Fat Envelope Frenzy

January 14, 2008
A former admissions officer at Dartmouth, Jager-Hyman decided to select five “promising” high school seniors and follow their progress through the college application process. She'd been concerned with what she calls “fat envelope frenzy” (“fat envelope” refers to the fact that acceptance brings many pages of info and forms to fill out, while rejection is just a single-page letter) and an obsession with accomplishment “predicated on the myth that college admission is contingent solely on merit.” On the contrary, Jager-Hyman says, colleges have many conflicting admissions objectives, making their policies “confusing.” Jager-Hyman then introduces the five high school students she's chosen to follow. Four of the five are incredible overachievers: in addition to nearly perfect grades and test scores, one's an Olympics-bound gymnast, one's a world-class pianist, one's a talented engineering student, and another's an Ethiopian-American math whiz. The fifth, a plucky Dominican-American, has lower scores and grades; her struggle for admission to the Ivies is more complicated, but potentially more instructive. Jager-Hyman follows all five through the emotional high points of the process—deciding where to apply, writing essays, going for interviews, awaiting the fat envelopes and then deciding which to accept. There are few surprises; all these talented students end up going to great schools. In the end, Jager-Hyman's book is padded with too many asides, and she offers little “insider” admissions advice.

February 1, 2008
Jager-Hyman, a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a former member of the Dartmouth Admissions Board, takes us on a journey into the selection process of America's Ivy League schools by following five students who apply to Harvard. Felix is an Asian American straight-A student, Andrew is a prep-school star displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Lisa is a nationally ranked gymnast from one of the country's best public high schools, Marlene is a Dominican American student from a low-income family, and Nabil is an Ethiopian American math whiz from Memphis. Jager-Hyman looks at all aspects of the admissions process, from test preparation to the value of extracurricular activities, also examining what role class, race, legacy (alumni or benefactor), and intelligence (SAT and GPA) play in students' acceptance into the Ivy League schools. She invites us to read the students' essays, sit in on their interviews, accompany them on their campus visits, and, finally, witness the highly anticipated moment of their acceptance, rejection, or deferral. Recommended for libraries with strong education, college, or career collections.Mary C. Allen, Everett P.L., WA

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