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82 of 95 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Secrets" okay... some are not very secret, others extreme... , August 11, 2007
First, you have to realize the truth. It isn't that hard to get into a college or university in general. What is perhaps hard is to get into a specific college or university, or to be eligible for specific academic scholarships or fellowships.
Second, some, but not all, of the suggestions made by author Elizabeth Wissner-Gross require money, and lots of it. Just keep this in mind when you read about the favored summer camps she recommends.
Third, you've probably heard or read of the "hovering parent" syndrome. This book, What High Schools Don't Tell You: 300+ Secrets to Make Your Kid Irresistible to Colleges by Senior Year, was written with them in mind.
Okay, having said those things, there are some good ideas here. Let me summarize a bunch of them.
- be very good at something
- don't wait until your junior or senior year to develop your resume or experiences
- don't waste your summers
- develop a plan, and follow the plan
There you go! About 200 of these secrets fall in these categories.
I was irritated or disappointed with three themes in the book.
- intellectual development was key for Wissner-Gross. That's not a bad goal. However, our children are, quite frankly, falling apart. Obesity rates are sky-rocketing, along with early adult-onset diabetes, and the lack of knowledge or skills in life sports such as tennis, basketball, and swimming are deplorable. Sending kids to college without the ability to take care of their bodies and socialize with team or intramural sports is a really bad thing, and I guarantee you, it is not the responsibility of the faculty at college to teach your son or daughter to avoid binge drinking, proper eating, and good exercise strategies. Promote intellectual development while limiting these areas at your child's peril. There is a cost associated with encouraging engineering camp while discouraging soccer camp.
- Life is not over if you don't get into Yale or Williams. Be careful of the messages you send. Being very good in what you do, wherever you go, is the key for admission to prestigious graduate and professional schools, and these graduate programs are key determinants of future success.
- Community service. Here's where I really part company with Wissner-Gross:
"Your child should avoid volunteer experiences where intellectual growth is not likely to occur or where there are no new skills to gain" (Secret 280, p. 227).
"... I want to emphasize that a student who sticks with a boring task... does not impress colleges" (Secret 281, p. 227). She does note that the child should seek insight or improvement.
Wissner-Gross states "The major rewards of community service tend to be learning, enrichment, innovating, the satisfaction of helping others, supporting a cause you believe in, and enjoyment..." BUT, she continues (p. 229) stating "The Community Service Requirement. Does every child need to do community service? It's not a bad idea if you want your child to be a caring adult. However, parents need to think carefully about... what constitutes service. Conducting science research to end cancer is community service enough..."
What? I guarantee you, NO high school student is "Conducting science research to end cancer." And community service involves service to the community first. Here, it is being confused with volunteerism. When students are interviewed, this really comes out. If your program doesn't care, that's their problem. If the program you desire does care, then that is your problem. Community service involves making a connection to the community, and your reflection on this experience in this regard is essential. Many, many students call these experiences transformational. It's what fuels their passion in their college interviews, in their courses, and in what they get involved in during college.
And then there is the statement, "Does every child need to do community service? It's not a bad idea if you want your child to be a caring adult."
And there are parents who DON'T want their children to be caring adults? For humanity's sake, I hope these parents are in the extreme minority.
So Elizabeth Wissner-Gross says that intellectual development is essential (how can I disagree?), development of connectiveness with the community is not a bad idea if you want your child to be a caring adult (this bothers me a lot), and don't worry, be happy about your child's physical development (this is the omission that will haunt a person's health through decades... but hey!).
So whether you have MIT or Cal Tech, Smith or Randolph-Macon Woman's College, or Stanford or the University of Virginia in mind, be good at many things, be really good at something; be broad in your education while also being deep; be concerned about your community and your body; and be oh so honest about who you are and who you want to be.
And don't forget to let your kid play during the summer as well.
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31 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anyone who tells you not to read this book is trying to eliminate competition!, August 2, 2007
Whether your kid is about to enter high school or is already there, you will find a wealth of valuable tips in this book. Wissner-Gross offers the reader her time-proven advice for how to build a high school program that will help to foster your kid's interests while making him or her irresistible to colleges around the country.
The point of this book is that you and your kid have to have a game plan if they are going to get the most out of high school. In the very first chapter, the author includes an ingenious questionnaire that helps kids -- even unfocused kids -- to identify their interests and to help them to set goals. Maybe your kid says he/she wants to be an astronaut, or a writer, or a sportscaster. Once you've identified the goals -- even if they change over time -- you can help them to build a portfolio of experiences in and out of school that will help to foster the passions that THEY have. By helping your kids to find every opportunity to pursue what they love, the author proves that they will not only be extremely well-prepared for, but also sought after by every college. Wissner-Gross even helps you out by identifying activities and programs of which few parents are even aware.
Other amazing gems I found in this book include:
* Secret 19: Summers are the best-kept secret of superstars--the time for your child to stand out from the pack ad gain an edge both for college admission and her future career.
* Secret 68: Never assume that the menu of clubs offered at your child's public or private high school is limited to what already exists.
* Secret 273: The best way to build a humanities pedigree for your child is to inquire about the Telluride Association Summer Programs (TASP).
I bought Wissner-Gross's last book on how to get your kids into college, and this is the perfect complement. She has clearly identified that it's not just about getting your kids into a top college, but helping them to realize their dreams! The top college is just a bonus!
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16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another excellent book by Wissner-Gross, August 2, 2007
Wissner-Gross follows her college secrets book with an excellent presentation on how to prepare your high school student to compete to get into the best colleges. Some reviewers will deride the role of helicopter parents, manufacturing credentials, etc, but the bottom line is if your child wants to be able to compete in todays ultracompetitive environment, he has to have a game plan.
She lists a number of great opportunities for students to expand their skills, and more importantly, helps you to help your child find a passion. So many summers are frittered away hanging out and doing nothing worthwhile. Doesnt it make sense to take 2-3 weeks for a great family vacation and spend a good part of the remaining time learning about something you are really into, discovering a passion, and at the same time making yourselves more desirable to the elite schools? Again, this is not because these schools should be sought after for prestige or for the inevitable parental bragging rites. Certain schools have great programs in obscure areas that students are interested in, or have an intellectual study body that your child would fit in with. Wissner-Gross's recommendations only help to make your child more competitive and more desirable by the college that they want to go to.
The book is divided into two parts. The second gives a load of specific programs for a wide variety of intersts. When do you do this stuff? During the summers. Several summers of great educational activities is a lot of fun, a great educational tool, and creates a student who is very desirable to the top schools. Most high schools do not bother to make recommendations or do not know about them. Many tell you not to think about college until late in the junior year. If you take that approach, a number of schools that might be a great match for the student will be out of range.
Start early, find the hidden passion, encourage motivation, and have fun. Great book- wish it available a few years ago.
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