A Is for Admission: The Insider's Guide to Getting into the Ivy League and Other Top Colleges
Plenty of college admission guides promise to help students  crack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to back  up their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimate  insider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she also  worked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years.  InA Is for Admissions, Hernandez describes the step-by-step  process Ivy League schools use to evaluate an application. Along the  way she settles some ancient debates, including the comparative  importance of SATs versus high-school grades, public versus private  high schools, and extracurricular activities versus part-time  employment. She evaluates every possible factor affecting chances for  admission, including special categories of students such as recruited  athletes, minority applicants, and legacies. Most dramatically,  Hernandez reveals the precise mathematical formula used by admissions  officers to rank applicants. Using her guidelines, readers can  calculate their own AI (Academic Index) and--should their scores come  up short--learn ways to compensate in other areas.Refreshingly, Hernandez helps would-be Ivy Leaguers keep their goals in  perspective. She strongly advises against "grade grubbing" or  "working for the grade." If you think attending a top college  is the key to success, Hernandez cautions that the Ivies may not be for  you. "If your goal is to make money, but you don't enjoy studying  or reading, don't waste your time by trying to get into an Ivy League  or highly selective college.... The beauty of an Ivy League/highly  selective education lies in the intellectual atmosphere.... It does not  lie in the prestige of having a diploma from Princeton or Dartmouth on  your wall." Levelheaded and clearly written,A Is for  Admissionis the perfect guide for the student (or parent) who has  his eyes set on the stars.