Recommended Reading
The following books are recommended by admissions officers and college counseling professionals. The Alumni Council on Admissions does not endorse these books per se, as all the ideas are those of the author. However, we thought that a list of books about the college search process would be a helpful resource for alumni or any family approaching the application process.
The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College, Jacques Steinberg
New York Times Education reporter Steinberg gets unprecedented access to several applicants and applications during the entire 1999 admission process at Connecticut's Wesleyan University.
Questions and Admissions: Reflections on 100,000 Admissions Decisions at Stanford, Jean Fetter
Although almost 10 years old, this book is still a helpful handbook about how applications are read and reviewed at a selective university. The author, a former dean of admission at Stanford, addresses not only the nuts and bolts of the process but also hot button topics like affirmative action, recruiting athletes, and legacy admission.
Getting In, Bill Paul
Similar to the above Gatekeepers - though slightly more dated (1995) - Bill Paul follows legendary Princeton dean of admission Fred Hargadon for an admission cycle at the elite university.
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student, Loren Pope
This book highlights colleges that seek students with a wide variety of ability levels and skill sets. It is a great read to see that there are wonderful options beyond the US News Top 25.
Accept My Kid, Please!: A Dad's Descent into College Application Hell, Hank Herman
A tongue-in-cheek look at the college admissions process through the eyes of a helpless father. Written by a fellow Penn alum (C'71) and Penn parent (C'06), it reminds us to keep things in perspective and not take the process too seriously!
Essays that Worked for College Applications: 50 Essays that Helped Students Get into the Nation's Top Colleges, Boykin Curry et al, editors
A wonderful sampling of interesting, off-beat, and creative essays submitted to selective colleges.
The Shape of the River: Long-term Consequences for Considering Race in College and University Admissions, Derek Bok and William Bowen
Former presidents of Harvard and Princeton make a case for affirmative action at a time when the practice is coming under fire.
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