Gen Tanabe | Kelly Tanabe
1 They are the Michael Jordan(s) of College Admission
This is an unusual and excellent book on the subject. It was written by two very young adults who recently went through this grueling college admission process and succeeded beyond anyone wildest dreams. Indeed, the two coauthors were accepted to every school they applied including Harvard and all the other Ivy League schools. They also won over $100,000 in merit based scholarships. So, these guys are unquestionably the champs of the college admission game. They are the Michael Jordan of the college admission set.
They show you how they did it. Essentially, it is by leaving much less to chance than any of the other applicants. They show a level of readiness, preparedness, thoroughness, and maturity that is uncanny. Their attitude and methodology will make you not only successful in your college admission process, but in business, and life.
One of the keys is to realize that success is dependent on both quantitative factors (GPAs, test scores) and qualitative factors (extracurricular achievements, essays, and evaluations). In most aspect in life this is also true; you need a good mix of IQ and EQ to succeed. The authors actually make a case that the essay may be the most important part of the application. They state that in terms of getting into the top schools, a great essay can make up for a mediocre GPA (anything is relative, I think we are talking about a 3.4 GPA). But, an excellent GPA (4.0) can not make up for a poor essay. Evaluations are also critical. Again, the authors leave very little to chance, and show you a neat way to make your recommenders write you first class evaluations (give them a banzai resume, show them an article on writing recommendation, etc...).
This is the first book I read on this subject. And, `Get Into College' has set the bar extremely high for all other books on this subject.
2 OK
I haven't throughly read through the book. However, I have breifly examined most of the chapters, but have not come across any amazing, new, or non-explicit information. Most of the advice is simply common sense acquired by most high schoolers through different programs, lectures, seminars, etc. If you are new or not currently preparing for admissions, the book would probably help direct you in a proper direction. However, after recently finishing my sophmore year in high school, I was impressed. I have read a few colleges-admission books, and I strongly, emphaticaly, and rigidly recommend "A is for Admission" by Michele Hernandez. She worked, as an admissions officer or director (not sure of the exact position), for around twenty years at Dartmouth. She takes you into the highly-selective Ivy League admissions office. The book provides sample applications, sample discussions of admissions officers, and other valuable information. Buy it! PS: I am not "A is for Admission" for monetary reasons ;) Also, if you are really interested in admissions, check out the collegeconfidential.com discussion boards.
3 very helpful
As being an International student, I didn't know much about college application. In the past summer, I got three books on college application and essays. This is the one that I think the most helpful. I believe no matter who you are, there are so many tips that you might not know. The teachers' recommandation for example, it teaches you how to "help" your teacher to write an excellent one. Also, it has essays that worked and didn't. So you can see the difference between them. From reading this book, I've gained more confidence about the whole college application process. If you don't know much about what to do, get this book as soon as you can and you will find out that it is actually not that hard.
4 This book really works!
Dear Readers,
This book really works. I was skeptical at first since I have bought books before and was disappointed at the results. But Get Free Cash For College is different. The list of awards are up-to-date and it's easy to find scholarships that fit. The strategy guide is simply indispensable. There are a lot of good tips on how to make a strong application. I used the guide while applying for 10 awards that I found in the book. Last week I won my 4th award and still have yet to hear back from 4 others. This is simply a great book and I recommend it to anyone who needs money for college.
5 My bible throughout this year -- really!
I have both Get Into Any College and Get Free Cash For College and I also heard Gen and Kelly speak at my school last month. I highly recommend both books. I used their admissions book to finish my applications and I have just started using the scholarship book to find awards and apply.
The advice is clear and easy to follow. I also like the fact that there are a lot of examples of applications and essays. The scholarship book is also helpful since it lists awards and has many chapters on how to write a strong scholarship application.
Overall, I am very happy with both books and recommend them to any senior who is going to college or needs scholarship money.
