CAFI COHEN
1 Not Much Help
I am an actual homeschooling kid in junior high, and of course, I want to make sure I get into a good college. I bought this book thinking that it would help, but it doesn't. A lot of the book isn't even about college - it's about alternatives to college. I also noticed that the author repeated the same information a lot, so the book really isn't as long as it seems. The people in the book who gave comments were generally Christian homeschoolers from southern states, and many of their children didn't even go on to college. If they did, it was generally only to community college. There were very few comments made by representatives of colleges. When they did make comments, they were very brief, and the colleges, like the homeschoolers, seemed to be southern and Christian. This book isn't very helpful at all, in my opinion. I think that most homeschoolers would be better off using different books to plan for college.
2 LOVED IT
All students homeschooled or institutionally educated should read and heed Cafi Cohen's Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook. It's fascinating. (Without obvious intent this book makes a strong case for continual lifetime learning.) It is an exceptionally well-annotated reference work. It more than adequately addresses the doubts homeschooling families have about college admission. The "How we (they) did it" excerpts are inspiring. There are real examples of good admission essays. Transcripts are covered. This handbook is as easy and fun to read as the Reader's Digest.
The benefits of this book begin when the pupil can read. Don't wait for the student to ask, "What about College? The sections of the book on "Paper Trails" and "Putting It All Together" are worth more than the cost of the book. All homeschooling families must have this book in their library
