Library Journal's Reader's Shelf May 1, 2010

Price of Admission

Admission By Korelitz, Jean Hanff 2010-04 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446540711 Check Our Catalog For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has avoided the past, hiding behind her busy career as a Princeton University admissions officer. Her reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of a life-altering decision. …More

The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College By Steinberg, Jacques 2003-07 - Penguin Books 9780142003084 Check Our Catalog A "New York Times" bestseller, "The Gatekeepers" follows a college admissions officer and a diverse group of prospective students as they compete for places at prestigious Wesleyan University. …More

Fat Envelope Frenzy: One Year, Five Promising Students, and the Pursuit of the Ivy League Prize By Jager-Hyman, Joie 2008-03 - Harper Paperbacks 9780061257162 Check Our Catalog A former Ivy League admissions officer follows five stellar students in their quest to enter Harvard University and uncovers the mystery behind the daunting college admissions process. …More

Admissions Confidential: An Insider's Account of the Elite College Selection Process By Toor, Rachel 2002-08 - St. Martin's Press 9780312302351 Check Our Catalog There are hundreds of books available that coach kids on writing college application essays, improving SAT scores and trying to beat the admissions system. "Admissions Confidential" is a definitive look at why those books don't work. Toor lifts the veil on a process that anxious parents and high school students have never had decoded before. And they may be shocked to find out: --that elite colleges spend thousands of dollars recruiting students they will never admit --why some students at the bottom of their high school classes are admitted to top schools when the valedictorians are rejected --how pricey independent college counselors can hurt an applicant's chances --why admission to a top school depends on who reads your application --why the top of the class at a high-performing high school may end up at their second and third choice Written in engaging first-person and covering the entire admissions process--from recruiting to enrollment--"Admissions Confidential" is a year in the life of a college admissions officer. …More

Dangerous Admissions: Secrets of a Closet Sleuth By O'Connor, Jane 2007-08 - Avon Books 9780061240867 Check Our Catalog From the bestselling author of more than 30 childrens books, OConnor has written a smart, satiric, and sexy mystery that is sure to delight and entertain. …More

Acceptance By Coll, Susan 2008-03 - Picador USA 9780312426965 Check Our Catalog Acceptance is a comic chronicle of a year in the life in the college admissions cycle, and the frantic rush of students and parents to do anything to distinguish themselves. For all, the price of admission requires compromise; for a few, the ordeal blossoms into an unexpected journey of discovery. …More

The Chosen: The Hidden History of Admission and Exclusion at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton By Karabel, Jerome 2006-09 - Mariner Books 9780618773558 Check Our Catalog Drawing on decades of research, Karabel shines a light on the ever-changing definition of "merit" in college admissions, showing how it shaped--and was shaped by--the country at large. …More

High School Confidential: Secrets of an Undercover Student By Iversen, Jeremy 2007-08 - Atria Books 9780743283663 Check Our Catalog In this fast-paced, bestselling expos, now in paperback, Iversen recounts his experiences undercover at Mirador High in Anaheim, and blows the lid off a secret world in which the sexual revolution runs unchecked, where the use of recreational drugs is chronic, and where apathetic teachers don't even bother to teach. …More