6 A "must" for any prospective college student
Written by Harvard graduates, Get Into Any College: Secrets Of Harvard Students reveals the secret of why every college that they applied to accepted them without delay. In a time of increasingly competitive tests, standards, and petitions to enter the most prestigious colleges, the newly updated second edition of Get Into Any College is more valuable than ever. Its strategies will help a prospective college applicant bolster SAT and ACT scores (the authors used these techniques to raise their own SAT scores by over 100 points), find more scholarships, and improve writing skills through a 5-step essay workshop. With special strategies for parents to help their high school children get a head start, and specific advice for transfer, international, athlete and adult students, Get Into Any College is a "must" for any prospective college student who wants to ensure that he or she will attend the best possible educational institution!
7 A book full of top notch advices!
I am a parent of three college-bound high schoolers. This book is extremely practical. I highly recommend it. The best parts are chapters 5 through 7 on the essay writing. Chapter 4 on getting the right evaluation letters is also excellent. Get a copy. You won't regret it!
8 What a Lucky Break!
Dearest nervous, jittery, college applicants,
I'm the living, breathing proof that one need not be an academic superstar in order to make it into the college of their dreams. .... Who would have thought that someone like me would end up among the academically elite of Harvard? If I had relied solely upon my highschool grades, as I believed every college would, then I might never have known the potential I possessed to excell. I didn't realize that a bad home life was affecting my grades, and I was convinced that the C-'s I got would overshadow the 1540 I received on my SAT's. I owe a lot to this incredible book and it's practical advice, because the first thing it pointed out to me was that grades aren't the definitive deciding factor for any college. Personal essays, recommendations and SAT scores (though, the latter isn't always important), are often what allows students with ho-hum grades to get into the most prestigious colleges in the country. At the time my measly 3.4 convinced me that I was bound for DVC or some other junior college, but the moment I began reading the book(on the recommendation of a friend)I realized there was hope for me yet. I highly recommend going out and buying this book, which will shed light on avenues you may have thought were closed to you forever.
9 Excellent Resource - 5 Stars!
My name is Robert Forsgard and I am a recently retired admissions offer from a private university on the east coast. I have read nearly all of the books on college admissions and have found most to be helpful (a few harmful) but none more useful than this book.
Let me first say that I was interviewed by the authors of this book during their initial research. However, I am not otherwise affiliated with the book, its authors, or the publishing company and I have never received any payment from them.
One of the most frustrating aspects of my job was the fact that we received so many poor applications from otherwise good students. You could tell from the transcripts and grades and recommendations that these were bright young men and women. But, when it came to completing the application they utterly failed.
As an educator I am a firm believer that the more you know the better you'll do. Just like studying for a test, putting some effort toward learning how to present yourself in a college application can make the difference between acceptance and rejection.
There are few books like this one that show you how to create a strong application. By showing what a well written application and essay look like this book is an effective tool for helping students navigate the admissions process. This book shows you what a model application looks like, which common mistakes to avoid, and how to fit your best qualities into the format of the application.
Frankly, a large number of the applicants we reject are fine students who would do well in our school. However, because they could not compose an application that showcased their strengths we had no choice but to reject them. If every student who applied to our college had read a book like this my job would have been a thousand times more difficult.
Robert Forsgard
10 My counselor recommended this book and I do too!
Outstanding. What was different about this book was that it gave practical advice that I could actually use. I used the advice for writing my applications and essays. Before reading this book, I had no idea what to expect in my college applications, and I didn't have a clue about what to write for my essay. Get Into Any College had examples of applications and essays, which really helped me see what to do. The book also helped me be less nervous for my interviews. I had no idea that you could practice for your college interviews.
I also liked that it was written in a friendly way. The authors didn't talk down to me. It was interesting to read about their personal experiences and about the mistakes that other students have made. It made me feel better that I wasn't an expert on getting into college and that if I made a mistake it wouldn't be the end of the world.
My counselor recommended this book to me, and I recommend it to any seniors who have questions about how to apply to college. I've read other books, and this is the best because it really gave me information I could use.
