Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond
Marilee Jones & Kenneth R. Ginsburg
222 pages
$14.95, soft cover
American Academy of Pediatrics
Reviewed by M. Ann Goode
School Counselor, Colonel Zadok Magruder HS, Rockville, MD
Educational Consultant, Start Early: College & Career Planning Service, Rockville, MD
What's one of the hottest topics among high school junior and senior students and parents that's causing anxiety to erupt like a volcano?
Of course the college admissions process, so this book is right on time. The mystic of the process, as well as the uncertainty of the outcome sends the family into frenzy.
This book attempts to help families understand the admission process from the professional experience of author Jones and offers practical suggestions to cope with the induced stress. It also presents aspects of the psychological as well as the physiological perspectives shared by author Ginsburg, in order to help parents understand the mental health experiences of their teens.
The admissions process is carefully detailed, by Jones, with language to make it comprehensible for the students and parents so they don't feel overwhelmed by professional jargon. I like the supportive approach; especially, for the students so that they understand that regardless of the outcome, they are still a valued individual and can achieve success in their future. Her idea to personalize a chapter for the teens displays sensitivity to an unpredictable stage of life.
The parents' guide stresses the need to be supportive but respectful of their teen's responsibilities, decisions, and independence. In other words, be supportive parents but know your boundaries.
Parents and students would primarily seek interest in this book as a resource to help them with the admissions process. The coping mechanisms that are identified with the stress of college admissions would be secondary. Therefore, I think that some of the detailed explanation of the physiology of stress might be over represented in the book. It would be more appropriate in the context of dealing with adolescent stress as a separate entity.
Generally, when parents purchase a book that markets college admission information they want to immediately get to the heart of the topic, with the expectation that the book will focus predominantly on the subject.
The stress of the process can be discussed, but eager parents would prefer to have it presented as an appendage to the information. Their immediate concern is "What important information can help us succeed in the college admissions process?"
I would like to credit author Ginsburg for his contribution to the teens, in the final chapter, by offering basic tips on stress management. His recommendations will be helpful to teens who are uncomfortable seeking advice and resources to assist with life's challenges.