Central > College Entrance
  #70 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Parenting > School-Age Children

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good points, makes you feel dumb and poor reading it., August 4, 2004

By	dave - See all my reviews

The book has very good points, points I applied to the 10-something drafts of my application. The book reflects the seriousness you should be taking with the application process because, well, think of how much you care about your #1 choice and your last choice to attend. Some of it is a tad obvious, yes. But she focuses your point-of-view to make yourself look good to the only person that matters in this process: the application reader. Most of the book is learning by example; she highlights three students of hers (that paid nearly $30K for her services) and showed them what they did. It mostly works. I wouldnt rave about this book but it does the trick. And I got into the best school on the planet for my major. So I would say by a stack of these types of books, including this one, and assemble your own guidelines from them. It puts your mind in the right places.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars more glitz than substance, September 4, 2003

By A Customer

In a way, this book perfectly mirrors the author -- mostly flash with not that much substance. Although Cohen represents herself as "having worked in the admissions office," at Yale, she did so as a VOLUNTEER reader, not as an admissions officer. I wonder why the media have not picked up on her lack of experience compared to other authors. On that experience and her Madonna-esqe publicity sense, she has based a thriving business which by all accounts she runs well. However, that does not make her an experienced admissions officer and it shows in the text. This book will of course give students some case studies to base their own applications on, but ultimately, it won't help all that much besides the many well-published facts it regurgitates about admissions. The style is breezy and readable although the book feels like a plug for her business. The best part of the book is the title.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too focused on three individuals, August 30, 2003

By A Customer

I honestly was not helped by this book. It focused on the cases of three students which I found no relation to on any level. I have not found anyway to improve myself. I'm glad the author was able to help the kids she talked about in the book. But I'm me and I need help and this definately did not provide anything.

I don't plan to go even apply for an Ivy League school so once again this book hasn't helped in that fact either.