Review: A Good Summary and Overview - Best for Beginners -  Not Too Deep on the College Search Though
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 22, 2013
This is another of Binz's coffee break ebooks,  about 40 pages on a niche topic. In such a short format it is hard to go too much into detail in any one area. Given the title I was disappointed that there was minimal information on how to actually find a college. She just advises the ways to find information but not too much detail about truly matching your child to a college where they fit in best.Binz recommends using a college fair and gives advice on how to navigate one. The next largest topic is visiting a college campus, why and how. She advises visiting on a day when school is in session, a regular day not a special day for curious students (when they put on a big marketing show). She explains things to look for, what to observe and to use your five senses plus to listen to your gut.Next she discusses the college essay (she has a separate ebook on this topic that goes into more detail). She gives good advice that I've already learned elsewhere, to use the essay to create a portrait of your student and do not repeat information found elsewhere.  The student should write the essay using their unique writing voice, but the parent should proofread and help edit it. Colleges want a sense for who the student is, the authentic person, and the essay is a key.Binz wraps this ebook up with what to do in the junior year. This is the year when the action really begins, which continues through the senior year: high stakes testing begins with the PSAT, to start picking colleges to visit, writing the transcript and making good records, and finally applying to colleges in the senior year.This is a good overview. I honestly did not learn anything new but I agree with everything she wrote and have heard the same advice from various sources, so it's credible stuff.I rate the book 4 stars = I Like It. I did not rate it 5 stars because I felt the college search section was skimpy and because I didn't learn anything new.This ebook is perhaps best for someone who has not read a single thing yet or has not heard lectures on the topic yet, then it would be all new information that is perceived as highly informative and very helpful.