The Truth About Getting In: A Top College Advisor Tells You Everything You Need to Know [Hardcover]

Katherine Cohen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 2002

It used to be that any college applicant with stellar SAT scores and a high grade point average was a shoo-in for the school of his or her choice. Not anymore. These days it takes a great application, too. The extracurricular activities or brag sheet, personal essay, and interview all weigh heavily in the acceptance process.As a private college admissions counselor, Dr. Katherine Cohen has placed 75% of her clients into their top-choice college. Now, for the first time, she offers her successful program in a book complete with worksheets, timelines, and checklists, to help students demystify the college admissions process and get into the school of their choice.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. A popular, independent college counselor from New York effectively presents her expertise in a book for individuals and families wading through the college admissions game. Chapters cover a wide variety of topics--from gathering information about colleges and preparing for admissions tests to writing an effective essay and securing financial aid. Each chapter begins with myths and facts and ends with Cohen's personal tips for success. In between are charts to help organize paperwork, questions to help sort out thoughts about what's to be gained from the college experience, and samples from an application package. Cohen's approach is pleasant and positive as she provides specifics and teaches the college-bound how to embrace the application process as part of a self-defining time of life. Kathy Broderick
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A great, easy-to-read, step-by-step guide to finding your way through the college admissions maze." -- Edward Hu, Dean of Juniors and Seniors and College Counseling at Harvard-Westlake School and former Associate Director of Admissions at Brown University

"Among the best books of its kind out there today." -- CollegeConfidential.com

"For those who are serious about getting into competitive institutions, this book is an essential weapon." -- Boykin Curry, creator of Essays That Worked, the best-selling college application essay guide

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1 edition (April 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786887478
• ISBN-13: 978-0786887477
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much to offer that others already have, April 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Truth About Getting In: A Top College Advisor Tells You Everything You Need to Know (Hardcover)

Despite claims of showing students her "inside program," this book is an amalgam of other more pioneering books on college admissions. Don't get me wrong. It is a lot better than Rachel Toor's Admissions Confidential which hit a new low for the genre, but it has no real inside information like others by Paul (not very original - her title was identical to Paul's) or by Michelle Hernandez (A is for Admission). The latter is still the Ivy standard. The lack of inside information is not a surprise considering that Cohen is somewhat of an imposter in the Ivy crowd. Unlike other insider admissions guide authors (even Allen, Greene and Hernandez were all actual admissions officers), Cohen was only a "volunteer reader" at the Yale office while she was studying for her PhD. As such, she was not actually privy to anything that your grandmother wouldn't be if she volunteered to read essays (open to the public). Her only qualification is her online correspondence course with UCLA and the fact she went to two Ivies (so did thousands of others). Hard to see how she justifies her insider perspective when there isn't one.

With that being said, the actual material is accurate, well written and helpful. The book is well organized and neatly laid out. The essay examples are well chosen and the checklists useful, even though they are all available in other books. There are some obvious weaknesses - Cohen is used to NYC kids, so she barely mentions the IB (International Baccalaureate) program and how the those tests are scored, a big omission considering the rapid growth of the IB program (the US is the fastest growing country for new IB schools). It's hard to get past Cohens' inflated ego which permeates much of the book. In the opening pages, she explains how picking her book agent was like applying to Ivy League schools. That almost made me put the book down. Her long list of self-aggrandizing remarks take away from the solid material in the book. Overall, this book would be helpful for students just starting the college search, but a more specific guide will be needed (like Paul's or Hernandez's) for the real inside info.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unintentionally hilarious, February 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Truth About Getting In: A Top College Advisor Tells You Everything You Need to Know (Hardcover)

This book is a laugh-a-minute. You can't judge a book by its cover, but let's face it, the cover says a lot: sassy, Cosmo-worthy looking author, cleavage and all, purports to tell the "truth" about getting in. Once you start reading, you realize that Cohen has almost nothing of substance to say. She offers advice for doing well in high school: sit in the front row and nod your head in agreement with the teacher. No kidding. She offers up stories from her own process of applying to college (doesn't she realize that things may have changed a little?). She says she has a 100% success rate with the students who employ her, but doesn't she realize that people who can afford to pay her $29,000 to help their kid may also be targeted by fund-raisers at the colleges? In fact, one wonders, after reading clunky writing and suffering through fuzzy and condescending thinking, whether the cashmere-clad, diamond-studded Cohen had a little development push of her own to get accepted early decision to her own college.

