The Portable Guidance Counselor.

Princeton Review staff. The Portable Guidance Counselor.
Princeton Review (Random) 2010 258p 14.99
978-0-375-42936-1 ms/hs VG-BN
Answers to questions about college admission are supplied by counselors about the “right fit”, extracurricular activities, AP courses, finances, and the application process from beginning to end. For students in grades 7-12, this book will lessen anxiety. After interviewing college admissions officers, high school counselors, and test prep/college application companies, Princeton Review has compiled the answers to 284 of the frequently asked questions about college admissions. The chapters include answers for students who are first-generation college hopefuls to those who are legacies to Ivy League colleges. Each question is clearly stated with a profile of a student who asked the question. The answer is clear and concise including different perspectives if the question has multilayer answers. Short quotes appear at the bottom of most pages that were extracted from the more lengthy answers. Topics include how to find the “right fit” at a college, the importance of extracurricular activities, the need to take AP courses, whether social networking sites are consulted by admissions officers, the application process from beginning to end, how to decide on multiple offers of acceptance, and how to be realistic in choice of college. Some questions deal with substance abuse, sexual identity, and a less than stellar GPA. Each question is listed in chapter introductions, but there is no index. For students in grades 7-9, this book stresses starting early, making good academic choices and for grades 10-12, it provides great suggestions to ease the anxiety of the college application process. McNicol,Lois