Surviving the College Application Process

Book excerpt: Does the college application process overwhelm you? Are you unsure about the topic for your main essay? How about which school is the right fit, or how you are going to pay for college? All the students in this book faced a similar task of trying to figure out which college would be the best fit for them and how best to communicate what made them unique to that college. While many books address what you need to do and offer a step-by-step outline, very few show you how and why. Surviving the College Application Process: Case Studies to Help You Find Your Unique Angle for Success offers a different approach. Imagine following eleven students’ journeys in-depth, getting into their heads when they made a decision about which extracurricular activities to pursue, which schools to apply to, and which topics to choose for their essays. Imagine having a tool that will help you think about your own process in a more strategic way. Surviving the College Application Process is organized so that you can find profiles of students who resemble yourself. Read all the case studies or just those that resonate with your own circumstances. With the strategies outlined in this book, you will be well on your way to Surviving the College Application Process. Lisa Bleich, founder and president of College Bound Mentor, LLC, is an experienced independent educational consultant, entrepreneur, marketing consultant, and writer. She mentors students from all over the world on the college application process, helping them uncover their strengths and weaknesses and developing a personal plan for success. She regularly gives presentations on the college application and selection process both locally and nationally. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and three daughters. Two of them have successfully survived the college application process!