An invaluable resource for high school students who dream of getting into top- flight colleges College Matters offers the guidance of 12 students who made it into their dream colleges. They share their expertise about the entire process, from first explorations, to estimating chances, through the practical work of reaching the goal. Heres what you need to know to optimize your chances of admission to one of the most selective colleges. Features include: Proven techniques for getting into an elite college An approach that teenagers can identify with Chapters that are written by students uniquely qualified in specific topics--for example, Evelyn Huang, author of the financial aid chapter, won more than $110,000 in scholarships

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.

GET ACCEPTED TO THE COLLEGE THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU Everyone has their own idea of the perfect college, and the best place for you to spend your college years may not be the most academically prestigious or have the best sports teams. Going well beyond just college rankings, the Fiske Guide to Getting into the Right College is the help you need to get started that's been trusted by hundreds of thousands of students, parents, and guidance counselors. SIMPLIFY AND TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF COLLEGE SEARCH --Choose the right type of schools for you, including considering the strongest majors, programs, and courses --Keep everything organized and filter out the marketing hype --Plan and map your college visits, and ask the right questions during campus tours --Attract and even negotiate the best financial aid package This book is a guide not only to who you are, but also to what kinds of schools will be great for you. It starts with an easy but in-depth assessment of your priorities, then takes you step-by-step through the process of applying to the schools that are the best fit for you. MAKE YOUR APPLICATIONS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD --Earn the test scores colleges want to see --Write authentic admissions essays --Submit an application that shows off your best features --Know how admissions officers rank candidates --Get off the waiting list and get accepted to your top schools GET ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS Edward B. Fiske served for seventeen 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 writes the #1 bestselling annual Fiske Guide to Colleges to help them. Bruce G. Hammond has devoted much of his time to counseling for college. He served as managing editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges and is director of college counseling at Dipont Educational Management.

A college degree has never been more important—or more expensive. If you're not made of money, where can you get an amazing liberal arts education without your parents having to remortgage the house or cash in their retirement fund? Which degrees will allow you to fulfill your dreams and earn a decent paycheck? What do you really need to know if you're the first in your family to go to college? How do you find good schools that offer a well-rounded campus life for black or Latino students? From the staff of Washington Monthly comes a new kind of college guide, inspired by and including the magazine's signature alternative college rankings. The Other College Guide features smartly designed, engaging chapters on finding the best-fit schools and the real deal about money, loans, and preparing for the world of work. This essential higher ed handbook also highlights information on what to look for (and watch out for) in online programs and for-profit colleges and concludes with fifty profiles of remarkable but frequently overlooked schools. All things being unequal, The Other College Guide will provide American students—and their families and school counselors—with the honest and practical information they need to make sense of the college process and carve a path to the future they imagine.

Offers practical suggestions, strategies, and tips to help readers gain admission to thirty-two selective colleges.

This is a guide for high school athletes who wish to leverage their talent to get into the best possible college of their choice. In addition to ranking schools according to value, academics, best housing, and even "hot and trendy," the book provides a step-by-step plan for an athlete to present him or herself to a wide array of possible colleges.

“The College Solution helps readers look beyond over-hyped admission rankings to discover schools that offer a quality education at affordable prices. Taking the guesswork out of saving and finding money for college, this is a practical and insightful must-have guide for every parent!” —Jaye J. Fenderson, Seventeen’s College Columnist and Author, Seventeen’s Guide to Getting into College “This book is a must read in an era of rising tuition and falling admission rates. O’Shaughnessy offers good advice with blessed clarity and brevity.” —Jay Mathews, Washington Post Education Writer and Columnist “I would recommend any parent of a college-bound student read The College Solution.” —Kal Chany, Author, The Princeton Review’s Paying for College Without Going Broke “The College Solution goes beyond other guidebooks in providing an abundance of information about how to afford college, in addition to how to approach the selection process by putting the student first.” —Martha “Marty” O’Connell, Executive Director, Colleges That Change Lives “Lynn O’Shaughnessy always focuses on what’s in the consumer’s best interest, telling families how to save money and avoid making costly mistakes.” —Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher, FinAid.org and Author, FastWeb College Gold “An antidote to the hype and hysteria about getting in and paying for college! O’Shaughnessy has produced an excellent overview that demystifies the college planning process for students and families.” —Barmak Nassirian, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers For millions of families, the college planning experience has become extremely stressful. And, unless your child is an elite student in the academic top 1%, most books on the subject won’t help you. Now, however, there’s a college guide for everyone. In The College Solution, top personal finance journalist Lynn O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use roadmap to finding the right college program (not just the most hyped) and dramatically reducing the cost of college, too. Forget the rankings! Discover what really matters: the quality and value of the programs your child wants and deserves. O’Shaughnessy uncovers “industry secrets” on how colleges actually parcel out financial aid—and how even “average” students can maximize their share. Learn how to send your kids to expensive private schools for virtually the cost of an in-state public college...and how promising students can pay significantly less than the “sticker price” even at the best state universities. No other book offers this much practical guidance on choosing a college...and no other book will save you as much money! • Secrets your school’s guidance counselor doesn’t know yet The surprising ways colleges have changed how they do business • Get every dime of financial aid that’s out there for you Be a “fly on the wall” inside the college financial aid office • U.S. News & World Report: clueless about your child Beyond one-size-fits-all rankings: finding the right program for your teenager • The best bargains in higher education Overlooked academic choices that just might be perfect for you