NOVEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Author and college admissions expert Jill Margaret Shulman, who narrates her audiobook, invites parents of college applicants to take a deep breath while talking them down from the ledge of the anxiety-filled process of getting into college. Offering well-detailed instructions for every step of the way, Shulman energetically instructs while attempting to inject a bit of humor and perspective into the proceedings. Though some listeners may be able to do with less of the "it will be okay, just breathe" tone (initially reassuring, eventually repetitious), Shulman offers sound advice, lists of useful resources, and a helpful timeline to keep parents and students on track. Often genuinely funny and never condescending, this listen will help parents stay grounded through the grueling trek of college admissions. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
07/15/2019
Readers with children will find a good deal of useful information, along with a potentially irritating type-A parenting philosophy, in this primer to preparing teenagers for higher education from Shulman, the founder of a college essay coaching company. Readers will encounter discussions of SAT versus ACT tests, what a good score in either actually means, and how to reduce test anxiety. Ready to visit colleges? Shulman provides a helpful comparison of campuses, big and small, urban and rural, along with “dos and don’ts” for visits. Each chapter features mostly helpful “to-do” lists and other useful lists, such as the “Thank-you Note Checklist for Students” and “Strategies for Motivating Your Kid to Just Write the Thing” (i.e., personal essays). Some of the advice seems geared more to a second grader than a soon-to-be-college freshman (“When she’s not working, let her play”). On the other hand, “What to Expect on Drop-Off Day” will be good prep for parents used to thinking of that day as a long way off. Depending on where readers fall on the helicopter parenting issue, this book will seem either an invaluable guide to prepping teens for college, or a surefire way of making them eagerly anticipate leaving the nest. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
"As a fun, practical, and, best of all, panic-free guide to a common rite of passage, Jill Margaret Shulman's College Admissions Cracked could not be more timely. Why our society insists on taking what should be just another step on the road to adulthood and turning it into an agonizing gauntlet is perhaps a question for another time. For now, take heart: if it is possible for a book to be a chill pill, pep talk, and roadmap all in one, this lively work certainly fills the bill."—Madeleine Blais, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and author of In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle
"Into the breach of the college admissions mania steps Jill Margaret Shulman with a game-changing guide to navigating and surviving the process. It packs the insights and strategies some pay a consultant thousands for into an all-encompassing, easy-to-follow plan. As comforting as it is comprehensive, it's the closest thing to a support group you will find. A must-read for parents wanting to help their college-bound student, while not losing their minds!"—Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of How to Raise an Adult
"Shulman's book is an invaluable resource for the parents and guardians of college-bound kids. In addition to practical, step-by-step considerations of the research, application, and financial aid processes, she offers a sanctuary of sanity in the often chaotic and stressful ethos of the world of college admission. Readers will benefit from her strategic tools, clarity, and good humor as they work to successfully support their children's best fit for college. It is the one book every parent embarking on the college journey with their child'should read."—Katie Fretwell, Former Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, Amherst College
"Sharp, wise, and witty, College Admissions Cracked is the crystal clear roadmap through chaos that you have been looking for and the welcome relief that you didn't realize was possible. If you have a kid who's on the path to college, this book is indispensable."—Daniel Lerner, coauthor of U Thrive
NOVEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Author and college admissions expert Jill Margaret Shulman, who narrates her audiobook, invites parents of college applicants to take a deep breath while talking them down from the ledge of the anxiety-filled process of getting into college. Offering well-detailed instructions for every step of the way, Shulman energetically instructs while attempting to inject a bit of humor and perspective into the proceedings. Though some listeners may be able to do with less of the "it will be okay, just breathe" tone (initially reassuring, eventually repetitious), Shulman offers sound advice, lists of useful resources, and a helpful timeline to keep parents and students on track. Often genuinely funny and never condescending, this listen will help parents stay grounded through the grueling trek of college admissions. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
