Brennan Barnard - The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together

WhatFAMILIESSay about

The Truth about College Admission

I read The Truth about College Admission in March while our high school senior was waiting to hear from her choices. This puts me about two years too late. I winced at where I got it wrong and felt lucky where I got it right. Clark and Barnard have combined their considerable experience to craft a guide that is witty and wise, profound and practical, funny and full of heart. They keep the focus on the essential questions in an effort to convert the college experience into something bold and wonderfula celebration of family. This book will be my gift for friends who have children starting their college adventure.

MICHAEL K-D., parent, Saint Paul, MN

Who knew a college admission book could be so enjoyable and provide pertinent information? This is exactly what I found. Clark and Barnards perspective, mixing facts with humor, helped reduce my own stress and gave me a much-needed reality check. The Truth about College Admission is an outstanding resource for families, as it thoughtfully addresses the journey of college admission from beginning to move-in day. TINSLEY H., parent, Peachtree Corners, GA

We could tell our sixteen-year-old was anxious about the college admission process. So we determined to make it a fun family activity: we agreed to meet once a week on Saturdays over cookies and tea to chat, ask questions, and explore ideas. What had been a dreaded topic became an enjoyable activity that she directed. We learned more in that first family conversation than we had over the previous several months of what seemed to her to be painful cross-examinations. This book is a godsend. PAUL M., parent, Pasadena, CA

Clark and Barnards writing effortlessly blends wisdom and wit, honesty and insight. It has truly saved our familys sanity during our college admissions adventure.

GAIL AND LOREN S., parents, Atlanta, GA

Every family approaching college applications should be armed with The Truth about College Admission . It begins with aligning expectations and establishing a game plan for success. Each chapter follows the process from discovery, to applications and responses, and provides questions and realignment exercises for each engagement. This book helped us make sense of the process and understand the results. It was the soothing balm we all needed. LINDA S., parent, New York, NY

During the college admission process, we were overwhelmed by all the noise out there. I longed for guidance that would lead us in a way that felt more thoughtful and conscious. Then I found this book. It gave us permission to trust our own instincts and know that we dont have to get caught up in hiring expensive college consultants and comparing our childs journey to all her peers. Because we had this book as a resource, my family has learned to step back, take a deep breath, and ask questions about whats really important to us. This book is my new go-to gift for the parent of every junior and senior in high school!

KASEY M., parent, Wilton, NH

WhatPROFESSIONALSSay about

The Truth about College Admission

At last, a book about the college admission process that doesnt promise secret tips for admission (hintthere are none!) but instead provides advice from two respected and experienced professionals. If families are looking for how to manage the college admission process in an ethical, thoughtful, student-centered way, this book provides an important road map written in a way that even the most reluctant student will find engaging.

THYRA L. BRIGGS, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid, Harvey Mudd College

I love this book. Its packed with sensible advice and some wonderful questions. I highly recommend it. ETHAN SAWYER, College Essay Guy

A must-read for students applying to college and their parents! Come along and share the authors meaningful personal and professional stories, which will help you think through the entire process, including why you are doing what you are doing and how to make it all less stressful. I recommend this book highly to the students and families with whom I work. NANCY BEANE, Past President, National Association for College Admission Counseling

Barnard and Clark make a stressful decision more sane, understandable, and educationally useful. This book is needed because misinformation and a cacophony of noise about college admission are hurting students. JEROME A. LUCIDO, Executive Director, University of Southern California Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice

The college admission ritual can be a joyful opportunity for reflection and discovery. With insight, empathy, and wit, Barnard and Clark empower families to tune out the noise, own the journey, and focus on what really matters in a lived college experience.

MARK MOODY, Director of College Counseling, Shanghai American School, Puxi Campus

In a field that is sometimes viewed as nearly as much art as science and often fraught with misinformation, Barnard and Clark provide expertise that is accurate, useful, and empathetic to the needs of applicants and their families. The book is a terrific resource for students and parents. GARY S. MAY, Chancellor, University of California at Davis

This approachable book, which includes a great diversity of professionals who provide observations and advice, feels like a real, extended conversation. Barnard and Clark have crafted a terrific collaboration from both sides of the admission desk. On an all-too-crowded bookshelf of how-to manuals for college admission, this book offers a much-needed step-by-step journey to a successful outcome for students and their families.

WILLIAM T. CONLEY, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Bucknell University

We have allowed admission selectivity to become a proxy for quality when it comes to how we assess colleges and universities. Barnard and Clark help us remember that talented students and incredible universities, of all levels of selectivity, find their way to each other every year. The right combination of student and college can be transformative for both! This book is a much-needed resource for families. GARY CLARK, Director of Undergraduate Admission, University of California at Los Angeles

The Truth about College Admission

The Truth about

COLLEGE ADMISSION

A FAMILY GUIDE

TO GETTING IN AND STAYING TOGETHER

Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS

Baltimore

2019 Johns Hopkins University Press

All rights reserved. Published 2019

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Johns Hopkins University Press

2715 North Charles Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363

www.press.jhu.edu

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Barnard, Brennan E., 1974 author. | Clark, Rick, 1974 author.

Title: The truth about college admission : a family guide to getting in and staying together / Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark.

Description: Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.