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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A former admissions officer at Duke, Toor calls this a "Dear John" letter to her old job, but it's really a description of the relatively honest and complicated process by which thousands of eager, qualified applicants are evaluated every year by a typical "elite"university. While title and jacket scream "expos‚," anyone looking for tales of under-the-table bribes or unopened applications in the shredder will be sadly disappointed. Human error sometimes creeps in tired readers can make cranky decisions but according to Toor, the system basically does what it's supposed to do: admit students who fit Duke's profile based on grades and the difficulty of curriculum, extracurricular activities, teacher recommendations and SAT scores. Like many universities, Duke supports affirmative action in addition to preferences for jocks and offspring of major alum donors, but such deviations from pure meritocracy should surprise no one. The only "shocker" here concerns the "BWRK" the "bright well-rounded kids" who're just too common in the applicant pool. The "angular" student, mediocre in some areas but outstanding in others, often has a more memorable application and is frequently preferred to the better-prepared BWRK. Structured to reflect the seasons of an admissions officer's life, the book reads easily, even if the personal reflections that preface each chapter (the ex-lovers, the pet pig, playing basketball, etc.) can be annoyingly irrelevant. Too benign to generate gossip in the guidance counseling/college admissions world and too superficial for social scientists' attention, the book's real audience is parents who will read anything that might give their kid an edge.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A look into the admissions process that may make high school students rethink their college choices. Toor describes her first year as an admissions officer at Duke from the summer campus tours and interviews to the final push in May to persuade the students who were accepted to commit to her university. Each section is prefaced with Toor's personal statements, which were columns written for the Chronicle of Higher Education or National Public Radio. Although they provide insight into the author herself, the real meat of the book is professional expertise. Readers learn that schools are so inundated with applications from BWRK (Bright Well Rounded Kids) that they just seem "boring." Now colleges are looking for students who are "angular-kids who have done all the typical stuff and then have pursued an interest or passion to an nth degree." Published median SAT scores are not in line with most of a school's admissions. Publishing a wide range works to the university's advantage, because the more individuals who are encouraged to apply, the more students it can reject, and the more selective it can appear. Although Toor talks about admissions at the most elite universities, these principles still apply to schools that are not as selective. Recommend this book to your BWRKs, but make sure it is read by the guidance counselors and the teachers who write recommendations as well.
See all Editorial Reviews
A former admissions officer at Duke, Toor calls this a "Dear John" letter to her old job, but it's really a description of the relatively honest and complicated process by which thousands of eager, qualified applicants are evaluated every year by a typical "elite"university. While title and jacket scream "expos‚," anyone looking for tales of under-the-table bribes or unopened applications in the shredder will be sadly disappointed. Human error sometimes creeps in tired readers can make cranky decisions but according to Toor, the system basically does what it's supposed to do: admit students who fit Duke's profile based on grades and the difficulty of curriculum, extracurricular activities, teacher recommendations and SAT scores. Like many universities, Duke supports affirmative action in addition to preferences for jocks and offspring of major alum donors, but such deviations from pure meritocracy should surprise no one. The only "shocker" here concerns the "BWRK" the "bright well-rounded kids" who're just too common in the applicant pool. The "angular" student, mediocre in some areas but outstanding in others, often has a more memorable application and is frequently preferred to the better-prepared BWRK. Structured to reflect the seasons of an admissions officer's life, the book reads easily, even if the personal reflections that preface each chapter (the ex-lovers, the pet pig, playing basketball, etc.) can be annoyingly irrelevant. Too benign to generate gossip in the guidance counseling/college admissions world and too superficial for social scientists' attention, the book's real audience is parents who will read anything that might give their kid an edge.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-A look into the admissions process that may make high school students rethink their college choices. Toor describes her first year as an admissions officer at Duke from the summer campus tours and interviews to the final push in May to persuade the students who were accepted to commit to her university. Each section is prefaced with Toor's personal statements, which were columns written for the Chronicle of Higher Education or National Public Radio. Although they provide insight into the author herself, the real meat of the book is professional expertise. Readers learn that schools are so inundated with applications from BWRK (Bright Well Rounded Kids) that they just seem "boring." Now colleges are looking for students who are "angular-kids who have done all the typical stuff and then have pursued an interest or passion to an nth degree." Published median SAT scores are not in line with most of a school's admissions. Publishing a wide range works to the university's advantage, because the more individuals who are encouraged to apply, the more students it can reject, and the more selective it can appear. Although Toor talks about admissions at the most elite universities, these principles still apply to schools that are not as selective. Recommend this book to your BWRKs, but make sure it is read by the guidance counselors and the teachers who write recommendations as well.
Jane S. Drabkin, Chinn Park Regional Library, Prince William, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
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