How to Get Into the Top Colleges

by Richard Montauk J.D., Krista Klein

The ultimate guide for getting into the country's most elite colleges- with insider tips straight from admissions directors.

Now fully revised, How to Get into the Top Colleges is the definitive resource for students determined to stand out in the crowd of applicants and join the ranks at the country's most prestigious schools. This book is an in-depth and targeted resource, which shows students just what it takes to make the grade at the nation's leading private and public colleges by taking them step by step through the entire application process.

Includes exclusive, invaluable, and revealing interviews with the country's leading admissions directors.

640 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the information in this book is dated, so it might not be very relevant to the current admissions process. However, it is very comprehensive and the information provided is useful nonetheless.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some notes:

I.Where to apply:
- Get info from schools: brochure, course catalog, application materials
- Website: student newspaper, room chat, get “student guide” to school
- Where to meet college reps
- talk with alumni – get names from school
- visit schools
- can hire a professional college counselor for help
- narrow list down to about 8 schools (3-4 reaches, 2-3 possibles, 2-3 likelies)
- better chance of acceptance if you’re a legacy applicant or if you fall within upper range of average admitted students & will apply Early Decision
-the stronger the grad program the stronger the undergard program
-questions: how big are undergrad classes?, student-faculty ratio

II.College Preparation
-4 years of same language
-commitment to 1 or 2 extracurricular activities for 4 years
- community service work (important to take on leadership position, work with people, not behind scenes…)
-meaningful summer experience – volunteer job, extracurricular, getting a jump start on following year
-extra-curricular (commitment and depth is important)
- intellectual pursuits outside of classroom
- community service
- work experience
- summer experiences
- show leadership
- pursue something unusual, need a positioning, an angle that makes you stand out
-posession of at least 2 dimensions (at least 1 activity that doesn’t fit into main positioning effort)
- need breadth academically and depth extracurricularly

III. to Position Yourself for College
-ACADEMIC PROFILE
High School Curriculum
Course Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
English
Math
Science
Social Science
Foreign Language
Performing/Fine Arts
Other
Other

Overall GPA Class Rank (if applicable)

Other academic work
Course Institution Dates of Attendance Grade
Course I:
Course II:
Course III:
Course IV:

Standardized Test Scores
SAT
ACT
SAT Subject
SAT Subject
SAT Subject
SAT Subject
AP
AP
AP
AP

Awards and honors
Award Institution Date of Recipet Basis of Award Receipt
Award 1:
Award 2:
Award 3:
Award 4:

-EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY PROFILE (Volunteer work and community service can be here)
Activity Your Role Hourse/Week Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Activity 1:
Activity 2:
Activity 3:
Activity 4:
Activity 5:
Activity 6:

-WORK EXPERIENCE PROFILE (Volunteer work and community service can be here)
Job Your Role Hours/Week Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Job 1:
Job 2:
Job 3:
Job 4:
-SUMMER EXPERIENCE PROFILE (Don’t repeat stuff from above here)
Summer between freshman and sophomore year:
Summer between sophomore and junior year:
Summer between junion and senior year:
-PERSONAL LIFE PROFILE (childhood and family life)
-EDUCATIONAL PROFILE
-TRAVEL PROFILE
-PERSONAL INTERESTS

[sam]

My aunt bought me this monster of a book and I promised myself I would read it straight through, rather than skipping around. Let's see to what extent my will power lasts.

Fuck it. I give up.

[Rhiannon Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually VERY good. Highly recommend to families who want to understand the the college admissions process in a very thorough and authentic way.

[Laura Petto]

Urgh... stressful time period, but VERY helpful book.