by Andrew Belasco and Dave Bergman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2016
A de-stressing trove of data that will help readers make more well-rounded college decisions.
Admissions-counseling consultants share their insights into selecting and getting into an appropriate college in this debut guide, aimed mainly at parents.
Many people have a hazy goal of getting their children into the most “prestigious” college possible. However, it may be a better idea to dig deep into the data to find the college that’s the best fit. Belasco and Bergman, the cofounders of admissions counseling/consulting firm College Transitions, advocate for a “more holistic and consumer-minded approach to the college selection process.” They believe that parents should spend more time with their children to determine a course of study and then figure out what skills the kids will need to pursue. These “matter as much or more than where they go,” say the authors, who also urge parents to consider—and hopefully avoid—the long-term consequences of assuming too much debt. Parents and students should explore the many top-notch colleges that exist beyond the so-called “name” schools, they say. To that end, they helpfully provide college lists that assess various ranking factors (such as student/teacher ratio), drawn from the College Board and other sources. The book also discusses other key aspects, such as the difference between early decision and early action, and the importance of college-level courses in high school. Overall, the authors offer both an authoritative overview and calming guidance for anyone who’s struggling—and stressing out—over the college admissions process. Their book is not all-encompassing, and the authors themselves acknowledge that it doesn’t cover what may be a critical issue to some students: campus social life. However, this detailed guide does offer a reasoned and reassuring road map for selecting the best college, both as a concerned parent and as an informed consumer; for example, the authors clearly emphasize that readers face “more of a buyer’s market than ever before,” with many colleges struggling to meet enrollment goals and therefore open to lowering their “sticker price.”
A de-stressing trove of data that will help readers make more well-rounded college decisions.Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4758-2690-6
Page Count: 252
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2011
A straightforward tale of kindness and paying it forward in 1980s New York.
When advertising executive Schroff answered a child’s request for spare change by inviting him for lunch, she did not expect the encounter to grow into a friendship that would endure into his adulthood. The author recounts how she and Maurice, a promising boy from a drug-addicted family, learned to trust each other. Schroff acknowledges risks—including the possibility of her actions being misconstrued and the tension of crossing socio-economic divides—but does not dwell on the complexities of homelessness or the philosophical problems of altruism. She does not question whether public recognition is beneficial, or whether it is sufficient for the recipient to realize the extent of what has been done. With the assistance of People human-interest writer Tresniowski (Tiger Virtues, 2005, etc.), Schroff adheres to a personal narrative that traces her troubled relationship with her father, her meetings with Maurice and his background, all while avoiding direct parallels, noting that their childhoods differed in severity even if they shared similar emotional voids. With feel-good dramatizations, the story seldom transcends the message that reaching out makes a difference. It is framed in simple terms, from attributing the first meeting to “two people with complicated pasts and fragile dreams” that were “somehow meant to be friends” to the conclusion that love is a driving force. Admirably, Schroff notes that she did not seek a role as a “substitute parent,” and she does not judge Maurice’s mother for her lifestyle. That both main figures experience a few setbacks yet eventually survive is never in question; the story fittingly concludes with an epilogue by Maurice. For readers seeking an uplifting reminder that small gestures matter.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-4251-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Howard Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
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by Laura Schroff & Alex Tresniowski ; illustrated by Barry Root
by C.S. Lewis ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 8, 1947
The sub-title of this book is "Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools." But one finds in it little about education, and less about the teaching of English. Nor is this volume a defense of the Christian faith similar to other books from the pen of C. S. Lewis. The three lectures comprising the book are rather rambling talks about life and literature and philosophy. Those who have come to expect from Lewis penetrating satire and a subtle sense of humor, used to buttress a real Christian faith, will be disappointed.
Pub Date: April 8, 1947
ISBN: 1609421477
Page Count: -
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1947
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