11 Real information you can use to get into college
Outstanding. What was different about this book was that it gave practical advice that I could actually use. I used the advice for writing my applications and essays. Before reading this book, I had no idea what to expect in my college applications, and I didn't have a clue about what to write for my essay. Get Into Any College had examples of applications and essays, which really helped me see what to do. The book also helped me be less nervous for my interviews. I had no idea that you could practice for your college interviews.
I also liked that it was written in a friendly way. The authors didn't talk down to me. It was interesting to read about their personal experiences and about the mistakes that other students have made. It made me feel better that I wasn't an expert on getting into college and that if I made a mistake it wouldn't be the end of the world.
My counselor recommended this book to me, and I recommend it to any seniors who have questions about how to apply to college. I've read other books, and this is the best because it really gave me information I could use.
12 Unprofessional, Unusable, and Undeniably Arrogant
This book is an absolute chore to get through. While providing some useful information, its novel-like length and structure make it incredibly impractical for the average college bound high-school senior/junior. Most of use would rather NOT stay up until 4 AM reading a college guide when life and school are priorities. It seems incredible that anyone credits this book with getting them a "scholarship" to Harvard, which does NOT offer "scholarships", but only need based financial aid. In an case, a college guide should be concise and insightful, not long-winded and arrogant. To spend more time laboring through a guide than on writing or sleeping seems frivolous and senseless. To any parents or students looking for a solid, easy-to-use guide to the college admissions process, this "guide" is certainly NOT the answer!
13 Superb Book - 5 Stars
As a senior who just got into college this year I read a bunch of books on admissions. Most were outdated (as in the authors had graduated 10 or more years ago) or contained mostly common sense advice. However, "Get Into Any College: Secrets Of Harvard Students" was neither dated nor uninformative. In fact, of the half dozen books I read "Get Into Any College" was the only one that provided me with actual advice and strategies that I could use to create a knock-out application. The book reads like a manual and when I was done I felt as if I had learned a whole new skill. The book reads so well that I finished the whole thing (over 250 pages) in one day - of course I didn't sleep until 4am! "Get Into Any College" was my constant companion for most of this year. I'm just glad I found it in time.
Thomas Sweeny
14 Excellent Book
I've read the book and heard Jim and Lisa speak at a free seminar in southern California. I can't even begin to explain how insightful and useful the information in their book is to college admissions. My daughter Jen kept this book on her desk the entire time she completed her applications.
What makes this book so useful is the philosophy of Jim and Lisa which is rather than approach admissions from an admissions officer's point of view they do it from the student's point of view. Showing how students HAVE gotten into college and distilling their successes and failures into solid principles proved invaluable for my daughter. This is very different than other books written by former admissions officers and I don't know of any other like it.
Jim and Lisa are real pros and it's nice to know that students can turn to their book for guidance. I don't know how Jen could have finished her apps without it.
Highly Recommended
15 AMAZING!!!
This book got me a scholorship into Harvard University!! The tips listed and preparation techniques were helpful as well as clear and detailed. If you don't get this book, you are missing out on a book which guarantees your success by almost 100%! I strongly recommend this book to anyone applying to university or college. This book is a must read!!!!!
16 Excellent book! Couldn't put it down! READ IT!!
This book was absolutely spectacular. It explained everything from the way to write an essay to the admissions interview. I recommend this book to anyone applying for college or university. In two words: READ IT!!!!!!!!!!
17 This is the only book I've read that tells it like it is.
There are a lot of books on this subject, but Get Into Any College is a true stand out. It gives great advice to students and is not afraid to reveal how the admissions process really works.
My son read this book from cover to cover and kept referring back to it during his college applications. The many examples and tips came in handy especially while he was writing his essay.
I enjoyed the chapter for parents but wish there was a little more since this book is really written for students. It even has a before-you-are-a-senior section with tips on how to prepare.
This is one book we will keep and pass on to others in our family who will need it soon. I'm so glad someone has written a book that does not fool around and gives students what they need to get into their dream college. Bravo!
mj2727@yahoo.com
