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How To Survive Getting Your Kid Into College stands out from the pack of college admissions guides as real advice not only about the nuts and bolts of the admissions process but how to handle the emotional side of the weighty process – for parents.  College admissions is a family event that takes years of planning, work and energy, and your assistance and support can really affect how positive or stressful the experience can be.  “There is this frenzy going on in upper-class neighborhoods.  It’s like a new sport called, ‘Where Is Your Kid Applying?’  I never thought I would get caught up in it but I did.”

Why is this book so different?  You will hear from other parents who have already gone through this process - the book is primarily a compilation of hundreds of quotes and stories from your peers.  The chapters chart experiences throughout all the stages of the admissions process, from when to start the first discussions at the dinner table to helping your children pack for college.  You can read about the good, the bad and the ugly with practical as well as light and humorous advice.  Understand how to steer the process without getting over-involved, how to find sources of financial support and how to manage the parent peer pressure that you face as your children start competing with friends and neighbors. “As a parent, you want the best for them.  This is a teaching moment for you; it’s a way to help your kids make big decisions, so in the future when you aren’t there for them they will be able to make these tough choices on their own.”
What else can you expect in this book?  Personally, as a former admissions officer at three leading colleges who evaluated over 10,000 applications and built relationships with countless students, parents and guidance counselors over the years, I provide some professional tips about managing the work and maximizing your role as parent, bill-payer and cheerleader.  I help you plan how to do the right work at the right time – and reduce the stress in the house. “We wanted our daughter to apply for as many scholarships as possible so my husband and I thought up a little ‘incentive.’  We told her we’d give her 10 percent in cash of whatever scholarship she earned.  Then she felt like there was something in it for her.”
 
In this extremely user-friendly book, the combination of the framework of professional advice around stories of those who have “been there -done that” provides you the full picture of the college admissions process.  Our angle:  help you emotionally survive the process to best support your children’s happiness – and then ultimately let them go. “We told him, “Look, we don’t want a phone call from the police, the emergency room or the academic dean.  Those are the only three phone calls we do not want.  Anything else is probably OK.”

So we look forward to helping you!  Best wishes for a successful, sane admissions journey with the school of your children’s dreams at the end!

All of Hundreds of Heads books are available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, Independent bookstores, Amazon.com and internet bookstores everywhere.  Check us
out at www.hundredsofheads.com