The book is padded with ridiculous lists, charts and blank spaces. Does this make it worth the cover price? The parts of the book where she gives advice are not just silly, they are dangerously wrong. No one should take this seriously.

The funniest thing is that the author never actually worked in an admissions office. She was one of the first readers for Yale, and as such had no access to the ways decisions were actually made. She trumpets proudly that she's an alumni interviewer for Brown. (She complains that students come for interviews and don't ask her about herself.) Anyone who has worked in admissions knows how much that counts for (zip). Oh please.

Kids applying to college can find all of this information for free on the web. Save the money and buy some real books.

48 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book. This book is worth $32K! Read why., November 13, 2003

By 

Gaetan Lion - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Truth About Getting In: A Top College Advisor Tells You Everything You Need to Know (Paperback)

A recent article in Atlantic Monthly indicated that the author is probably the highest paid private admissions counselor. She charges $32,995 for a special counseling package that lasts two years to assure the best chance that students do get in into the Ivy league. She states that she has a success rate of 75%. She also indicates that for anyone who does not have that type of money, all her strategies are disclosed within this book.

This is an excellent book on the subject. The author has a rich and diverse background on the topic, and it shows. She approaches the subject from many different angles. There are a lot of good books on college admissions. They typically cover all the basics well, including the quantitative factors (GPAs, tests) and the qualitative ones (extra curricular activities, essays, letters of recommendations, interviews).

But, with this book the author went the extra mile on every aspects. For instance, on GPAs, she gives you so many interesting insights that you realize there are many qualitative dimensions to the GPA itself. A 4.0 is not always equal to another 4.0. Sometimes a 3.5 makes for a stronger candidate than a 4.0. It depends on the difficulty of the classes the student has taken. It also depends from what high school the student graduated. The trends in grade is also really important. And, class rank can also play a material role.

She also explains all the different admission channels such as Early Action, Early Decision, and Rolling Admission (I had never read of this last one in any other books). She goes on explaining clearly when to use these specific entry channels and when not to. If a student is fully ready, prepared, and committed to a first choice school, and the family has adequate college financing in place, the Early Decision channel may be very advantageous. But, the reverse is true too. She also explains why colleges love Early Decision programs. Such programs allow universities to boost their student yield (Enrolled students/Accepted students) and increase their selectivity with lower acceptance rates (Accepted students/Applying students). The student yield and acceptance rates are metrics that play a key role in many college rankings, including U.S. News.

The book has also an invaluable section on college information on the Web. There you will learn about a company who sells objective 1 hour tapes on college tours of specific schools. So, you can get the down and dirty about many schools, and really learn a whole lot about them without having to spend thousands of dollars on a coast to coast family campus visit tour. These videos are not advertising, they are almost more like a "60 minutes" reportage on a school. I will definitely buy four or five such videos to visit some far away campuses in the comfort of our living room. Other recommended website let you find out in an instant if your family financial profile make you eligible for "need based" financial aid or not. In short, if 12% of the parents net worth (including home equity) plus 35% of the applicant's assets exceed the college cost, you are out of luck. You will not received "need based" financial aid. The applicant can still receive "merit based" financial aid. But, that is a whole different story, and a lot more competitive one at that.

Regarding tests, the book gives you tips on how to improve your score on any test. Additionally, that was the first book I read which when it was published back in 2001 and 2002, announced that the SAT I was getting overhauled in 2005 with a new written verbal section, including an essay worth an extra 800 points. So, now a perfect score on the SAT I will be 2400 (1600 formerly).

The book is also big on the interview section. Many other authors treat the interview as the least important link in the college admission process. This author thinks differently. To the contrary, she feels that one should get prepared for the college admission process in a very similar way as the job hunting process. Thus, the interview is key in making a strong personal impression. In her experience, she indicated that good or bad interviews did make a difference in the college admission process.

To conclude, any family with college bound kids will greatly benefit from learning the information within this book.