Who Gets In and Why

June 22, 2020
Education journalist Selingo (There Is Life After College) examines “what it takes to get into a selective college today” in this comprehensive and ultimately reassuring account. Interweaving a behind-the-scenes look at how counselors at Davidson College, Emory University, and the University of Washington make their admissions decisions with profiles of three high school students in the midst of their college searches, Selingo concludes that where applicants end up “hinges largely on criteria beyond their control.” Admissions officers, he explains, balance complex formulations involving “yield” (even at “top colleges,” only one-third to half of admitted students actually enroll) and selectivity (which plays a significant role in determining a school’s ranking), while giving special consideration to athletes, legacies, and class diversity. He classifies students as “drivers” or “passengers” based on their approach to the college search, and offers practical advice, such as applying to three or four schools in each of three categories (“safety,” “foundational,” and “reach”). Selingo also sketches the history of college marketing tactics and the rising influence of big data on financial aid decisions, and delivers the calming message that “success in college is about how you go, not just where you go.” Anxious parents and students will be buoyed by this richly detailed and lucidly written guide. Agent: Gail Ross, Ross Yoon Agency.

July 1, 2020
A veteran higher education reporter pries open the gates to the college admissions process and distills his findings in a book sure to help students and parents navigate their search. During the 2018-2019 school year, Selingo accompanied admissions officials at Emory University, Davidson College, and the University of Washington as they read thousands of applications, sorted them into admit and reject piles, and then made the painful final cuts. He opens with the closing days of admissions at Emory, where officials received 30,000 applications and were filling the 721 spots left for regular decision applicants after two rounds of early admissions. The author sets the scene to show why lovingly crafted essays get cursory reads and why many students with perfect SAT scores and straight-A records are rejected in favor of applicants that show evidence of leadership and perseverance. Selingo's message for parents and students: When it comes to admissions, it's not about you; it's about the college. "College admissions," he writes, "is a business--a big one--that you have very little control over. Top colleges are inundated with more well-qualified applicants than they can accommodate." Admissions officers are looking for the ideal class, one that will enhance the college's reputation and bring in money. They must assemble the right mix of top students, athletes, legacies, underserved students, and those who can pay the full price of up to $75,000 per year. Selingo, who writes that he is "astonished and frustrated" at the preoccupation with a small group of elite colleges, hammers home several points: Apply to colleges that will actually accept you. Consider what you and your parents can really afford, and carefully scrutinize financial aid offers. Think as much about what you will do once you're in college as where you will go. In this meticulously researched and evenhanded book, the author provides a unique mix of in-depth reporting, insight, and advice that may save readers needless frustration and thousands of dollars. One of the best books on college admissions in recent memory.

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August 1, 2020
Education journalist Selingo (There is Life After College, 2016; College (Un)Bound, 2013), here draws on two decades of experience covering higher education, and his observation field research in the undergraduate admissions offices of three universities: Emory University, University of Washington, and Davidson College. Early on, Selingo states that college admissions is a business. By exploring the competitiveness of college admissions from marketing to recruitment and decision-making, Selingo reveals the implications for institutions and students. The book is heavily narrative driven, drawing on numerous perspectives of and conversations with students, parents, and administrators, making for an illuminating and multi-sided view of admissions work, and how the processes and decisions affect stakeholders involved. Diversity and costs are covered as important factors in the admissions process for students and for colleges. Higher education administrators, high school counselors, parents, students, and all readers interested in higher education administration and admissions work will find Selingo's inside look at contemporary admissions processes to be eye-opening and insightful.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from September 1, 2020

This absorbing book delves into the sometimes enigmatic world of college admissions. Why are students accepted, wait-listed, or rejected? Journalist Selingo provides an insider's view of college marketing, recruitment, admissions decision-making, and financial aid. Over a year's time, the author was given behind-the-scenes access to the admissions cycles at Emory University, Atlanta; the University of Washington, Seattle; and Davidson College, NC. He conferred with admissions officers at other higher education institutions, both public and private, tracked three dozen high school seniors, and followed the decisions made by three college-bound high school students. Selingo also explores selectivity, early admissions, institutional priorities, legacy admits, and college athletics. He provides considerable insight into the relative weights given to courses taken, academic grades, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and high school quality, and he sheds light on the art and science of modern-day enrollment management. The appendix includes practical advice for families. VERDICT This well-researched work is an invaluable tool for college-bound students and their families, guidance counselors, and college admissions personnel.--Elizabeth Connor, Daniel Lib., The Citadel, Military Coll. of South Carolina, Charleston

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