Winning the College Admission Game
By Peter Van Buskirk
Peterson’s (Lawrenceville, NJ) 2007
$15.00, 338 pages, soft cover
Reviewed by Bruce G. Hammond
Director of College Counseling
Sandia Preparatory School (NM)
In his days at Franklin & Marshall College, Peter Van Buskirk was one of the few deans of admission who was willing to discuss the nitty-gritty of the application process with families and their counselors. Now he has written “Winning the College Admission Game,” which delivers an insider’s view of the process without misleading hype. “Winning the College Admission Game” is a book that counselors can feel confident about recommending to students and parents.
One Book, Two Audiences
“Winning” is a flip-book, with one side addressed to students and the other (after an upside-down flip) written for parents. Perhaps predictably, the parent half is slightly longer (180 pages vs. 158). Much of the same information is at the core of the two halves, but Van Buskirk frames them with different messages and varies the subject matter as appropriate. While students get tutored on the essay, parents can read about Engaged Parenting and Managing College Costs. Van Buskirk begins the parent half with “Adjusting to Life in the Passenger Seat,” which draws heavily on his own experiences as a parent of three children.
Those looking for the secret of how a B student can get into Harvard will not find it here. The book is entirely free of institutional name-dropping, a fact that helps make one of its core themes -- “The Best College is a Good Fit” – believable. But Van Buskirk has plenty of good information for those intent on the most selective colleges. A nifty chart tells us that where colleges accept only about 1 in 8 applicants, even students whose credentials place them near the top of the college’s profile have only a 1 in 4 chance of admission.
Inside the Admission Office
Van Buskirk is at his best when writing about the inner workings of the college side. In “The Agenda,” he explains the motives of selective colleges, including how they cater to “departments like anthropology, classics, and religious studies where the faculty may outnumber the students majoring in the subject.” In “The Hidden Agenda,” Van Buskirk gives an exceptional 10-page summary of the shadowy side of admission – topics like demonstrated interest, full payers vs. those with need, and the fact that standardized test scores are less about evaluating students than making colleges look good. Elsewhere, we learn that colleges like admitting students early decision, and from the waitlist, because the yields from the two are about 95-98 percent and 65-70 percent, respectively, whereas the yield on regular-decision applicants may be only about 18-22 percent.
Along with the details, there is also plenty of plain talk:
“Don’t confuse personalized letters and handsome brochures with indications that a college really wants you. Tens of thousands of students are getting the same letters from the same schools”
“Rhetoric: SATs aren’t that important. Reality: They are – colleges love high scores!”
Winning the College Admission Game is an excellent addition to the college guidance shelf with insight for students, parents and even the seasoned counseling professional.
Back to NACAC's Current Book Reviews.