Fiske Guide to Getting Into the Right College

✍ Scribed by Edward Fiske, Bruce Hammond

• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 370
• Edition: 3
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Find the college that's right for you! An A–Z of admissions secrets, The Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College takes you behind the scenes of the college application process. The expert advice and tips in this book will help you get accepted at the schools of your choice. This clear, accessible guide takes students and their parents step-by-step through the admissions process. Learn: --How to choose the right college --How to get off a waiting list and get accepted --How to write winning essays --How to use the Internet in the application process --How admissions officers really rank applicants --How to interview successfully --How to construct a successful application --How to get the most financial aid --And much more! This is the best resource for helping students get into the schools of their choice. Edward B. Fiske served for 17 years as Education Editor of The New York Times, during which time he realized that college-bound students and their families needed better information on which to base their educational choices. He wrote the bestselling annual, The Fiske Guide to Colleges, to help them. Bruce G. Hammond was editor in chief of The Insider's Guide to the Colleges and was managing editor of four editions of The Fiske Guide to Colleges. He is the author of Discounts and Deals at the Nation's 360 Best Colleges and is the school and college expert at Parent Soup, a division of iVillage.com.

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication
......Page 6
Also by Edward B. Fiske......Page 7
Contents......Page 8
Part One: Finding the Right College......Page 10
1.The Search Begins......Page 12
Why College?......Page 14
2. Sizing Yourself Up......Page 22
Develop Your Criteria......Page 23
Keep an Open Mind......Page 26
Grading Yourself......Page 29
Putting It All Together......Page 34
Size......Page 36
The Popularity of Universities......Page 37
The Case for Small Colleges......Page 38
Location......Page 40
Public vs. Private......Page 44
Personality......Page 46
Seven Ways to Jump-Start Your College Search......Page 50
Cyber-Sources......Page 56
Private Counselors......Page 58
Where It Comes From......Page 60
Picking through It......Page 62
A Peek Behind the Statistics......Page 64
More Fudge from the Confectionery......Page 68
6.The One-Hour College Finder......Page 70
The Elite......Page 71
Rising Stars......Page 77
Top Colleges, Better Odds......Page 81
The Best Bargains......Page 83
Public Universities: Honors Programs and Residential Colleges......Page 92
More Excellent Small Colleges......Page 96
More Well-Known Universities......Page 107
The Best-Kept Secrets......Page 115
Top Women’s Colleges......Page 118
Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities......Page 121
The Roman Catholic World......Page 124
Top Conservative Colleges......Page 128
Top Nonconformist Colleges......Page 133
The Most Innovative Curriculums......Page 137
Environmental Studies and International Studies: The Hottest Interdisciplinary Majors......Page 139
Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities......Page 142
For Preprofessionals Only: A Subject-by-Subject Guide......Page 145
Engineering......Page 146
Architecture......Page 152
Business......Page 154
Art and Design......Page 159
The Performing Arts......Page 162
Communications/Journalism......Page 168
Film/Television......Page 170
7.Where to Learn More......Page 174
Part Two: Getting In......Page 180
8. Inside the Admissions Process......Page 182
Most Colleges Accept All Qualified Applicants......Page 183
At A Few, the Competition Intensifies......Page 184
The Admissions Process at Highly Selective Schools......Page 186
What’s My Category?......Page 189
How They Decide......Page 193
A Tale of Two Students......Page 196
Know Your Goals......Page 198
Extracurriculars, Jobs, and Summer Programs......Page 200
Athletes and the Admissions Process......Page 201
A Word to Homeschoolers......Page 203
10. How Important Are Standardized Tests?......Page 206
The Long Strange Trip of the SAT......Page 207
Where Test Scores Have Clout......Page 210
Where Scores Don’t Matter (As Much)......Page 212
The Bottom Line......Page 214
Get an Early Start......Page 216
Taking the Tests......Page 220
Registration and Score Reporting......Page 224
Big Bucks and Bigger Promises......Page 225
12.The Early Decision Dilemma......Page 228
Why the Colleges Want You (To Apply ED)......Page 229
Early Decision Balance Sheet......Page 230
Early Action......Page 232
Deferral......Page 234
Start Early......Page 235
Plan Ahead......Page 236
Cutting through the Propaganda (Again)......Page 238
Keep Your Eyes Peeled......Page 239
Sample the Night Life......Page 241
14. Surviving the Interview......Page 244
Try to Relax......Page 245
Expect Probing Questions......Page 247
Keep Your Cool and Be Yourself......Page 250
Accent on Academics......Page 252
Guidance: Handle with Care......Page 254
How Thick Is Too Thick?......Page 255
Double- Checking Your List......Page 258
Applications Online......Page 259
The Common Application......Page 262
Cultivating the Colleges......Page 263
Choosing a Major......Page 265
Explain Everything......Page 266
Gimmicks......Page 267
Get It in Early......Page 268
The Write Stuff......Page 270
Straight from the Heart......Page 271
Don’t Try to Save the World......Page 274
The Finishing Touches......Page 276
Part Three: Paying the Bill......Page 278
18.The New Financial Aid Game......Page 280
Financial Aid 101......Page 281
The Budget Squeeze Hits Higher Ed......Page 284
Merit Scholarships......Page 285
Need-Based Aid......Page 292
Demonstrated Need and Your Aid Package......Page 294
Building an Aid Package......Page 299
Preferential Packaging......Page 304
Negotiating for More Aid......Page 305
19. Dave’s World: A Financial Aid Timeline......Page 310
Part Four: A Time to Reflect......Page 324
Can I Appeal a Denial?......Page 326
Handling the Waitlist......Page 327
Onward and Upward......Page 329
21. Some Thoughts for Parents......Page 332
Set Financial Parameters......Page 333
Let the Student Take Center Stage......Page 334
Be Supportive......Page 335
Junior Year......Page 336
Senior Year......Page 337
Appendix II: Glossary......Page 340
Acknowledgments......Page 344
College Counselors Advisory Group......Page 345
One-Hour College Finder Index......Page 348
General Index......Page 360
About the Authors......Page 362
Notes......Page 364
Back Cover......Page 370