A Is for Admission

Plenty of college admission guides promise to help students crack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to backup their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimate insider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she also worked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years. In A Is for Admissions, Hernandez describes the step-by-step process Ivy League schools use to evaluate an application. Along theway… (more)

Plenty of college admission guides promise to help students crack the Ivy League, but few of these have detailed knowledge to backup their advice. Michele Hernandez, on the other hand, is the ultimate insider. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Dartmouth College, she also worked as Dartmouth's assistant director of admissions for four years. In A Is for Admissions, Hernandez describes the step-by-step process Ivy League schools use to evaluate an application. Along theway she settles some ancient debates, including the comparative importance of SATs versus high-school grades, public versus private high schools, and extracurricular activities versus part-time employment. She evaluates every possible factor affecting chances for admission, including special categories of students such as recruited athletes, minority applicants, and legacies. Most dramatically, Hernandez reveals the precise mathematical formula used by admissions officers to rank applicants. Using her guidelines, readers canc alculate their own AI (Academic Index) and--should their scores come up short--learn ways to compensate in other areas. Refreshingly, Hernandez helps would-be Ivy Leaguers keep their goals in perspective. Level-headed and clearly written, A Is for Admission is the perfect guide for the student (or parent) who has his eyes set on the stars.