This is an incredibly interesting book, and it is worth a read whether private schools are on your radar or not. Having attended a Catholic school myself I was interested to see how the admission process plays out at some of the country's most elite private schools. The book does not disappoint.

Eisenstock talks about some of the best schools in the country (often using fake names). He interviews their admission counselors, prospective parents and students, and education consultants. The information he gathers makes for a riveting reading on the state of private education in this country. Everything from pulling strings to get in to the reality of accepting "diversity students" plays out in 256 pages. Additionally he follows 4 or 5 families as they go through the entire process from touring schools to dealing with acceptance and rejection.

The book is somewhat shocking. While I understand that the country's elite kindergartens (what a silly statement...we're talking about 4 year olds) are competitive I had no idea how ridiculous it really is. Eisenstock focuses mostly on New York City schools, but he touches on ones in Atlanta and on the West Coast. There are interviews, tests, "play dates," applications, and so on. It made me wonder who REALLY puts a 4 year old through this process. There are obviously plenty of private schools that don't require such rigorous requirements for admission (this was my experience).

It is an interesting read no matter your education preference. The book is a very quick read, and your attention will be held the entire time. At points I felt myself cheering for families, and I realized how easy it is to get wrapped up in the process.

This book does not tell you any tricks to getting accepted. If that is your goal you would probably need to look elsewhere. It does, however, repeatedly tell you that tuition is near $20,000 FOR KINDERGARTEN. That is almost 2/3 of what my college tuition was per year.