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College Unranked: Ending the College Admissions Frenzy Paperback – September 30, 2005

by Lloyd Thacker (Editor)
3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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Stressed and sleepless, today's high school students race from school to activities in their most competitive game of all: admission to a top-ranked, prestigious university. But is relying on magazine rankings and a vague sense of "prestige" really the best way to choose a college? Is hiring test prep teachers and consultants really the best way to shape your own education?

In this book, edited by a veteran admissions counselor, a passionate advocate for students, the presidents and admission deans of leading colleges and universities--like Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Harvard--remind readers that college choice and admission are a matter of fit, not of winning a prize, and that many colleges are "good" in different ways. They call for bold changes in admissions policies and application strategies, to help both colleges and applicants to rediscover what college is really for. It's not just a ticket to financial success, but a once-in-a-lifetime chance to explore new worlds of knowledge.

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  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harvard University Press
  4. Publication date
    September 30, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.55 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0674019776
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0674019775
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“The truth could set you free! This collection of essays adds real insight to the search for college and re-centers the focus to the student's development and well-being. Full of excellent observations and advice.”―Richard H. Shaw, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Stanford University

“This book is welcome, if not overdue. The leading figures in college administration and admissions articulate with insight, candor, and compassion what the college admissions process should and should not be. This book is required reading for every parent, counselor, and aspiring student. It is more honest, helpful, and important than any guidebook or ranking magazine that exploits the misplaced anxiety concerning college admissions among students and their families.”―Leon Botstein, President, Bard College

“College Unranked is the most important effort yet to yank back the college application/admission process from the grasp of college rankings, commercial guidebooks, and expensive private consultants, and to restore it where it belongs: in the hands of students and their parents. The voices of the book's contributors are a calm, thoughtful force propelling us through the national blast of anxiety that dominates college selection and admission.”―Bob Laird, former Director of Undergraduate Admission, University of California, Berkeley

“[College Unranked] is a collection of essays by some of the most thoughtful people working in college admissions today...[Thacker] has an unusual perspective, an irresistible writing style and a passion to help students.”―Jay Mathews, Washington Post

“These college-insider contributors deride the 'commercialization of college admissions,' the obsession with college 'rankings' and the 'test prep industry' in a compelling critique of college admissions today.”―Eric Arnesen, Chicago Tribune

About the Author

A thirty-year veteran of the college admission and college counseling professions, Lloyd Thacker is Executive Director of The Education Conservancy.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard University Press (September 30, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0674019776
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0674019775
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.55 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

August Consulting
5.0 out of 5 stars A Go To Book For College Planning
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
I do not understand why this book does not get more press and is not in greater circulation. It is incredible. It puts parents and students on a path of calm. They can determine what their needs are in a school and go about finding a set of schools that meet those needs. Bravo, I loved it.
One person found this helpful
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Elle
4.0 out of 5 stars Just as expected
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2010
Verified Purchase
There were no surprises with this transaction. The book was as described and arrived in the expected time frame. Would buy again from this seller without any hesitation.
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Livvymom
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very informative, info not available elsewhere.
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Laura M
1.0 out of 5 stars not helpful for college applicant
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is not a book for parents trying to determine the right college choice for their kids. It is a collection of essays from people in the industry that might be interesting to others in the industry but not so helpful when seeking out the right fit of college for your college applicant.
2 people found this helpful
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Todd Hicks
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable perspective
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2010
Verified Purchase
As an Admission counselor this book helped me to develop professionally. The perspective allows students - and parents - it get a better sense of the admission systems that they will encounter. And, more importantly, to give then the tools to create personal ranking criteria.
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Kbritt
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2016
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Arrived in great condition!
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BRM
5.0 out of 5 stars Something is wrong with college admissions
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2005
"Nobody likes what's going on in college admissions---not students, not parents, not college presidents and not deans."

- Lee Pelton, President of Willamette University (quoted in College Unranked)

So, what has happened to college admission? Have the ranksters, the testers, the branders, the marketers, the dot.coms, etc. taken over? How did we let it happen? And what, if anything, can we do about it? Well folks, there is hope, and hope has come in the form of a book and an organization.

College Unranked is more than a book; it is a call to action to all who care about education. The book is the first tangible contribution of the Education Conservancy (educationconservancy.org), a non-profit organization that is "committed to helping students, counselors, and colleges overcome commercial interference in college admissions." All proceeds from the book support the work of the Education Conservancy.

College Unranked is a collection of 20 essays all by college presidents, deans, directors, and others in admissions and higher education. The editor, Lloyd Thacker, wrote the introduction, four sets of "Editor's Stories," and the summary and recommendations. The theme of the book, which runs through the essays, is that "Commercialism's intrusion into college admission has transformed a uniquely American educational experience into a problematic American commercial exercise." This is not, however, a nostalgic look at the "good ol' days," it is full of practical wisdom that can affect what we do today.

Thacker and his essayists are doing more than just asking us to think outside the box; they are asking us to throw out the box completely; the box in which colleges are branded and students are packaged, where colleges are ranked and students are measured. A frequent and deserving target in the essays is the U.S.News rankings---"Complicity [with U.S.News] is a disservice to our students and prospective students, and it helps distort various public policy issues affecting higher education (Adams in College Unranked)." It is important to note that while essayists criticize industry icons, they also put responsibility on those who are compliant as well. While some of the stakeholders are more to blame than others, we are all feeding the problem at some level or, at the very least, our complacency is allowing it to continue.

It is difficult to present a book that can be read with equal interest by admissions personnel, secondary school counselors, parents, and students; but College Unranked has done it. While some outside the profession might not care about or grasp some of the "trade talk" in the essays, there is not enough of it to turn off these readers. This is not a "how to get in" book, it's a book about how to do it right. Parents and students are challenged to take responsibility as well and are given the tools and the advice to help them do so.

Those of us who agree that "Something is wrong with college admissions---something wrong enough to care about, to discuss, and to change (Thacker in College Unranked)" now have a flag to rally around.

"Let us all---counselors, students and parents---reclaim the college selection and admission processes a form of education rather than a form of commercialism (Ballinger, p. 175)." Quixotic? Maybe. But also visionary, optimistic, and crucial. Individual lament can become collective action. We won't know if it will work unless we give it a try. Let's give it a try.
41 people found this helpful
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Ryan Mease
4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Thacker's 'College Unranked'
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2013
This is a strong series of essays from a variety of college and admissions officials decrying the growth of commercialization and media attention attached to the college admissions process. The essays take on a variety of tones, from personal anecdotes to statistic data from national studies. Some (most) of the arguments are strong and rely on common sense, though some of the essays report hearsay or data from unnamed sources that make their arguments slightly less than credible.

Overall, all the hand-wringing in this work is mildly effective, and should be read by students and parents who are worried about the college admissions game. The essays work to provide methods for escaping the 'frenzy' of the admissions process, and provide generally solid reasons for doing so.
One person found this helpful
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